The word "obedience" in the New Testament is made up of two words "hupo" meaning "by means of" as in use of an instrument to accomplesh a matter, and "akoē" meaning "listening". It is used with reference to slaves who act toward their master prompted by what they hear from their master (Romans 6:16). The idea here is that with the slave to his master there is unquestioning obedience. The master knows that what he speaks will be followed no matter what.
However, there is something else going on here. While a human slave must obey his human master, that human master can be tempermental, even cruel. Not so with God. First, within the Godhead there is obedience of the Son to the Father and the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son. That which provokes this obedience, however, is never arbitray. It is always accompanied with love and respect. So also, the obedience of the Church to the Lord is always bathed in love. Though also accompanied with "fear and trembling" (1 Corinthians 7:15), it is a fear more akin to respect and when this respect is accompanied with love, there is great joy.
In Hebrews, Jesus learned obedience through suffering. We know that the Son always obeyed the Father. However, this was different. Incarnated in human form, Christ's obedience was to take Him to the cross. This was something never experienced before, so this was a thing to be learned--to be experienced. Why did Jesus need to learn this? Because he was to become our High Priest. As a man He can relate to our own sufferings, and as God He can relate to the Father. He is the perfect advocate.
Now it is our turn to learn obedience (Romans 1:5). For we are also called to be priests (Revelation 1:6) and as such minister to others. Now our own suffering has meaning because it makes us relatable not only to Jesus, but to others that God gives us to love.
Pray: "Dear God, help us to learn obedience so that we might please our Lord knowing that with obdience to this Master comes great joy."