why obey?

My sis and I were talking about obeying the other day. And some different reasons to do it. All day today, I've been faced with various temptations and a choice. I've always loved that verse that God promises us a way out so we can stand up under it. (1 Cor. 10:13) His voice is usually the quiet one that is hard to hear sometimes. And sometimes, you can't hear it at all due to drowning it out for so long, you have forgotten the sound of the shepard's voice.

Why do we obey? My sis was decribing this unbelievable worship this one day and later in the day, had to make a choice. She chose to obey. Why? She didn't want to loose the prescence of God in her life. The unspeakable joy that comes through lifting Him up and declaring all that He is, is amazing! She knew that if she were to chose to sin, the joy that comes from walking the road of suffering would dissapate.
I've been chosing to obey in this walk with food. Why? My reasons aren't for any feeling, but just cause he plain told me to. Satan often tempts me with the "pleasures of the flesh", and all that "FEELS good..." I'm sure satan doesn't have as much to do with it as we think he does. Our flesh is pretty strong...Mine is very strong.
I am reading a book called, "who you are when no one's looking" Courage is a character trait that is not found easily these days. People are in it for the easy way out, for the quick fix. Why go to the root and go through humilitating pain and embarrasment, when you can perfect a way to look good on the outside? Yep, that's our society. When I think of courage, I think of saving someone's life, running out someone from a burning building, diving in below freezing water to rescue a child. But these stories are once in a lifetime happenings that might not even happen to us at all. This is what I read today in my book.

"Every single day we make choices that show wherther we are courageous or cowardly. We choose between the right thing and the conveninent thing, sicking to a conviction or caving in for the sake of comfort, greed or approval. We choose either to take a carefully thought out risk or to crawl in to a shrinking shell of false safety, security and inactivity. We choose either to believe in God and trust him, even though we do not always understand his ways, or to second guess him and cower in corners of doubt and fear. These choices come our way every day, rapid fire. We face them so frequently that we forget that we are even making them, and we sometimes find ourselves going with the flow instead of carefully making courageous choices. It takes courage to become a christian and even more to BE a christian..."

I was very challenged and encouraged with this. Be blessed today and stay on that road of suffering whatever the cost!! Now is the most important time to stay obedient, cause these are the character buiding moments. Anyone can do good when it's easy! Anyone can make the right choice when they wanted go that way anyway! God is good and He wants only the best for us!