2 Cor. 5:9- Wherefore we labour, strive, aim, are ambitious, no matter here or elsewhere, to be well-pleasing, accepted of/ to him. (A mix of TLB, ASV, KJV, YLT)
This verse made me ponder how we, as the body of Christ are doing in regards to pleasing the Lord? I mean, do we even consider it at any point of our day? Perhaps as I yell at my kids to get ready for school I am pleasing Him. Or when I drive my son to school and that SUV cuts me off, surely the first words out of my mouth are acceptable to Him.
Would Jesus approve of my thoughts: when I get stuck waiting at Timmies because the person being served is digging for change, or when I walk into work, the boss is on a rampage and my co-worker made me look bad to my fellow workers? Is He pleased as I avoid that senior who needs help because I really need my lunch now or that I park in that no parking zone because I don’t have time to walk from further out?
As I gave a cold shoulder to my husband when I came home, and I ignored the kids because I needed to rest alone, was the Lord happy? Was His heart thrilled when I complained about the mess, the dishes, my work, the government, my family and the neighbour’s dog pooping on my yard? While I vegged in front of the t.v. watching adultery, lying, deceiving, murder, perversion, sexual innuendo, did I make Him glad and later as I listened to those songs that had everything to do with loving the world, money, being famous, having it all, being all sexy, following my heart no matter where it takes me, do I think He was pleased?
Do we, as His children, ever think about any of this?
I will not judge any man for their sin because I’m too busy noticing mine, but we are not supposed to be like the world. If we:
-look like the world (ex. dress for sexual appeal, care more about appearance than our heart),
-talk like the world (ex. complain, gossip, tear down, swear, tell inappropriate jokes),
-walk like the world (ex. party, drink, sex before marriage, look at porn, laugh at improper humour),
-think like the world (ex. philosophy, morals, values, ethics, beliefs)
then it follows that we are the world. But this is not pleasing to God; we are to be in the world but not of it.*
So, how do we stop this tendency we have to be like the world? One step at a time, asking ourselves if Jesus were right beside me would I be doing, watching, saying, and listening to this? Would it please Him? Oh, but hey, I want to enjoy life, so why can’t I do the precise things I take pleasure in?
I can do anything I want, but...
If I’ve truly given my life to the Lord, repented and am trying to live for Him**, perhaps I should question why it is I take pleasure in these particular things…
*Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. KJV
**2 Cor.5:15- He died for all so that all who live- having received eternal life from him- might live no longer for themselves, to please themselves, but to spend their lives pleasing Christ who died and rose again for them. TLB