The smile of God is the goal of your life!
"May the Lord smile on you ..." Numbers 6:25 (NLT)
Since pleasing God is the first purpose of your life, your most important task is to discover how to do that. "Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it." Ephesians 5:10 (Msg)
Five acts of worship that make God smile:
- God smiles when we love him supremely.
- God smiles when we trust him completely.
- God smiles when we obey him wholeheartedly.
- God smiles when we praise and thank him continually.
- And God smiles when we use our abilities.
You may feel that the only time God is pleased with you is when you're doing "spiritual" activities-like reading the Bible, attending church, praying, or sharing your faith. Actually, God enjoys watching every detail of your life, whether you are working, playing, resting, or eating. He doesn't miss a single move you make.
The Bible tells us, "The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives." Psalm 37:23 (NLT)
Every human activity, except sin, can be done for God's pleasure if you do it with the attitude of praise. Will you make pleasing God the goal of your life? There is nothing that God won't do for the person totally absorbed with this goal.
Reflection
Will you make Pleasing God the Goal of your life?
What is holding you back?
What changes can you make to open yourself to God's love and grace?
There is a source of strength and courage that comes just knowing that God takes pleasure in our lives. That doesn’t mean it is perfect and everything I do meets with His approval, but that I’m learning and growing.
I’ve attended numerous music concerts over the years where my children were presenting their best after months of practice. It was never Carnegie Hall kind of music, far from it. It was the desire we celebrated, the attitude and growth we were there to celebrate not the outcome of perfection.
God alone is perfect, but we are on the road to perfection. A very Wesleyan concept of the pleasure we bring God.