“Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.” (1 Thessalonians 4:1)
Is the business of our life to please God? What have we given ourselves over to? What are we always reaching for? Jesus said: “for I do always those things that please him.” (John 8:29)
How much differently would our lives look if we lived to please God? How would we spend our days? How much time would we spend like Mary instead of like Martha? No, we don’t have to enter a monastery or convent to live a God pleasing life. But is our aim in all things to bring Him pleasure, or is our first thought what would make us happy? God is well-pleased by our considering another and offering them a cup of cold water. Such thoughtfulness toward man, because of love toward God, gains us eternal reward.
We wrongly think that pleasing God involves doing “big” things for Him. But every day affords us many opportunities to please Him. The small turns we take away from selfishness and toward love please Him. These things may not be noticed by men; but they are always seen by God.
If there is anything in our life that should be an obsession, it is having a heart that yearns to please God. What we did yesterday is not enough for us. Like Jesus, we want to please Him always. We want to “abound more and more” in the discovery of how to put a smile on our Lord’s face. Today, may it be our greatest ambition to make God’s day.