Oh man, I am tired. Had to stay late at work today. This will be short again, but it’s a great chapter!
“The smile of God is the goal of your life.”
Rick Warren, pg. 69
How to please God: love Him, trust Him, obey Him, thank Him, use your abilities.
Love Him
The reason we were created is so that God could have a relationship with us, and us with Him.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.”
Matthew 22:37-38 (NIV)
Trust Him
With love comes trust, also known as faith. God expects us to trust Him completely–what is sometimes called blind love. We should follow Him blindly, trusting that He wants what is best for us.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God.”
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
Obey Him
If we love and trust Him, then we should obey Him as well. He has told us that following His Word is what is best for us, and that obeying Him is the way that we can show Him our love.
“If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
John 14:15 (NIV)
Thank Him
Since God loves us and has given us so much to be thankful for, we should be grateful to Him. Since we love Him, we should praise Him for the wonderful things He has done. God enjoys our thanks and praise, the same way that we enjoy the thanks and praise of others.
“I will praise God’s name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving.
This will please the LORD.”
Psalm 69:30-31 (NIV)
Use Your Abilities
God is pleased when we use the abilities that He has given us. He made us the way we are for a reason! We are designed specifically to fulfill a purpose in His plan. We should enjoy the things God has given us, and use them, thanking God as we do. In this way, we glorify Him by fulfilling His design.
“The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.”
Psalm 37:23 (NLT)
That last one is one of my favorites. God made me to enjoy playing video games and programming! And He made me good at both! It is good to remember that I can do these things as worship to God, and that I need not think of them as outside of my relationship with Him. Because they aren’t! He gave these things to me to use and enjoy.
God, thank you so much for everything You’ve given to me! Help me to be properly grateful to you for everything You’ve done for me. Draw me ever inward to a closer relationship with You, and purify me day-in and day-out as I struggle to trust and obey You. Help me not to be a slave to sin, but to You! And help me to make everything I do a living sacrifice and praise to You.
Amen.