Thursday, November 29, 2007

Trying to Please God

So much of what we call a Christian life is spent trying to please God. We make sure to God to church, so god won't get mad at us. We give to the church and other ministries to get God off our back. When we take a few moments to slow down and ask the dangerous question of why, our life might not be the same again. I have to confess that for far too long I have been trying to keep God please with me, making sure that I do the right things, and stay away from the wrong things. Much like the followers of God in the Old Testament, I want to make sure that I give the right sacrifice at the right time, so God will be pleased with me a bless me. I have come to believe this to be faulty thinking. Understand that I have transitioned my thinking, just not all my actions to this point. God is already pleased with us. That is the whole point of Jesus. That God is pleased with us and longs to be in relationship with us. It is not God's unhappiness that blocks a relationship, it is our sin. At the root of every sin known, and not known, is placing something, or someone ahead of God on our relationship priority list. Anytime we make something more important, or bigger than God, we are practicing idolatry. At its heart all sin is idolatry.

Ironically the gods we place ahead of the Lord God, will never be pleased or satisfied with us. There will always be a demand for more of our attention and sacrifice. Yet we ignore the true God who is already pleased with us, and further separate ourselves from that God. What would happen if we shifted focus. What would happen if those who carry the name of Christ began to live like people who were in relationship with a god who was pleased with them. What would happen if we began to live a life that showed we have been blessed by God, not for our sake but for the sake of other people.

We are people, all people, who have a God that is pleased with us, and longs to be in perfect relationship with us. When are we going to stop trying to please this God and all the other gods in our lives?

No comments: