I've done the right thing halfway more times than I care to admit.

I've preached a sermon while nursing bitterness. I've led a meeting while ignoring conviction. I've counseled people about forgiveness while holding grudges. And every single time, I thought I was fine because I was doing the right things outwardly.



But God doesn't grade on partial obedience.

2 Kings 10:31

> "But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin."

That verse stops me cold every time I read it. Jehu did some impressive things for God. He destroyed Baal worship. He wiped out an entire dynasty of wickedness. He was zealous, dramatic, and effective.

And yet, God said he didn't obey with all his heart.

Jehu's Half-Reform: Impressive but Incomplete

Jehu was a man of action. When God gave him a mission, he executed it with speed and intensity. He eliminated the house of Ahab. He gathered all the prophets and priests of Baal into one place and destroyed them. He turned the temple of Baal into a public latrine. That's not timid obedience, that's bold, public reformation.

But here's the problem: Jehu stopped short.

He got rid of Baal worship, but he kept the golden calves at Bethel and Dan, the same idols Jeroboam had set up generations earlier. Those idols were culturally convenient. They were politically useful. They kept Israel distinct from Judah. And Jehu decided they could stay.

Selective obedience is still disobedience.

Jehu did what looked righteous. But he didn't do what God said. And the result? He led an entire nation back into the same sin that had been poisoning Israel for decades.

The Heart Issue: Partial Devotion Equals Divided Loyalty

The Scripture doesn't say Jehu ignored God. It says he "took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart."

That phrase, "with all his heart", is the biblical measure of true obedience.

Partial devotion is divided loyalty. And divided loyalty always produces half-reform. Jehu rooted out one false system while preserving another. He cleaned house in one area while leaving idolatry alive and breeding in another.

I've done the same thing. I've been willing to deal with the sins that looked bad while protecting the ones that felt comfortable. I've been quick to judge others' failures while excusing my own. I've made bold moves for God in public while holding back my heart in private.

And every time, I told myself it was enough. But it wasn't. Because God doesn't just want our actions. He wants our hearts.

The Personal Question: Are We Listening with Half a Heart?

Here's the question that wrecks me: How often do I only partially listen to God?

How often do I obey the parts of Scripture that are easy or convenient while quietly ignoring the parts that would cost me something?

How often do I serve God with half my heart, doing just enough to feel spiritual without surrendering the areas I want to control?

Jehu's failure is a mirror. It shows us what happens when we let cultural convenience, personal preference, or fear dictate which commands we follow.

We can be busy in ministry and still be halfhearted. We can look effective and still be holding back. We can impress people and still be disappointing God.

Here's what halfhearted obedience looks like in practice:

• We'll preach the gospel but refuse to forgive the person who hurt us.
• We'll serve in church but neglect the Bible at home.
• We'll pray in public but live selfishly in private.
• We'll talk about holiness, but protect our secret sins.
• We'll lead others while ignoring God's conviction in our own lives.

That's the danger. We think partial obedience counts. We think God grades on effort. We think that if we do something right, it makes up for the areas we're holding back.

But God doesn't work that way.

The Warning: Doing What We Think Is Right Is Dangerous

The scariest part of Jehu's story is that he probably thought he was doing great.

He'd just pulled off one of the most dramatic reforms in Israel's history. He'd destroyed false worship. He'd cleared out corruption. And yet, Scripture says he "departed not from the sins of Jeroboam."

He stayed stuck in the sins of those before him. He repeated the same patterns. He led others into the same rebellion.

Why? Because he did what he thought was right instead of fully obeying what God said was right.

That's where the danger lives, in the gap between what we think is good enough and what God actually requires.

We can justify almost anything when we're only half-listening. We can rationalize holding back when we're only half-surrendered. We can convince ourselves that God understands when we're only half-committed.

But that's not obedience. That's self-deception.

The Call: Listen Fully. Obey Completely. Put God First.

So what do we do?

We stop pretending that partial obedience is enough. We stop protecting the comfortable sins. We stop doing what we think is right and start doing what God says is right, all of it.

Here's what that looks like in real life:

1. Get honest about where you're holding back.

Ask God to show you the areas where you've been selective. Where have you obeyed publicly but resisted privately? Where have you made bold moves for God while quietly protecting your own preferences?

2. Stop justifying the "convenient" sins.

Jehu kept the golden calves because they were culturally useful. What are you keeping because it's easier, more comfortable, or politically safe? Name it. Confess it. Let it go.

3. Obey with your whole heart, not just your hands.

God doesn't just want your service. He wants your surrender. He doesn't just want your actions. He wants your affection. Whole-heartedness is the biblical measure of faithfulness.

4. Remember: A heart fully given produces consistent obedience.

You can't fake wholehearted devotion. But you can choose it. You can decide today that you're done with half-measures. You can decide that God gets all of you, not just the parts that look good.

This isn't about performance. It's about love. It's about trusting that God's way is better than ours, even when it costs us something.

If you've been living in the gap between impressive action and true surrender, it's time to close that gap. It's time to stop doing what you think is right and start doing what God says is right.

That's what obedience from the heart looks like. And that's what God is calling us to.

FAQ

What does it mean to obey God "with all your heart"?

It means full surrender, not just outward compliance. It means obeying the parts of Scripture that are convenient and the parts that cost you something. It means letting God have access to every area of your life, not just the ones that look spiritual.

How can I know if I'm only partially obeying God?

Ask yourself: Are there commands in Scripture I'm ignoring because they're uncomfortable? Are there sins I'm protecting because they feel manageable? Are there areas where I'm doing what I think is right instead of what God says is right? If the answer is yes, you're likely holding back.

Can God still use me if I've been halfhearted in my obedience?

Yes: God used Jehu even in his failure. But halfhearted obedience limits your impact and keeps you stuck in patterns that lead to shame and regret. God's grace covers you, but His call is to full surrender. He wants to use you fully, not partially.

Want to go deeper? I talk about this kind of honest, grace-centered obedience all the time on the Followed by Mercy podcast. You can also check out my full story of learning to walk in God's grace, even after failure, at https://waustingardner.com/w-austin-gardner/

And if you're wrestling with the gap between knowing what's right and actually doing it, read The Big Leap of Faith: Believing God Loves You Exactly as You Are. Because real obedience starts with knowing you're already loved.