Don’t Call Him Lord and Do Things Your Way

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46)

Jesus was not asking this in anger. He asked it like a teacher who wanted His students to think carefully about what they were saying and whether it matched how they were living. The word “Lord” is Kurios in Greek and means Controller, Master, Supreme Authority. Jesus was essentially asking: “If that is what you believe I am, then why is your life not reflecting it?”

The honest answer for many believers is that Jesus is Lord as long as what He says aligns with what they already want to do. As long as His instruction does not require them to change direction, give something up, or step out in faith beyond what feels comfortable, they are fully on board. But the moment the Word demands something that does not feel good to their flesh, something that contradicts what they feel or what the people around them are saying, they suddenly find a way to do it their own way.

That is not lordship. Jesus saw it clearly in the people He was talking to. They were calling Him Master with their mouths while remaining in charge of their lives. Your mouth can speak something that is not really in your heart. Many Christians run around saying, 'Jesus is my Lord,' but He is not in control of their lives and decisions. They are in control. As long as what they want does not contradict what He said, they are good with it. But when He asks something that is not what they want or what they see, they decide to do it their way.

Real lordship means that when He says go, you go. When He says give, you give. When He says forgive, you forgive. It is not when it is convenient or comfortable, but you do it because you have actually made Him the controller of your life and not just given Him a title you use in church. That is the kind of relationship He is calling for.

Practical Application

Be honest with yourself today about one area where God has spoken clearly, through His Word or through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and you have not yet obeyed. Name it specifically—not to condemn yourself, but to acknowledge that He is Lord and you have been operating as the controller in that area. Then take the first step of obedience today.

John 14:15; 1 John 2:4