We all have different struggles in life. As Christians, we have surrendered our lives to Christ. One commandment, that seems to go against our human nature, is to obey. Obedience to God puts our personal desires to the side. It becomes hard to obey when we want to please ourselves. Obedience is hard when we want the things of the flesh and forget about the many blessings of God. Paul said in Philippians 3:7-11:
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”
Furthermore, Paul said this in chapter 3 because in chapter 2 he put his emphasis on why we obey. He said in Php 2:5-13:
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Paul tells us that with the right mindset we can become obedient to God in every way. Because if we have the mindset to obey, God will help us to accomplish it. God wants us to obey and he will help us to obey. We have to be people of prayer and we have to be determined to obey even when hard times come our way. Jesus showed his perfection when he obeyed even in the turbulent times. The Bible says in Hebrews 5:7-9: “ In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.”Jesus is the source of our salvation. Salvation to those who obey him.