When a man enters into any society, he takes upon himself the obligation to live a certain kind of life. If he fails in that obligation, he hinders the aims of his society and discredits its name. Similarly, when one decides to live as a Christian, he takes upon himself the duty to walk according to the ways of God, to live as the Bible details.
This obligation to keep the commandments of God does not, however, become a burden. Firstly, it is not the way of God to lay a commandment on any man without also giving him the strength to carry it out. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," Paul wrote (Phil 4:13). God does not give us His commandments only to leave us to ourselves. He is there by our side to help us carry them out. The Lord knows our weaknesses, for He Himself was tempted as we are. Therefore, all we need to do is come before the throne of grace and seek His aid (Heb 4:15-16).
John wrote, "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world" (1 Jn 5:4). When Jesus came down to earth, the world hounded Him and slandered Him. It crucified Him and buried Him. Though He died a shameful death, but He resurrected and arose in glory. The world did everything humanly possible to eliminate Him and yet it failed. So this is the Jesus who is with us today, and through whom we, too, can be victorious (1 Cor 15:57). If we believe in Him, we can be reborn of God through the washing of His blood, and standing firm in faith, we can overcome the world.
Therefore when the words of God seem too hard to accomplish, gain strength from the knowledge that if you let God be your guide, salvation will be yours. Each time you come before Him, be confident that God hears. And if we ask God to help those who are weak and indeed ourselves, God will no doubt answer our prayers, as they are in accord with His will (1 Jn 5:14-15).
The commandments of God are not heavy because we realize how much He loves us. How can we not but love this gracious God? What would be an impossible sacrifice for a stranger's demand becomes a willing gift when a loved one requires it, for by our doing we show our love. Similarly, God’s commandments are not a burden but a privilege and an opportunity to show our love to Him. If we live in this light, it is easy to abide by the words of God.
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