Live according to what pleases God

Live according to what pleases God. That sounds so simple, and it is simple. But we make it complex, because of our wicked hearts. By faith we are to be pleased with what pleases God. We are to delight in what God delights. And God delights in when we obey his commandments. That is what John says. This is the love of God that who keep his commandments that whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world. So, we are not talking about legalism again here, which forces itself to do God’s commandments, out of a heart of slavish servitude. No, we are talking about a heart of gratitude that longs to please God. Think of your wife, or your husband. If you have a really good marriage, you both just love to please each other. I mean, I do not always tell my wife, but I just love to do about anything for her. I just love her to pieces. She knows, she could take advantage of me, because I love her so much, and I want to please her. A Christian feels that way about God. My God can just tell you to do anything, and you will say, I will do it Lord. It is Thy will, because I want to please Thee. Because You are wonderful. You are great. You are good. I love you.

So, that is the way to overcome worldliness. First of all, that you have a commitment in your mind, in a practical way, that when you get up out of bed in the morning, you do not drag yourself out of bed and say, Oh man, I have got to go to work. I cannot wait until it is Friday. And when it is Friday, you say, TGIF! (Thank God it is Friday.) It is a bunch of nonsense! That is how unhappy the world is, they live for two days in the week. A Christian lives for all seven. TGIM! Thanks God it is Monday! I get to go out and work for his glory! I get to delight in what he delights today! Oh God, as I get out of bed, help me to please Thee today! Help me to find someone to speak a good word to them about Thee today! Help me to enjoy my work today! Help my life to be an open epistle of grace of God today! It is wonderful to have the commandments. It is wonderful to be fenced in by God’s grace and to be told in every area of life how I should live to reflect the glory of God. It is great. Thank God for his commandments. It is exciting. I do not have to decide what life is all about. God tells me. He gives me a blueprint for every area of life. He talks to me about marriage: Thou shall not commit adultery. He talks to me about poverty: Thou shall not steal. He talks to me how to use my mouth: Thou shall not bear false witness. For every area in my life, he gives me a basic rule. But implied in that basic rule is the thou shalt which is the opposite of that rule. And so, I have a blueprint for living the Christian life, in the commandments, and I want to live everyday pleasing God.¹

Joel Beeke