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“Pleasing Him”
Categories: Minister's CornerColossians 1:9-14 “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him”
Are you living a life that is pleasing to God? If you were pressed to give an answer how would you respond? We tend to define “PLEASING GOD” by our own experiences & beliefs, our likes and dislikes, and our positions about life and liberty. Maybe we think pleasing God means, having been baptized for the remission of sins which is extremely important for salvation! Or, it's the absence of certain vices … not coveting, murdering, stealing, committing adultery, and other BIG sins. This too is extremely important.
Is this ALL that is required? What is The litmus test for fully pleasing God? Is it the one who believes just like me? They must love the people that I love, show disdain for the people I don’t like, and can’t be pleasing to God unless they do. We want to live lives that please God so we want everyone to think, act, and feel the way we do about all of the issues. The Bible does communicate the idea about “Pleasing God” so consider these verses … Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, 2 Corinthians 5:9-11, and 1 John 3:16-24. Pleasing God is absolutely essential to our relationship with Him. This cannot be overstated!
Here are some thoughts about what “PLEASING TO GOD” looks like from a Biblical perspective.
1. WE MUST BEAR FRUIT (John 15:1-8, Galatians 5:19-25) It is not a matter of trying harder, it is a matter of drawing closer. We don’t go out to bear more fruit ... we seek to draw closer to Him and the fruit will come naturally. How do we know if we are doing a good job? It’s whether or not we are different in the day to day world. The life that pleases God is the one that glorifies God in daily living. It is seen in how we do our job; how we treat our co-workers; the tactics we use and won’t use to make a profit; the way we handle our mistakes; the way we treat our family, friends, and neighbors.
2. WE MUST CONTINUE TO GROW CLOSER TO GOD (James 4:8) There is a difference in knowing God and knowing about God. It’s not only about information but also about transformation. Both are equally important! When you read the Bible, do you read it to discern God’s will or do you read it to prove a point? Now there’s nothing wrong with defending the faith (Jude 3) but our reason for reading and studying the word of God should be to draw closer to God in our relationship. In Philippians 3:10, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” and in 2 Peter 3:18, “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Bible study must be all about God and our relationship with Him. An added benefit is that we know, understand, and are able to defend the truth of our Great God.
3. WE MUST ENDURE TROUBLED TIMES WITH FAITH & PATIENCE (Romans 8:18-39) God is in control! Neither circumstance nor people can overthrow His plan. There is a purpose in the things that happen. God only does Good (James 1:17)! God never makes a mistake...NEVER! This world is not our home so don’t let the happenings of this world get you down. Therefore, in hard times…we don’t complain...we trust. We don’t walk away...we listen and try to learn. We don’t despair...we hang on tighter. And, we trust God because He is in control!
4. WE MUST BE GIVING THANKS (1 Thessalonians 5:18) How much do we complain? We must learn to open our eyes to REALITY and the reality is that we take too many BLESSINGS for granted!!! We may never fully understand in this life how much God has truly blessed us. However, counting our blessings will be a good start. We must realize that In Christ we have indescribable blessings. We must live in a way that expresses gratitude for the amazing gifts that God has given! We might not fully understand them but we can certainly live and express our thanks to God for all He has given.
Notice in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Again, Are you living a life that is pleasing to God? I have no doubt that you talk about faith but the question to ask is: do they see faith in your living? Look at your life . . . What do YOU see? Hopefully a life that is pleasing to God!
