How to Obey

I often hear people say that they "tried to obey God" but just could not find the strength to follow through. Interestingly enough, this is usually because they had the wrong motivation in what they were doing. They wanted to obey because they wanted to look good in front of others, or because they wanted to avoid being yelled at by someone, or something similar. Those are not exactly the best motivations, and this is why we often fail in our obedience.

One of the most wonderful promises of God is to help us obey. It might seem simplistic, but we do not usually think it through fully. God promises that if we set our minds to doing what is good and right, and if we do so out of a desire to be obedient to our Lord Jesus Christ and to glorify Him alone, then He will always provide the strength for us to do it. No, He does not always show us where that strength is, or how to find it (we are, after all, called to have faith in what He says), but it is always available and not hidden. Thus, if you really want to obey for the right reasons, then you will be able to do so.