Pleasing to God

How crazy is it that we can please God? That the God of the universe, who created us, and whom we have failed time and time again, can still take pleasure in us? That we can actually behave in ways that bring him joy?

I think that's what so much of this journey through the Bible this year has been about for me. How can I everyday acknowlege my own sin, my shortcomings, be transparent about my failures before God and before man, and still strive to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord? It seems like a strange juxtaposition, yet the Bible makes it clear that those who are in Christ CAN live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. Because Christ's righteousness has been given to us, and through the power of the Holy Spirit to fight the sinful tendancies of our flesh, we can bring God pleasure with the way we live our lives in this fallen world.

As he encourages believers, Paul's epistles nearly always touch on this idea of living to please the Lord. II Corinthians 5:9 says: "So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him." Paul also commends the Philippians on their thoughtful gift to him (they sent him money during his imprisonment in Rome), calling it "a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God" (Phil. 4:18). And Paul tells the church at Colasse to "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in knowledge of God" (Col. 1:10).

So whether in life or death, with the gifts I give, with the works I do, in my devotion to learning God's word, my aim is to please the Lord. And because of Jesus, who sits at the right hand of God advocating on my behalf, my life, though imperfect in so many ways, is genuinely pleasing to the absolutely holy and perfect God who made me and loves me.