Live to Please God

Live as children of 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 NIV

My husband loves his KitchenAid® mixer. It’s a guy thing – lots of power, versatility, clean lines and all that.

Most people would say the KitchenAid’s® purpose has something to do with the kitchen – helping to prepare foods or perhaps making cooking more convenient. Some might even say – thanks to the many attachments – the KitchenAid’s® purpose changes from, say, a cookie dough mixer to a pasta extruder to a meat grinder.

The KitchenAid ® certainly performs those tasks. But in our house, the KitchenAid® has purpose beyond what it can do.

To discover that purpose all you need to do is catch my husband as he lovingly wipes it down with a soft cloth when he thinks no one is looking.

The KitchenAid® makes my husband happy. It pleases Him.

And although what it does adds importance, the main reason the KitchenAid® holds a place of honor in our kitchen is because when my husband uses it – heck even when he just walks by it – the darn things puts a smile on his face.

That’s how we are for God.

We might be a mixer, an extruder or a grinder, but when we reside in His house – in the grace and splendor of God’s wonderful love – our purpose is to live a worthy life of pleasing God.

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. (1 Thessalonians 4:6-8)

It’s the reason God breathed life into a handful of dust and created Adam in His likeness (Genesis 2:7), and the reason He gave His only begotten Son to pay for our sins (John 3:16).

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:20 KJV)

In everything we do, first please God.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of 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)

Know the goodness of God

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [His] purpose. - Romans 8:28

When we live to please Him, God will bring us to unknown places to do unimagined works.

He will use us in remarkable ways we can barely comprehend.

In His incredible wisdom, our Lord orders the intricacies of lives in the direction of His will.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. (Psalms 139:6)

Sometimes the discreet moments of our lives seem random or even meaningless – like the chance encounter I had with the man on the park bench – but God is always at work in the hearts and minds and lives of those who live to please Him.

When we put ourselves in God’s hands and allow Him to use us according to His will, astonishing things will happen and people – others as well as ourselves – will be blessed by knowing the goodness of God.

How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts! (Psalms 92:5)

Walk by faith

For we walk by faith, not by sight - 2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV

Christian faith is faith applied.

As Paul might have said, faith is more about lending a hand to help than raising a hand in worship.

Faith isn’t just believing God is God and His authority is without equal, but acting on that belief, applying that faith which the Lord gives us day in and day out.

It’s not enough for us to have faith, to believe in God’s amazing power and grace. As Christians, we’re called to act on faith and to take action.

We’re instructed to apply faith in our daily lives, in extraordinary encounters and in everyday encounters; in matters big and small, personal and global; to live each day constantly doing good works – God’s work – without ceasing.

Faith without action is dead faith.

Applied faith, on the other hand, is living faith, the kind that is constantly doing good works in the name of our Heavenly Father; the kind that listens to the word of God and gets busy living to please Him.

Train for Godliness

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. - 1 Timothy 4:7-8

My high school golf coach knew a thing or two about the benefits of proper training.

Each afternoon as we came off the course, Coach would direct us to the practice range.

He’d line us up and set buckets 50 feet directly in front of each of us, and for as long as it took, we’d chip range balls toward those buckets.

The goal was ten balls inside , and once that was achieved, Coach would move the buckets out in 10-foot increments.

At 100 feet, we weren’t required to get the ball into the bucket anymore, just hit it.

At 150 feet, five balls needed to land within a foot of the bucket.
If we ran out of balls, we got more.

If it got too dark to see, we listened for the tell-tale ding of ball on metal.

Golf was a game of inches, Coach would remind us. If we wanted to be winners, we needed to be consistent in the short game.

Early in the season, successfully hitting the bucket seemed nearly impossible.

We’d get close, and every once in awhile we’d get in, but we all knew it was more a matter of luck than skill.

But as the season wore on, hitting the bucket got easier and eventually putting the ball into the bucket became achievable.

And not just achievable, but repeatable.

By the end of the season, we could drop nine of ten balls in the bucket at 50 feet, and although our success rate on longer distances wasn’t quite so good, the ball would go where we wanted with consistency.

