1 Thessalonians 4 verse 1 says:
Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.
How ought we live? We ought to live in such a way as to please God.
It is easy to live seeking to please yourself, or others, or your family, or your boss, or your flesh. But Jesus commands, first and foremost, I want you to live so that you please the Lord.
Living pleasing to the Lord is not a once off.
“But I made a decision to follow Jesus years ago!” some will say. “But I AM already born again” others will say.
Pleasing God is not an ongoing state of being. It is something we do (or don’t do) by how we live day by day. As long as we live, we must aim to live pleasing to Him. So how do we do that?
Some ways we can live pleasing to God:
- Live by faith – Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it is impossible to please God. When we choose the way of faith, we please Him.
- Resist temptation – Every time we say no to temptation, we choose the way of the Spirit and that is pleasing to God.
- Walking in Love – When we act out of love we are demonstrating God’s heart to others. We are choosing His way over ours and it pleases Him.
- Our Attitude – When we set our desire upon please Him, that in itself brings joy to His heart and is pleasing as we value Him first.
PRAYER: Father, I thank you for showing me how to live. I ask that you would strengthen me so that I would live in such a way as to please you, day in and day out. Thank you Father, in Jesus name, Amen.