Obey

^{Philippians 2
5(J)} Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,^{[a] 6(K)} who, though he was in^(L) the form of God, did not count equality with God^(M) a thing to be grasped, ⁷but^(N) made himself nothing, taking the form of a^(O) servant,^[b](P) being born in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself by^(Q) becoming obedient to the point of death,^(R) even death on a cross. ^9(S) Therefore^(T) God has^(U) highly exalted him and bestowed on him^(V) the name that is above every name, ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus^(W) every knee should bow,^(X) in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and^(Y) every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is^(Z) Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

It's been almost a week since my last pathetic post and I'm still thinking on this topic of obedience. "...obedient to the point of death..." I'm not even obedient to the point of staying on my knees long enough to ask for forgiveness. I have zeal enough for five men, but not discipline enough for myself. The terrible thing is I'm pretty sure I spend more time in prayer than the average Christian. We only pray when we feel like we have the time, then we never feel like we have the time. We're obedient as long as it's convenient. It's when obedience begins to cost us something - time, money, status - that you find out who the committed believers are. Conveniently Obedient - yet another form of compromise invented by the American Church.
What's crazy is I feel (as I think most of us do) that we would be obedient to the point of death, but we're not obiedent to the point of the crucified life. Many of us would give our lives for the gospel (probably not as many as I'd like to hope) but we won't give Him five minutes in prayer. What a paradox. We will die for Him, but we are reluctant to live for Him! What a defeated existence. How can we proclaim the power of prayer and the healing power of God in the pulpit and not exercise it in our lives? We speak truth with our lips and deny it with our actions. Is there hope for us? Good thing I serve a gracious, merciful, loving God - a God who loves me enough to accept me as I am but who loves me so much that He would not allow me to stay as I am.
Change me, God, into a man who proclaims your power and glory with words and deeds. May I not compromise the words You speak with the life I live. Reveal my weaknesses and give me the strength and the wisdom to confront them. Continue to hammer on this hunk of metal until all I do is reflect You. In Jesus Name.