That’s what training is: it’s preparing for an event in such a way that the outcome is reliable and repeatable and consistent.

Every time we stepped up to a 50-foot chip shot, we knew what to do.

We knew how to place our feet and how hard to strike the ball because we’d done the very same thing so many times in practice.

We’d trained hard and we knew we could make the shot, whether it was on the first hole or the shot for all the marbles.

All that training – all those balls we dropped into buckets – gave us confidence when we needed it.

Training for godliness does the same thing.

It gives us confidence so when we go into a situation that challenges what we believe, we know what to do.

The outcome becomes reliable and repeatable and consistent.

No matter what comes our way, we know we will respond in ways that please God.

Do something bold

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. - 2 Corinthians 3: 12

When Abraham was an old man, he told his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac.

The man was told to go to the countryside near his homeland and bring back someone suitable – what an ambiguous request! But, being a dutiful servant, the man agreed and off he went by camel to Nahor.

When he got there, he stopped at a common well, figuring the women of the village would soon be coming out to draw water.

Then he prayed, asking God to give him a sign.

“I’m going to ask one of the women for a drink,” he said. “And if she offers to water my camel too, then I’ll know she’s your pick for Isaac.”

Along came Rebekah.

Confident God would give him a sign, the servant approached her.

“Mind if I have a drink?” he asked.

“Sure,” said Rebekah. “And I’ll get some water for your camel as well.”

And with that the servant had his answer. (Genesis 24)

Asking is never easy. But it’s a lot easier when we have confidence.

With confidence, we’re able to ask boldly and specifically. We’re able to ask knowing we will get an answer.

Pray ceaselessly

Pray without ceasing. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV

When I was a kid, I had a set of black and white Scottie dog magnets.

One had a positive charge and the other a negative charge, so when they were put in the same general area, they were magnetically drawn together.

Both moved.

One didn’t chase the other.

One didn’t run away from the other. The little magnetic dogs moved toward one another.

Prayer allows us to enjoy that same kind of motion with God.

We move closer to Him and He moves closer to us.

He comes into our hearts and we come into His presence.

We become transparent to God and God becomes real to us.

Solomon might have been talking about prayer when he said in Proverbs:

A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers Him into the presence of the great. (Proverbs 18:16).

In praying we give ourselves to God as a humble gift.

Through Christ and by prayer, we’re allowed to come into His presence.

And once there, we’re able to have a conversation with God.

Be kind

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. - Ephesians 4:32 KJV

It was Paul who told the Ephesians to “walk in love”

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.” (Ephesians 4:31-5:2 KJV)

Paul clearly outlined what it takes to have a pleasing personality, a kind and loving personality that pleases not only others, but pleases our Heavenly Father.

We’re to be kind and tenderhearted – open to others, sharing and caring.

We’re to be forgiving, just as we’ve been forgiven.

And we’re to model our lives and our actions on Christ.

It’s easy to have a pleasing personality, to be kind and walk in love around your friends and people you love.

It’s a lot harder to be kind to strangers, or even enemies.

Think praiseworthy thoughts

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable —if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. - Philippians 4:8

Several years ago, I kicked the words ‘overwhelmed’ and ‘depressed’ out of my vocabulary.

I woke up one morning and realized they were making my life less than what it could be, so I just decided to stop using them.

Since then, I’ve banished several other words for the same reason.

I might get upset but these days I’m rarely enraged.

And although my life is sometimes filled with drama, there are no more tragedies.

On the other hand, I’ve consciously added words to my vocabulary over the years as well.

Brilliant is one of my favorites, so is scrumptious.

Tricky situations are a whole lot easier to overcome than their impossible cousins.

Why be upset when you could be just a little miffed, and who has time to hate?

On the outside, it might seem like nothing has changed except my vocabulary, but nothing could be further from the truth.

By changing the words I habitually use to define my emotions and emotional reactions, I’ve changed the way I think about them.

