This evening, let us together consider an area that is of great struggle in my life, and possibly in some of your lives. It is the matter of obedience. For some reason, even in the mention of obedience, there wells some kind of a dread, a concern, a mental warning that cries watch out! Be careful! This isn't going to be pleasant! Danger!
	Maybe this is just part of me, but I doubt it. Too many human beings have decried the idea of obedience to God as a terrible loss of something. There are literally hundreds of thousands of books that have been published by those who see God as some kind of tyrant who only wants to run our lives. These authors have proposed all sorts of manners to defy God, to deny God, to decry the very existence of God all in terms of creating an arena of human choice and freedom from divine principles.
	Even in the Christian realm, there are those who are so supportive of the idea of human choice in opposition to God's will. They promote the misconcept that we can choose to the best of our ability, and GOd will honor that choice as best He can. All of the concepts and ideas and principles of humanity to controvert the simple life of obedience to GOd.
	We definitely will not have time, nor have I the inclination to deal with all the human elements that are so opposed to the truth of Godly obedience. Rather, I would deal with the basic element held in the words Trust and obey. The focus is in terms of the responsibilty of men to obey God the Father. 
	We have a position, not above others in any sense, but a spiritual position to lay our lives down for the fellwoship, for the brethren, for our families, for our children. As men of GOd, if that is truly what we desire to be, we are called to be living testimonies of lives in such utter subjection to God, that His very thought is our earnest desire. Our lives are to manifest His very essence in every dealing with all who are brought into our presence by God.
	We know this as what our lives should be, but how many of us are really after this in our hearts? I am not referring to the idea that we what this because we know it should be true of us. I am asking in terms of is this the most important desire of our being? Is this something that we cannot live without God making true of us now, this very moemnt.
	Honestly, if I were asked this question right now, by Christ Jesus, I would have to admit that it is not the primary purpose of my life. I have too many other responsibilites upon my time that need my effort and my concern. There are the bills that need to be paid. There are the students and parents that I have to deal with on a daily basis. There are the concerns about my family, my wife and our times of strife. My children with each of there own situations. My life is filled with those pesky day-to-day things that are so over-whelming in themselves, that I just do not have the time required, nor the energy, nor the ability to deal with some spiritual truth that requires every fiber of my being!
	This is the delemma of my reality. I know what should be, yet can not reconcile it with what is true in this passing realm. It is echoed by the Apostle Paul in Rom. 7. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I fing then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law sin which is in my members.
	In several senses, it is good to know that the feelings and attitude that I have are not unique to my situation alone. The Apostle Paul also shared the reality that what we want in the Lord, and how we respond of our selves are in conflict. There is that battle which is waged in our beings between that which pleases the Lord and that which pleases self. And, thankfully, we do not leave the Apostle Paul in Romans Chapter 7, but are rather taken full force into Romans Chapter 8 where the power of Christ becomes our very life. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death... And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of GOd.