Every day we face three possible choices or motivations about whom we are going to please: We can seek to please ourselves; we can seek to please other people; or, we can seek to please God. But we can’t do all three.
If you live to please yourself, you will live a miserable life. In fact, the best way to be unhappy is to spend your life in the pursuit of happiness. If you live primarily for yourself, wanting to please yourself, you never will be pleased.
If you live to please others, you may be even more miserable. If you are a people-pleaser, you will be really upset if you do not get enough likes on your Instagram or FaceBook post or if you get a little opposition or disagreement on social media. You are going to have a very difficult life if your goal is to please others.
The one whom you should want to please is God. But I have to tell you this, that if you choose to please God, you will displease many others. In fact, if you live a godly life and stand for truth, then you will face opposition. The Bible says that “all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12 NKJV). Now a person may be persecuted without living a godly life. But one cannot live a godly life without experiencing persecution. The world as a whole is in rebellion against God and does not take kindly to those who have ‘crossed over’ to God’s side. Far from avoiding persecution, godliness guarantees it.
It was Jesus who made this amazing statement:
“And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29 NKJV).
God did not abandon him, nor does He abandon us. God’s eye is on those who love and respect him enough to obey Him. He is with us in good times and bad, promising eternal rescue from those who would do us harm. I would like to be able to say that I usually do the things that please the Father. But Jesus actually could say, “I always do those things that please Him.”
Salvation is a matter of life or death. People who live in sin and reject the Savior will die in their sins. There is no alternative. We either receive salvation by grace through biblical obedience or experience condemnation under God’s law. “If we live in the light, as God does, we share in life with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus washes all our sins away.” (1 John 1:7 CEV) We either walk in the light and have eternal life, or walk in the darkness and experience eternal death.
God is concerned with what we do, what we say, and what we think.
Let us strive to be obedient to Christ, knowing that He is “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” Let’s make it our aim to live lives that are well-pleasing to God.
Port Colborne ON