As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as, in fact, you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 1 Thessalonians 4:1
To most people, life is a gift worth protecting at any cost. They take good care of their physical bodies, eat a healthy diet, and prioritize good mental health. Yet, a life without a relationship with God is still meaningless.
We can only find purpose in God. He created us to do good works for His kingdom’s purposes. Living to please God is the sole purpose of life for believers. We live in obedience and surrender to His will so we can glorify His name. The Lord has provided specific instructions in His word so we can learn how to please Him.
What are the benefits of pleasing God? Those who live to please God will abide in His peace. In John 14:7, Jesus told His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Moreover, those who live to please God walk in victory. In His first epistle to the Corinthian church, Paul said, But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 ESV
In today’s text, the writer encourages the saints in the church at Thessalonica to remain consistent in living to please God. He urged them to persist in cultivating a life of holiness as disciples of Jesus Christ. In the ensuing verses, the writer cautioned the Thessalonians to cultivate a life of sanctification and live a quiet life centered on agape love.
It takes discipline and a spirit of surrender to live to please God. The temptations of this world can be overwhelming at times. Our human flesh forever seeks to gratify its sinful desires. Only the Holy Spirit can help us live to please God consistently. The Holy Spirit enables and empowers us to seek first the kingdom of God and to walk humbly before His mighty hand. He gives us the strength to resist the devil, and the authority to cast out demons so we are not enslaved to their demonic schemes.
Living to please God makes our Christian witness authentic. Thus, we read in 1 Peter 2:12, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” By living to please God, we attest to the manifestation of the Holy Spirit within us. The world wants and needs to see evidence of our spiritual transformation.
Every decision we make, every step we take, and every word we speak should be to the glory of God. The Lord’s amazing grace and love have been freely demonstrated by sending His only Begotten Son to die for our sins. Through Christ, we received eternal life and a heavenly inheritance we could not earn. Living to please God is but our response to God’s gift of salvation.
During this Advent season, believers are exhorted to live a life that is pleasing to God. This is the best way to get ready for the second coming of our resurrected Savior. Because we anticipate and await Jesus to rapture His Church, we leave to please God in every way so we hear the trumpet and be caught to be with Him on the day of rapture.
Questions for Personal Reflection
In what way are you living to please God?
How can you help another believer to live to please God?
Prayer- Blessed Lord, please help me to please you in everything I do. May your Holy Spirit continue to order my steps and enable me to surrender to your will and live a sanctified life. Please rebuke and chastise me when I go astray from you so I do not remain in disobedience to your will.
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