What we think matters or as Proverbs says: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. (Proverbs 23-7 KJV)

Prove all things

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. - Thessalonians 5:21 KJV
We don’t even know her name, but in the book of Judges we’re introduced to a woman who thinks clearly and refuses to accept something without thinking.

This woman recognizes the truth of God when she sees it and uses logic and reason and faith to verify the facts.

She’s a nameless woman known only as the wife of Manoah, but she is a woman who proves all and then holds fast to that which is good.

Let’s listen to her tell the story:

I remember the day well, as well as any day that changes your life, I suppose. I was out in the field pulling weeds when a stranger came out of nowhere wanting to talk. It was eerie.

One minute I was alone pulling up weeds and the next there he was.

The guy seemed to know a lot about me, and at first I was a little embarrassed thinking we must have met before since he knew me so well.

Then, it came to me this was no ordinary guy but rather a man of God. Otherwise, how could he know so many personal details – like the fact that my husband, Manoah, and I had been unable to have kids?

So this man starts talking. He tells me I’m going to get pregnant and give birth to a son!

Pay more careful attention

We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. - Hebrews 2:1

The Bible is our roadmap to pleasing God.

It keeps us on course and heading in the right direction.

It alerts us to the dead ends and the washed out places and even points out some scenic spots along the way.

When we stray, the Bible is there to direct us back to God and when we wind up lost in the middle of the night on an unlit road, God’s words give us light.

We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. (Hebrews 2:1)

In paying careful attention to the actions and behaviors, the thoughts and attitudes contained within the Bible, it’s possible for mere men to delight God.

Live with care

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. - Ephesians 5:16-17

God’s word should be our guide and Christ our example as we intentionally differentiate goodness from evil and wisdom from foolishness.

As Paul told the Romans, be wise about what is good.

I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. (Romans 16:17-19)

You’re doing great now, Paul says, but don’t get complacent.

Stay focused because you never know when a new obstacle will crop up.

Paul was right. In a lot of ways, the world is an obstacle course.

Getting through it can be difficult unless we have proper instruction and training, unless we know what we’re doing.

As he told the Romans, and he tells us, the only way we can get around the obstacles of the world is to use the solid judgment and best management practices of the Bible.

To paraphrase King Solomon, we need to think before we leap

Don’t be a fool, give thought to your ways. (Proverbs 14:8)

Be transformed and renewed

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. - Romans 12:2 KJV

Dictionary definitions of conform usually include words like adjust, alter and adapt.

They imply trying to fit a round peg into a square hole, or reworking an ill-fitting jacket.

It doesn’t fit, but with enough effort and manipulation, it’s almost possible to make it look like it will. Nothing has really changed.

Transform, however, doesn’t just imply change, it demands change.
• Change in composition and structure.
• Change in size.
• Change in position and orientation.
• Change in appearance.
• Change in form.

There’s little doubt then, that when Paul told the Romans to stop conforming and start transforming, he was talking about actual change.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

Go the extra mile

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. - Matthew 5:41 KJV

Two-thousand years ago, Rome ruled over the Israelites and Roman law was the law of the land.

One law said a Roman soldier could ask any Roman subject to carry their pack, their gear, or basically anything, and that person was required to do so, and carry whatever it was for a distance of one mile.

No more.

No less.

One mile.

Obviously, this wasn’t a popular law. But it was a law and the Jewish people were obliged to follow it.

Imagine the anger and resentment a law like that must have created. You can almost hear the quiet – and not so quiet – grumbling of people as they counted steps, making sure they walked exactly one mile – and not a single step further.

So when Jesus told His followers, “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain,” (Matthew 5:41 KJV), it was both counter-intuitive and revolutionary.

Don’t just do what is expected or required, Jesus said, do more.

And do it willingly and with a joy-filled heart.

Let your light shine

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 5:16

King David loved the Lord with all his heart and soul, and the day he escorted the Ark of God into Jerusalem he exemplified that love.

