Pleasing God/Knowing God

My Uncle brought up an interesting question bounced off my last entry here. 

 

“Might really deep trust lead to a place of not worrying about pleasing anyone, not even worrying about pleasing God? I'm reminded of Paul in Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace we are saved through faith (which can also be translated as "trust"), and this is not our own doing, it is a gift of God." Curious about your thoughts...”

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This got me thinking. So here are my "thoughts" on that.

 

Very good point, Uncle Bob! If I'm worrying about pleasing God, it could lead to doing outward things I think He would approve of. It could lead to a superficial life. Which isn't what "being saved" or "being His" is about at all! The focus should be to know Him (not about Him), and trust Him, and focus on Him and not pleasing Him. If I truly seek to get to know Him better, I will automatically please Him. And then it will be from the heart, and not just an outward show.

Furthermore, it’s not me that makes me trust Him and have faith in Him and what He has done for me, it is His gift to me. I can’t even hope to achieve it on my own. I just have to be willing to take that faith, and have a heart attitude that wants to know Him more. A heart turned towards Him. A heart that longs for His companionship, “As the deer pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after thee, O God.” Psalm 42:1

And when I really know Him and am close to Him in my heart, like I am to my husband, I will really trust Him, because I will realize more than ever how much He cares for me, even if at first glance it might not look like it. Just like a child might not like being denied something by their parents, but when they grow up, they suddenly realize why and it was because their parents cared about them.(believe me, I know! ;) ) The most caring parents, are the ones who don't let their kids get away with everything.

Full trust in Jesus Christ should mean you don't worry about anything. I shouldn't worry about pleasing Him, I should strive to know Him.

That said, we should please God and not try to please/get approval and acceptance from people. But we shouldn’t worry about pleasing God. “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which tries our hearts.” 1Thessalonians 2:4

 

Thanks for getting me thinking, Uncle Bob.

(and sorry it’s so long!)