Is God Pleased?
One recent morning as I began my devotions, I felt the need for something from the Lord that would either encourage me or tell me exactly what I needed. I had woken up a little grumpy and every little thing was bugging me, even that early in my day.
The tool I'd chosen that morning for my devotions was My Utmost For His Highest. I love older writings because the thoughts are usually much deeper than much of what we read today. The title of that day's devotional was The Worker's Ruling Passion, with 2 Corinthians 5:9 as the Scripture text: "Wherefore we labor that . . . we may be accepted of him." Now, that sounds like Mr. Chambers was advocating works for salvation! But I knew better than that, so I read on. The main thought was that our primary ambition is to please God. Everything we do - winning souls, building a church, keeping a home, working a secular job - is to have as its motivation pleasing God. Not people.
I have to admit to you that I am a people-pleaser. I like for people to be happy with me, and I have a tendency to base my worth on how people perceive me. I want my husband, my parents, my friends, even you, my blog readers, to be pleased with me and think that I'm doing good things. It's good to do right for the sake of pleasing God, but doing right to please others or to make myself look good has the wrong motivation. And that was what I needed to read this morning.
You see, we started our church here four years ago, and from the outside looking in, it looks like we're not doing much. We're still running around 25-30 people on Sunday mornings, we don't have many teens or children, we don't have any special programs going . . . all of that is what I perceive people are looking for. But are we (am I?) doing what God wants us to do?
In my home, I like to use the principles of FlyLady, and I feel that I've failed if my home isn't company-ready, meals prepared effortlessly, sinks shining - and I can't let any of you know that it's usually not because I'm supposed to be busy about those things and being an example. But is God pleased with how my home is managed? I look at other pastors' wives and see what they're doing, and then try to do that in our ministry - and it fails. Because what they are doing is not what God wants me to do!
There is tremendous freedom in this concept! I've felt it lately - I only have to worry about pleasing God! Has what people think of you been holding you back or lowering your sense of worth? Look to God, honestly seek what He wants of you, and then do that with your whole heart. Seek to please God!
Oh Boy.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to need to ponder that for awhile.
Lately i have been trying, so very hard, to win the approval and acceptance of others. Gain my value from them. I know it needs to come form God, but, there lies the problem. I do not even spend enough time with Him to know how He feels.
So I am on this roller coaster of activity, which is getting me nowhere, just a lot of anxiety.
Please pray I can slow down, be still, and hear His voice.
Thanks
Barbara jean
This is something I need to *think on*...as yes I am a people pleaser...and truly want to work on the approval of the Lord and then I do believe HE will give me peace with the rest..
ReplyDeleteIs it carnal to want to please others...I just don't know....sometimes our hearts are pure on this, othertimes it is probably my flesh crying out for the approval...a great post, Susan..
deby
Susan, This was a wonderful post. Thank-you! Debbi
ReplyDeleteOh, Susan, you don't know how much this means to me. Our children's youth pastor (many years ago, now) tried to teach them and us that we only have one Person to please and nothing to prove. It seems we try to please everyone else but the Lord and try to prove our worth, talents, abilities, intelligence, when we should be seeking only to please the Lord. We have nothing to prove to Him as he knows us better than we do ourselves. Thank you so much for posting this today. It has come just at the time we needed it as a confirmation of what we must do in our own lives.
ReplyDeleteChris Turner
Amen! Thank you for this post. It made me think.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to me that I've spent so much of my time trying to impress people, whose favor comes and goes like water. It's impossible to "impress" God, but I CAN please Him! Just because He is so good, and humble, and kind to me.
God is pleased by faithfulness, and He gives the results. If you have been faithful, then he is pleased. If he has not added the results that we'd like to see, who are we to question Him? God cares not about methods and marketing.
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of sounding cliché, just take it one day at a time with the Lord. That's what He wants.
Blessings!
Those are very encouraging words:) Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us. I need to be constantly reminded of this.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has a saying which he tells me quite often, he says... " It doesn't matter what others think, what matters is that we can lay our head on the pillow each night and know that we are right with God."
Thank you for the encouraging words...this is something that I needed to read today. I also am a people pleaser and I know that the One that I need to please is God alone.
ReplyDeleteHumbled,
Laura :o)
This post so spoke to my heart, as I too want people to like me, and it seems it is just the opposite. If I please the Lord, He will teach me in his time how to show others love and them me. I just learned the other day that if we have a heart to please Him, He is pleased, since He loves us so much.
ReplyDeletewww.nanasknoll.blogspot.com