I read this quote the other day though and it really struck me: "Obedience to God is not a mental discipline; it's a yielded heart to God." In other words we obey not because we have to or something bad will happen, but because we get to... because we are so moved by the love that God has for us that we are passionate about loving him in return and doing things to please Him. I submit myself to my wife and am obedient to her (most of the time :-)) not because I have to or something bad will happen but because I am so in love with her that it is a joy to please her.
It's true that God has laid out some guidelines for our lives that he invites us to follow... and sometimes they aren't the most fun things for us to do. But the Bible is very clear that the guidelines God has given us are for our own benefit. He loves us sooooooooo much and wants us to experience all that life with him has to offer, but in order to experience that, there are some rules to follow.
It's kind of like eating vegetables... there are a lot of kids who hate eating vegetables. As kids we'd rather just eat junk food all the time because it tastes better. But our parents make us obey the rules and eat our vegetables because they know if we only eat junk food that in 10 years we are going to be 400 pounds! It may seem better to just eat junk food because it tastes better but the truth is in the long run we will suffer because of it.
God sees the bigger picture and he invites us to follow his rules because he knows that in the long run we will be better off. Can you imagine what a mess life would be if there were no rules or guidelines? Perhaps some of you are suffering because you have failed to follow the rules... you've metaphorically become the 400 pound kid and now are struggling to get out of the mess you've made.
The truth is there is no middle ground when it comes to obedience... if we don't obey then we disobey. I pray that we would all become passionate lovers of God who are obedient to all he tells us to do... not because we have to, but because we get to!
