There are many scriptures about pleasing God in the bible. For instance in Colossians 1:10 there is a prayer asking that a person might be "fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work". But we get into trouble when we put things in the improper order. Certainly wanting to be pleasing to God is a good thing. The trouble is that there is only one way to please God which is by faith.
But what is faith? Is it the practice of religion? Or is it something much simpler. Something much smaller. Like for instance, a mustard seed? I contend that faith is simply believing that God has provided me all that I need in the gospel. Period that's it. Can it really be that simple?
God uses the simple to confound the wise. I think it is that simple. But what if we really trusted in what God says he has done? How would we live differently if we simply believed he was for us. How would we deal with our sin, if we believed that God has already accounted for that sin, that there really is no condemnation to those that believe?
I just read a book titled True Faced. This book stated that when we become Christians we real quickly are confronted with a fork in the road. One road is labeled "pleasing God" while the other road is labeled "trusting God". The road of pleasing God leads to the room of good intentions, where people are trying to get themselves together. To read their bibles more consistently, pray more, sin less. It leads to self striving, pride and condemnation. But on the other road, the road of trusting God, there are real people who are OK with the fact that they are not perfect, because there is someone who has provided for them. They are in the room of grace, where there is real life and real power that really changes people. These are the people who are trusting that God has provided enough for them, and when they fall, God has provided for that too. They are not trying to fix themselves, but rather trying to trust the one who is faithful and all powerful.
It is two rooms, the first where people are trying to use outside influence and conformity to fix their hearts, where as in the room of grace people are trusting God and finding that their hearts are already changed, and outward signs of this change may not show up as fast as they would like, but real transformation begins to happen.
And finally, only in the room of Grace, where we are trusting God and what He has done, do we find that we are pleasing to him. That he really loves us just like we are, and when we find that, it is a delightful place to live!
1 comment:
It is truly a delightful place knowing we are enough for God. Simple is a great descriptor of grace.
Having the gift of grandchildren allows me to revisit the experience of unconditional love and grace. When grand kids arrive, they know they are wanted, can ask for what they want, ask to be taken to see the cows, have a dirty diaper, spill their drink, scatter food on the floor and are still loved. Gently redirected, they gain greater skill in managing 'life issues' but never made to 'earn' approval or acceptance. Play is always at the top of the list of things to do.
Nothing brings greater pleasure me as a grandparent than to experience the grandchildren enjoying and having fun. I believe as God's child, My choice to enter into his grace and celebrating brings great pleasure. Having to earn something that has already been given takes away value of the gift and questions the motives of the giver.
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