Making it My Goal

So we make it our goal to please Him… 2 Corinthians 5:9a (New International Version)

What would happen with my day and in my life if I allowed my goal to be “to please Him?” We live in a day when pleasure is a big commodity. Unfortunately, the one we seek to please is often ourselves. Even in the midst of trying to please people, we can ultimately strive to bring pleasure to ourselves. For instance, doing something nice for someone so they will think well of you makes you feel good. It does me! I cringe at the motives that lie within my heart and drive my actions.

Yet, today, I have the opportunity to make pleasing God my goal, my aim, my ambition. Pleasing Him with my words, actions, attitudes, and thoughts. Will I do it to perfection? No. But if I endeavor to make it my goal, I will do better than if it does not even enter my mind. It is not a matter of putting it on my to do list and then checking it off as I accomplish it. It is a daily, moment by moment necessity. It is a never ending pursuit. It is an on going process.

Will I fail? Absolutely! And failure can often cause me to think I should just give up. A lie! Rather, failure is my constant reminder of how much I need His help to please Him. It will not come out of sheer grit and determination on my part. It will come out of reliance upon Him, dependency in Him, obedience to Him, and honesty with Him. It will require letting go of my fleshly pursuits. It will necessitate a constant inspection and inventory of my heart. It will demand a releasing of ideas, desires, and wishes. It will involve reevaluating my relationships and the expectations I hold on to for those relationships. It will entail submission to that which God calls me to, purposes for me, and longs for me.

On a practical level, when a stray comment has rubbed me the wrong way, I must acknowledge it and then let it go. When my moods spiral down and I am tempted to withdraw into a world of silence, I must interact with others nonetheless. When I waste time on mindless activities, I must look around at what really needs to be done and start doing it. When perceptions cloud my thinking, I must state and stand on what is true. When negativity and feelings of resignation consume me, I must find my shelter and restoration in the arms of my loving, Heavenly Father. Impossible tasks? Not at all. Possible, necessary, and worth it!

Father, as You redirect my focus back on to Yourself, let me know the joy of pleasing You. Amen.

Knowing You, Jesus!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q_YQPa66kk

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.