In the Orthodox Church, obedience is perceived as the fulfillment of a certain kind of order. However, in order to understand this correctly, one must first carefully study what obedience is. And most importantly, what does it mean?
The very meaning of the word "obedience" means obedience and obedience and lies in a certain duty or work that may be assigned to a monk or novice in a monastery. It can be done to atone for some sin or act, and then obedience and prayer are imposed. The meaning of the word "obedience" for ordinary people lies in the fact that it is a position based on belief that there is a certain order of the situation, consisting in subordinating a lower rank to a higher one.
Parental obedience
If we talk about obedience in the family, then I immediately want to figure out who has obedience: who are the parents of the children or the children of the parents? When a child is born, he has obedience to his parents who raise him and at the same time constantly look after him. When a child grows up, parents begin to listen to him and want to know what is on his heart, what thoughts are in his head and how he lives. This hearing of another person is called obedience. Parents are always obedient to their children, and over time, children will most naturally be obedient to their parents.
Obedience to the Spiritual Father
In the spiritual practice the same thing happens. Just as a doctor listens to his patient through a phonendoscope, so the spiritual father listens to the person who came to him. Then the doctor prescribes treatment for the patient and is in his obedience. Then what is spiritual obedience? It turns out that the priest is also in obedience to his spiritual child, and when he understands all his problems, he begins to give useful advice. This is how mutual obedience occurs. Moreover, it is a mistake to think that only through a spiritual elder can one know the will of God. A person who has inner humility will ask for admonition all the time, and then the Lord will surely hear and lead to His will.
God's will
We often say prayer words, “Thy will be done ...”. Therefore, we ask that the will of God be fulfilled. But do we really want this? After all, the will of God is a cross and a mystery. Then how to understand the will of God? And for this you need to work hard on yourself and your desires. It is not easy to find the will of God for a person, for this he will have to wander among the mystical signs and trials that the Lord will send him, and he must unravel them and withstand everything. God really wants everyone to feel His will, which will be revealed and penetrate into it through spiritually experienced people and the circumstances of life, through his conscience and the conscious fulfillment of God's commandments. Of course, errors and falls will be inevitable in this case, but if a person wants to live according to the will of God, he will definitely come to this.
Monastery obedience
A monastery is a monastery for those who seek salvation. What is obedience in a religious community? How is it done? In the monastery there are two orders - internal and external. Obedience, which is imposed, is the external order of life and lifestyle of the monastery. Serving the monastery is God's special calling. Life in a monastery is not as difficult as it might seem. But it is not the physical works themselves that are heavy there, but the lack of one's own will. What fathers, brothers or sisters order, then it is necessary to do in meek resignation and admonition. And in return, God gives peace, humility, and inner peace of mind. And all the more important is general obedience, which helps to get rid of pride. With obedience, humility comes from him and dispassion; God dwells in the soul of man and all good is implanted. Monastic life requires complete obedience and humility; therefore, the grace of God reigns in the monasteries, where serenity and peace of mind are found.
Obedience is better than sacrifice, because there the flesh goes to the slaughter, and at will it is your own will. For obedience to the elder and all God's commandments, the novice receives great grace. Therefore, we must obey the mentors, because it is they who will tirelessly take care of the soul of their novice. We also know from the Bible that the will of God's primordial people expelled from paradise. And obedience to his Father again led them to paradise. Thus, great obedience triumphed and his sins were forgiven.
A bit about the essence of the concept
Today we often hear the word obedience. But often we do not fully understand what obedience is. It is assumed that this is the execution of some work in the monastery’s monastery with the blessing of the abbot. But obedience is more seen as the main component in spiritual monastic life and the main of the paths to salvation in monasticism. This is perhaps the main definition of the term, which for the most part refers to monastic life.
Man’s salvation is impossible without obedience, he accepts the Sacrament of Baptism and restores his nature, in the Sacrament of the Eucharist he unites with God, in the Sacrament of Repentance he becomes closer to the Almighty. The main goal for an Orthodox Christian is to unite with Christ, which can happen only by God's will.
Spiritual life in obedience
No wonder they say that obedience is higher than prayer and fasting. The word obedience is great. In the spiritual life, one must learn to hear, listen, and ultimately always be obedient. We ourselves ask God in our prayer: “Thy will be done ...”, this means that a person is ready to bear obedience, heed the advice, the voice of conscience and the conviction of his sins. And without the will of God this is not given.
By submitting his will to God's will, man will truly always abide with God. This Adam could not do and did not fulfill the Old Testament Israel. This opportunity appeared only when we received gracious gifts for the atonement of human sins by the Savior himself. Christian obedience is the fulfillment of God's will and no one else, for example, human. It must be clearly understood.
Obedience. Preaching
How to know the will of God? For each person, it is very well revealed in the Holy Scriptures, which is simply impossible to know outside the Church and outside the Holy Spirit. His misinterpretation by the sectarians and apostates of the Gospel does not lead these poor people to salvation and God, but to complete destruction. For every person, gospel sermons are a source of quenching thirst. Answers to various burning questions can be found only in them. They can perform the function of a fence, guided by which, a person will never go astray.