Why is Obedience So Hard?

“The LORD God commanded him, ‘You may eat the fruit from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat the fruit from the tree which gives the knowledge of good and evil. If you ever eat fruit from that tree, you will die!’” - Genesis 2:16-17

“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” - Genesis 3:6

Being obedient is hard. We struggle to be obedient for many reasons. We do not want to feel weak or feel like we have no control over our lives. When we become a follower of Christ, we have to be obedient even if we struggle to listen and obey God. We struggle to obey and listen because we are sinners that are full of pride, are scared of rejection, or do not completely trust God.

When we are obedient to God, He can use it for His good purpose. Many Christians know the power of Jesus’ obedience compared to Adam’s. Jesus was obedient until death (Philippians 2:8). His death saved many souls from eternal punishment (John 3:16). Adam’s disobedience impacted the world in a negative way. Because he did not listen to God, all people sin and their sin leads to death (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23).

Listening to God is hard but when we do, it blesses us and others. It shows that we trust God and believe in His promises, unlike Adam and Eve. Jonah struggled to listen to God because he was angry with God for wanting to save the people of Nineveh from destruction if they turned from their wicked ways (Jonah 1:1-2). God was patient with Jonah until he finally obeyed and went to Nineveh to warn the people that unless they changed, God would ruin the city (Jonah 3:1-4). The king and the people listened to Jonah's warning and stopped doing evil. As a result, God changed His mind and did not punish them by destroying the city (Jonah 3:5-6, 10).

Prayer of the day:

Dear heavenly Father,

Please help us to be obedient. We want to because it can be a blessing for others. With Your help we can do what You command, no matter how hard it is. We need Your help to do what You tell us because we are sinful. Sometimes pride, fear, or not trusting You can get in the way. You can use our obedience for Your purposes. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!