Aim to Please HIM

Have you ever sat in an airport or a busy mall, and just watched and studied people who go by.  What is on their minds, where are they headed, what is important to them, what is driving them to do the things that they do, and who do they love and who loves them?  Going a little deeper, what does God see and think when He looks at them?  What does He see when He looks at me?

Fallen man, our flesh which looks out for ourselves as number one, will and cannot please God.  So since, according to Revelation 4, all things were created for His pleasure, we need to change the way we think from "me" centered to become "pleasing God" motivated.  It follows that the way most people live life, the things that they do and what they are concerned about, fall short of the real purpose of life.

It is not in a man to change himself.  First, we need to come to the place where we need a savior.  In Colorado there is a bridge at Royal Gorge above the Arkansas River that is more than a 1000 feet over the river below.  If I happened to slip and fall over the edge, with sheer rock on both sides and sure death ahead, my first impulse would be to cry, JESUS SAVE ME!  Clearly this really is the position that sinful man is in, because the wages of sin are death.  Usually it takes something desperate to happen before our eyes are opened to see it, and do cry out for help.

Continuing with the example, if Jesus reached down from heaven and grabbed my hand, do you think that I would argue or tell Him which way I want to go?  Of course not, if He said "do this" my answer would be a quick and sincere, "Yes, sir."  So the second step in pleasing God is to learn what He wants.  God says His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways.  So there is a genuine learning curve needed where  "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little" we can learn what pleases Him and be transformed in the way we think.  Jesus said it this way, if you continue in My Word, you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."

If we are created for God's pleasure, what pleases God?  Jesus said it is not those who say "Lord, Lord" but those who do the will of the Father.  A good study of the Word of God provides many instructions explaining God's way of walking in the spirit verses man's way of choosing the flesh. God calls this the difference between life and death with the instruction, choose life!

There is a promise in Psalm 147 that says the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him and in those who hope in His mercy.  Fear of the Lord is a strong concept, much more than being afraid, that suggests pleasing God is our greatest concern, above what others think, above our physical desires, and stronger that our cultural and family background.  It is the motivation that make us willing to turn from sin and selfish desires.

You don't get fear of the Lord by just saying "okay, I have it."  It has to be revealed.   God says in Psalm 34, "Come, you children, listen to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord, who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?  Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.  Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."  Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you.

Agree with Paul, in 2 Corinthians 5:9, who states that whether I live or die, my aim is to please Him.

"Mommy, I'm Scared"

 

What do you tell children who are afraid of what is happening in the News?

When children hear about a gunman shooting police officers or a bomb blowing up people in the mall on the news report, their mind and heart are overwhelmed. The fear that gets into their psyche produces anxiety which may come out in nightmares, abnormal timidity, or negative behavior.

What can a mother say?  Number one, don’t put the child down with some quick remark like “that’s foolish” or “you shouldn’t think that way.”  How much better to listen, ask questions, and give the child a chance to express what is in their heart.

Can you be honest enough to say that sometimes you get scared too when you hear these things?  Let the child know that it isn’t uncommon for even big people to have these feelings.  When someone understands, it opens the door to hope that maybe things will be okay.

Love is greater than fear, so take the opportunity to hug the child and let the young person know that you love him (her) so much.  And how much more is  God’s love for each one of us?  What a powerful time to pray together asking Jesus to get rid of those bad fears with His perfect love, and to protect our family from all the evil in the world.  Encourage the child to say his own prayer asking Jesus to help him.

If the child is old enough to understand, this may be an open door to explain about sin, which leads to evil, and that is why Jesus died on the cross, to pay the price for all evil.  Sometimes when things go wrong, people realize they need Jesus’ help.  God wants every person to come to Him.  Besides what Jesus did 2000 years ago when He became man, someday, Jesus is going to come again and make everything right.  Then there will be no more evil, or crying, or death.

Often the evening news only tells us about the bad things that are happening, but God is doing a lot of good things too.  For example, the news reports all the trouble in Syria, Iraq, and in the Middle East where there are a lot of Muslim terrorists.  But on the other hand, consider how God is opening hearts to turn to Jesus.  “From 1960 to 2010, the number of Muslims that have converted to faith in Jesus Christ has grown from fewer than 200,000 to some 10 million people”_{1(Joel Rosenberg)}  Ten million people brought into the kingdom of God forever is so much greater than the trouble.

The child who is afraid needs our comfort and help to restore hope that his world is not falling apart.  The truth is that it does look that way many times, but we also know God is greater and He has a plan to put an end to all evil.  Jesus rose from the dead and overcame all sin.  He will come again and make all things new.  Come, Lord Jesus!