It is reasonable to assume that all those who believe in God, understand who He is, and recognize all that He has done for us will want to please Him in the things that they do. But how do we live in such a way as to please God?
Paul wrote to the brethren in Ephesus about “trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:10). If this is something we are “trying to learn,” then that tells us two things:
- It is not something we instinctively know. The prophet Jeremiah said, “I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).
- God is not pleased with just anything we might do for Him. Jesus spoke of those who would claim to do many things “in [His] name” but were rejected by Him because they were practicing “lawlessness” (Matthew 7:22).
If we are going to please God, we need to learn how to please Him and be sure we are learning the proper way to do it. Since we cannot look to ourselves (or other men) to determine this, we need to look to God Himself and the word He has revealed to us. Paul wrote, “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11). Just as you and I do not know what the other is thinking unless we tell each other, we cannot know the mind of God unless He tells us. Thankfully, He has revealed the Scriptures to us so that we may be “equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). In other words, everything we need to know to please the Lord can be learned through a study of the Scriptures.
So what do the Scriptures teach about what we must do to please the Lord? Let us consider a few points:
- Have faith – “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). We cannot please God if we do not believe in Him. Yet faith is more than just belief. It must include us actively obeying God since “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). Paul told the brethren in Corinth that as we “walk by faith, not by sight,” we make it “our ambition…to be pleasing to Him” (2 Corinthians 5:7, 9).
- Walk in a worthy manner – “So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). The Bible uses the term walk to describe our manner of life. In order to conduct ourselves in a way that is pleasing to the Lord, we must follow the instructions that have been revealed from the Lord through the apostles. Paul reminded the brethren in Thessalonica that the apostles taught “by the authority of the Lord Jesus,” so they were to follow the “instruction” they delivered in order to “walk and please God” (1 Thessalonians 4:1-2). The apostle John encouraged his brethren to “keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).
- Do good to others – “And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16). James explained, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27). Keeping ourselves “unstained by the world” (free from sin) fits with the previous point about walking “in a manner worthy of the Lord.” Yet our religious service to God also includes helping those in need. Paul wrote, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:10). If we want to please God, we should take advantage of opportunities to help those around us who are in need.
- Stay focused on your mission – “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:3-4). When Jesus explained the parable of the sower, He said the seed among the thorns represented those who were “choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity” (Luke 8:14). Instead of allowing ourselves to be distracted by worldly things, we need to “set [our] mind on the things above” (Colossians 3:2) and not lose sight of the reward that God has promised.
If we want to please God, we need to walk by faith, live a life of obedience, do good to those around us, and remain focused on doing what the Lord has directed us to do. We can all learn how to do this, but we will fail if we assume that WE know best and that God must be happy with whatever WE decide to do. Instead, we need to be humble enough to find out what God’s will is and then do it.
