Hebrews 13:21 says,
"So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things he has done while in the body, whether good or bad."
I don't know about you, but when I get home and see My Lord and Savior face to face, I want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."I want to live everyday, here, in the light of eternity! I know I won't do it, perfectly, if I could, Jesus wouldn't have had to die ~ but with His help, I want to seek to walk according to His Word, the Bible.
Our first step is faith! In the list of the "Hall Of Faith," in Hebrews chapter 11:5-6 it says,
"By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."
Faith is a requirement to please God, without it, we cannot. We must believe He exists and if we truly believe that, it will change how we live. We are called to have a childlike faith.
Mark 10:13-15 says,
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
When God asks us to do something, He will, also, tell us how to do it. In the following passage we are challenged to please God and in verses 1-2 and in verses 3-18 there's the explanation of how to do it.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-18
"Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God's will that you should be sanctified (set apart): that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lusts like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you His Holy Spirit.
Now about brotherly love, we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers to do so more and more.
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to the Lord's own Word, we tell you that you who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord, Himself, will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words."
God has called for those who love Him, to be set apart, to be holy, as He is holy. How do we do that?
Psalm 119:9-16 says,
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Praise be to You, O Lord; teach me Your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word."
God's Word and Jesus' life are our instruction manuel in how we are to live to please Him. We have to know the Word to live by it, to know what He requires of us. Christ took my place on the cross and died for me, He bought me with a price, now I've been claimed righteous. Out of love for Him, I want to seek to live in what I've already attained!
"For once you were in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord." Ephesians 5:8-10
We are not to seek to please men, but we are to seek to please God! Don't we all struggle with that? Who do we seek to impress?
Galatians 1:10 says, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of God."
It's easy to fall into this trap, isn't it? We can ask God to show us when we are seeking to please someone other than Himself and make the needed change.
1 Thessalonians 2:4 says, "On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts."
We are to seek to please God, not men ~ Our ability and our desire to please the Lord can only come with His help, He draws us to Himself, gives us understanding of how we can come to Him on his terms (salvation), He saves us, He seals us with His Spirit (our Helper) and He works in us, maturing us, transforming our inner heart, daily, more and more, into the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Because we have been bought with a price and are no longer our own, we are in everything, to do it as unto the Lord ~ though, we may or may not be appreciated by men, the Lord will reward us when we get home, because we did all to please Him, alone!
Colossians 3:22-24 says,
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence to the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward."
A life that seeks to please God seeks to grow in the knowledge of His will, it bears fruit, it seeks to walk in His power, it seeks His strength and endurance in hardships, it joyfully gives thanks to God in all things! We cannot please the Lord when we walk in the flesh ~ our hearts have to be in alignment with His!
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."
We haven't even scratched the surface of all that God's Word says about pleasing God! Dig in, my friend, for yourself ~ as you read, ask, "What does God say it takes to please Him?"I want to encourage you, as you continue your journey here on this earth, to seek to have a heavenly focus and a heart that is in a pursuit to walk in such a way that you bring great pleasure to God! May He take great pleasure, just at the hearing of your name being whispered ~ because you love Him!
A right relationship with God is only a prayer away! He died for you, if you don't know Him, personally, bow your head and ask Him to show you Himself, to forgive you for your sins and then turn and live for Him. If you have done that and realize that your life doesn't line up with His, ask forgiveness, turn back to Him, and seek to be holy and blameless, asking for His help to walk in His ways and to please Him. I love you, in Christ, and I want to see you victorious! I want to hug your neck when we get home and spend eternity with you! Keep pressing on, my friend ~ keep pressing on!
May God bless you today!
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