Have you ever read a command in Scripture and thought, “I cannot do that”?

Forgive the person who hurt you.

Love your enemies.

Consider the interests of others.

Serve without seeking recognition.

Stop living for yourself.

If we are honest, those commands can feel impossible. We may know what obedience requires while having little desire to do it.

That is why Philippians 2:13 is such good news:

“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

God does more than tell us what to do. He works within us so we can obey.

Work Out, Not Work For

The verse immediately before this tells believers to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.

Paul does not tell us to work for salvation. Jesus has already accomplished salvation through His death and resurrection. We receive it by grace through faith.

To work out our salvation means allowing what God has placed within us to become visible in our lives.

A seed contains life before anything appears above the ground. As it grows, the hidden life produces roots, leaves, and eventually fruit. In the same way, God’s saving work within us should increasingly produce visible change.

Grace does not make obedience unnecessary. Grace makes obedience possible.

God Changes What We Want

God works in us “to will.”

That means He works in our desires.

Sometimes we know the right thing to do but have no desire to do it. We know we should apologize, but we want to defend ourselves. We know we should forgive, but we want the other person to suffer. We know we should serve, but we want someone else to notice and thank us.

We do not have to hide those desires from God. We can pray honestly:

“Father, I know what You have asked me to do, but I do not want to do it. Please change what I want.”

That is not a sign of spiritual failure. It is an act of dependence.

God Strengthens What We Do

God also works in us “to work.”

He gives us strength to act upon the desires He is producing. We still make the call, offer the apology, extend forgiveness, pick up the towel, and take the next step. Yet we do so with strength supplied by God.

Christian obedience is active dependence.

We do not sit still and say, “God will change me whenever He wants.” We also do not grit our teeth and attempt to manufacture Christlike character through willpower.

We take the next faithful step while trusting God to supply what we lack.

We apologize, and God softens our hearts.

We serve, and God produces love.

We forgive, and God gives mercy.

We surrender pride, and God forms the character of Jesus within us.

The Freedom of Admitting Weakness

“I can’t” becomes dangerous when it is used as an excuse for disobedience. But it can become the beginning of growth when it leads us to dependence upon God.

Peter repeatedly attempted to follow Jesus through his own strength. He made confident promises and then failed. Yet Jesus restored him, taught him, and continued working through him.

Our failures do not surprise Jesus. He knows our weakness better than we do.

The Christian life was never meant to be lived through our strength alone. The Savior who humbled Himself for us now works within us through His Spirit.

Where do you need God to change your desires? What act of obedience feels beyond your strength?

Tell Him the truth. Ask Him to give you the desire and the power. Then take the next faithful step.

A simple prayer may be enough:

“Father, I cannot produce the humility of Jesus by myself. Work within me. Change what I want, give me strength to obey, and accomplish what pleases You through my life.”