How do we respond when the Lord challenges us to do things His way?

Isaiah 55:9 - For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Do we trust that His ways truly ARE higher than ours? When we try to walk in His ways without His help, they seem laborious and not worth the extra "effort" on our part. It seems like it would be a lot easier to give up on walking with Him down the "right" path toward blessing and slip back into our old ways / habits and fulfill our own momentary desires. But then He says to us:

I Cor 6:19,20 - What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

And we would be blessed to respond in this way:

Acts 20:24 - But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

But why? What is the Lord's purpose in requiring us to walk in His ways (other than to glorfy Him)? I mean, why is it so important not to give in to the self-imposed pressure to give up and fulfill my own desires? He answers this question...

II Cor 7:11 - For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what CAREFULNESS it wrought in you, yea, what CLEARING OF YOURSELVES, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what ZEAL, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

He is working out our sanctification which will ultimately glorify Him. He is imparting wisdom to us through experience. Carefulness in my life. A "clearing" of my own self (fleshly desires). His desires will become mine. Zeal for the Lord will be worked out in me. What beautiful, blessed things!

As further encouragement, we will be blessed with the same fervancy with which we follow him and stay true to His will and His path for our lives.

II Cor 9:6 - But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

SO STAY THE COURSE! For He promises:

Philippians 1:6 - Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: