3 things that make it difficult to obey God's word

Most of us always say to God, "I will do anything that You ask me to," but most of the time, when God gives instructions, there is always a hesitation. Hesitation sends us into deeper consideration of factors and gradually, it is going to lead us into the 3 big factors that make it difficult to obey God's word.

1. Fear

We are often afraid that if we follow where God is leading us to, we might end up getting harmed, or simply having something bad happens to us. Similar situation happened to King Zedekiah in Jeremiah 38:14-23. When God ordered him to surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, King Zedekiah was afraid [v19] that he would be handed over to the Jews who have gone over to Babylonians and ended up mistreated by them.

As a matter of fact, it is normal for us to fear of what is to come when we do not know what exactly lies ahead. We should stop spending too much time fearing of the outcome and just follow God's word, for only Him who knows what His plans are. We have got to trust that He always gives what is best for us. "Obey the Lord... Then it will go well with you..." [v20]

2. Worry

One of the bad habits we Christians find difficult to get rid of is worry. Often we put our trust in God during times of troubles, but worry still lingers around. Because of this, when God calls us to do something, we worry. We worry about various things—what if I cannot meet my needs, what if I cannot do this anymore, what if I don't know how to, what if...

Stop worrying about the future. As mentioned in Matthew 6:25-34, there is no need to worry of what will become of us, because we are more valuable than birds, which are even taken good care of. You might have different needs and wants, and you worry that where God is bringing you will interfere with them. But remember, when you seek His kingdom first, "...all these things will be given to you as well." [v33]

3. Possession

This last point is the one that we find most difficult to let go of. It does not only include material goods or money that we own, but also relationships, jobs, and hobbies. It is when we have to let go of our possessions, that we can feel the difficulty of sacrificing.

In Luke 18:8-23, a man asked of the requirements of following Jesus. All commandments he  could keep, but his wealth was impossible to let go. When Jesus asked him to sell off everything he possessed, "... he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth." [v23] Indeed, it is extremely hard for us to get rid of what we hold dear, and sometimes it causes us to put our priorities in the wrong order.

So friends, stop letting these 3 things from holding back your step of faith. Do not fear of harm, nor worry about the future, the Lord knows the plans He has for you [Jeremiah 29:11]. If following God's word means you have to let go of something, do it, because "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." [Luke 18:29]

God bless :)