For 500 years, the sacred vessel had been moved from place to place, but the time had finally arrived for it to come home to God’s chosen city, and David couldn’t help but share God’s elation. God’s promises to Abraham were being fulfilled before his very eyes and David couldn’t hold back his excitement.

Here was a man who wrote songs and hymns and who had a great and enduring passion for God.

His enthusiasm for God was so great that in 2 Samuel 6:14 we learn the King of Jerusalem “danced before the LORD with all his might”.

David’s heart was flooded with joy as he walked in God’s presence.

He was filled with so much happiness and love for God that it spilled out into the street.

So David danced. He danced with enthusiasm and passion, with reckless abandon and with inexpressible and glorious joy.

Learn from adversity

See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. - Isaiah 48:10

Sometimes it seems like there are a lot of obstacles between us and God: other people, obligations and commitments, distractions. Sometimes sin comes between us and God, and sometimes we are our own greatest obstacle.

We might have a real desire to be closer to God, but don’t know how to overcome the challenges we face.

We can’t see a way over the obstacles.

We might try a few different things.

But when they fail and we come up against more adversity, we give up.

But giving up isn’t an option if we want to please God.

We deserve more and He deserves more.

We need to be like Zacchaeus – creative and relentless.

We need to be confident God knows we are seeking Him.

Like Zacchaeus, we need to rise above those things that are coming between us and God.

We need to climb more trees.

We need to seek God’s face.

Put your treasure where your heart is

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. - Matthew 6:21

What we treasure gets our attention and our effort.

It also gets our valuable resources, including our time, energy and our money. If we really want to know what someone treasures – what they value – we really only need to look at three things; their bank records, their to-do list and their calendar.

Our lives, and the way we live them, reflect what we value.

As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man. (Proverbs 27:19)

Share the work

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. - Ecclesiastes 4:9 KJV

For 52 days, the people of Jerusalem and neighboring towns worked side-by-side to repair the broken walls and gates of their city.

Everyone was involved; men and women, sons and daughters.

Rich and poor, powerful and lowly each contributed to the effort. Skilled craftsmen worked alongside local officials and church elders who’d probably never even held a hammer before.

Merchants and perfume makers, farmers and temple servants worked shoulder-to-shoulder. Entire families pitched in, neighbor joined neighbor with everyone working toward a common goal – to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls and gates – to restore her defenses.

And, although the specifics of the work aren’t recorded, we’re left in the book of Nehemiah with a concise duty roster of helpers, a long and exhaustive list of names and tasks.

Through the records we know who worked on which gate, and which section of wall was fixed by whom. In the records we have an unfading picture of cooperation and teamwork, and a lesson for anyone who wants to please God.

Like all great projects, the Jerusalem Wall Project needed a champion, and that champion was Nehemiah.

Sharpen one another

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. - Proverbs 27:17 KJV

It had been one of those lazy Friday evenings the heat of the Middle East makes almost mandatory.

The preambles of eating had been taken care of, and we’d moved into the living room to settle into the real feast of the evening – good conversation.

I’ve never found anything quite so mentally nourishing as long, rambling conversations with people whose opinions I respect, and I was lucky enough to be in a room with two such folks that night, my husband and our dear friend, Kevin.

As usually happened when the three of us got together, the topic thread jumped like a sewing machine needle, easily moving from travel experiences and recent reads to deeper, more personal topics like politics and of course religion.

As Christians in a place not known for tolerance, God was never far from our minds.

For me, it had been a difficult week in which my own tolerance had taken a dive.
I mentioned the seemingly unwinnable struggle I was in to remain positive and loving when everything inside me wanted to be judge negatively.

I admitted recent events had kindled a fire of dislike, distrust and even hatred in my heart.

God wanted me to love my neighbor, I knew. But at that moment and in that place, it just seemed too much to ask.

Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. (Luke 10:27 KJV)

“How do I do it?” I asked near tears. “How can I love them?”

Kevin reached for his Bible then, opened it to Luke, and started to read.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” ( Luke 6:31-35)

“You can love them because God loves them,” he answered.

It was a much needed reminder that God’s love is greater than any love we humans can imagine or replicate.