Your goal in life is to please God

II Corinthians 5:9 (NLT)

So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please Him. 

While the context of II Corinthians 5 is on the subject of death, the focus of this devotional is the subject of what does it mean to please the Lord.  There are many passages that emphasize our duty to please the Lord, starting with John 8:29 where Jesus indicated that He always does things to please His Father.  Since a major purpose of living a Christian life is to follow the example of our Lord and Savior, if He always did things to please His Father, then we should do the same. 

What does the Bible teach that pleases God?

·  Living your life in light of what is taught in the Bible (I Thessalonians 4:1).  In fact, Ephesians 5:10 says that you are to “try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” and the only way you can find out what is pleasing to Him is to know what is taught in the Scriptures.

·  Aiming to please Him more than pleasing men (Galatians 1:10, Colossians 3:23,                           I Thessalonians 2:4)

·  Having the right motives in all that you do (I Samuel 16:7b)

·  Bearing fruit in every good work (Colossians 1:9-10).

·  Having faith in Him (Hebrews 11:6).  In fact, this verse teaches that without faith it is impossible to please God!

Why do you need to please God?  Well, one main reason is stated in the next verse (II Corinthians 5:10) where it is stated that everyone must appear before the judgment seat of Christ and be judged for what you did or did not do as a Christian.  Romans 14:12 states that “every one of us shall give account of himself to God”.  For some reason, most people, even some sincere Christians, don’t seem to take verses like these seriously.  Don’t be foolish and ignore these warnings.   

You also should have motivation to please God because of all your love for Him because all of that He has done for you.  He has accepted you where you are and desires the best for you.  Like a parent who you desire to please because you want them to be proud of you and you know how much they have sacrificed for you, you should have this same attitude about wanting to please God.

I Thessalonians 4:1 also promises that when you please God, He will give you even more blessings than you have now.  Do something this week that you know pleases God, e.g. devoting quality time to His Word, taking a step of faith, doing something special for someone else, and watch what He will do for you.

It’s true that you cannot please everyone all the time, but you can please One.