Praising God!
This is what you’ve been told you can do to please God, right?
Sure. But do you know what God’s topmost priorities are? They definitely cannot be us singing and clapping alone. If you don’t know God’s priorities, how then can you please Him?
Now, you may ask, “But Meb, is there anything we can really do by ourselves that will please God? Did the Bible not say that our righteousness is as a filthy rag before God?”
You are right.
There is absolutely nothing we can do by ourselves to please God because only righteous people can please God. And to be righteous is to be in right standing with God. But any righteousness that isn’t God’s righteousness is not enough for God. So, the first step to doing anything for God will be to be in right standing with Him.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Romans 1:16-17 KJV
That’s it.
The righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel and you get saved by accepting the gospel. This means that the only way to attain right standing with God (on God’s terms) is to come into His righteousness, which is to believe and accept the gospel, to put faith in the finished work of the Cross.
Now that we’ve cleared that, do you know it is only the entry point? That’s not the final destination for us as believers. God made room for us to come into His righteousness for a reason. And that reason is for us to give God pleasure!
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Revelation 4:11 KJV
Yes, becoming righteous through the gospel is the prerequisite for this pleasure we’ve been created to give God. But we should not end our journey here. After we’ve attained right standing with God, He expects us to, by our own will, give Him pleasure by doing what pleases Him.
Now, you are wondering, “how then can I do something to please God?”
There are several ways scattered all over scriptures by which we can ‘do something for God to please Him’. Let’s start with the topmost on God’s heart.
Partner with God for His Kingdom Agenda
I make this solemn oath to you in my own name; this word sent from my mouth in righteousness will not return unfulfilled: ‘Truly every knee will bow before me and every tongue will solemnly swear allegiance to me!
Isaiah 45:23 TPT
Now, this is God swearing an oath. Think about it: for God to swear, by Himself, an oath on something, then that thing must be important to Him.
In essence, every knee bowing to God and every tongue swearing allegiance to Him is definitely at the top of God’s priority list.
Furthermore, if you read through scriptures, you will see that the sequential occurrence of things in the Bible was to the end that God would reveal His salvation plan, and bring it to pass. He started by telling Eve that her seed will bruise the head of the serpent (the devil). Then He also told Abraham that through His seed will the nations of the earth be blessed.
God would then go on to preserve a rebellious nation (the Israelites), just to see that that seed comes as He had promised. And when Jesus (the Seed) was born, you’d see how God preserved Him again from destruction before leading Him to suffer such agony on the cross.
Now, do you see that God does not take the matter of salvation, having every knee bow to Him and every tongue pledge allegiance to Him, lightly? If God takes this matter seriously, then obviously, to please Him, you should also take it seriously.
And in taking the matter of God’s Kingdom agenda seriously, it goes beyond your accepting salvation. That is part of it. But after accepting it, you must then join forces with God and other Christians to bring other men in.
God’s goal is the whole earth, not you alone. I know we’ve all heard this Christianese sentence: ‘if you were the only one, Jesus would still die for you.’ Well, He might have, but Jesus did not die for you alone. He died for the whole world, and He needs every member of His family to accomplish God’s goal for making Him die for the whole world.
So, how can you please God by partnering with His Kingdom Agenda?
Preach the gospel to everyone
Again, I know we’ve been told things like,
‘be the Bible unbelievers read,’
‘let your good character preach the gospel,’
‘you may not be an evangelist, but your money can preach the gospel for you.’
And the list goes on and on. All of these are not scriptural!
We are to preach the gospel by telling people that Jesus suffered, died, was buried, and rose on the third day so that they can have a right standing with God. This is the only gospel that saves! Your good character and your money are not the gospel, and cannot make even a fly have good standing with God. Only the gospel can.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:14, 17 KJV
Do you see? People need to hear the gospel from you. But since technology has afforded us so many platforms today, you can use whichever one you please – just as I am doing with this blog.
But hey, does that mean we should all go ahead and have horrible behavior and never give our money for the kingdom work? Absolutely not!
Our good character and money can be accessories to the preaching of the gospel; they can aid and make it easier to reach people. But remember, they are not the gospel.
So, if you are looking for ways to please God, start with preaching the gospel to someone around you – after you have received it yourself. You will literally be making God’s day!
Use your resources to advance the Kingdom of God
When you think about ‘using your resources to advance the Kingdom of God,’ do you only think about money? Well, if you do, no crime committed. Let your money advance God’s kingdom. Give to people in need, especially when you see that their lack is impeding their salvation or their relationship with God. PS: This is beyond being a philanthropist. It is that you release your money to be a part of reaching God’s goal for the whole earth.
But money isn’t the only resource we have. What about your talent, skills, and that job? You can use them to advance the Kingdom Agenda by ceasing to see them as just casual, random stuff. See them as the platform God has given you to show forth His glory on the earth, and do that work to please God.
Your time is another valuable resource you have. You can advance God’s Kingdom now by using your time and a tiny bit of data to share this post to everyone and everywhere you know. They’d be hearing the gospel when they read, and you’ll be doing something that pleases God.
Whatever your hand finds doing, do it as worship to God. You’ll be giving Him glory! So, whether you are a sit-at-home mom, a husband, a CEO, a freelancer, or a domestic staff. Do your job as worship to God.
Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit
This might sound contradictory to the supreme, all-powerful nature of God. But yes, the Spirit of God can be grieved.
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
Ephesians 4:30 KJV
So, how do you not grieve the Holy Spirit?
If you have really experienced the Anointed One, and heard his truth, it will be seen in your life; for we know that the ultimate reality is embodied in Jesus! And he has taught you to let go of the lifestyle of the ancient man, the old self-life, which was corrupted by sinful and deceitful desires that spring from delusions.
Now it’s time to be made new by every revelation that’s been given to you. And to be transformed as you embrace the glorious Christ-within as your new life and live in union with him! For God has re-created you all over again in his perfect righteousness, and you now belong to him in the realm of true holiness.”
Ephesians 4:21-24 TPT
When you read the entire chapter of Ephesians 4, you’ll see the whole picture: be led by the Spirit and live a life that is aligned with that right standing you have attained with God. This is how not to grieve the Holy Spirit. This is something you can do to please God today.
Love Your Neighbor
For when you demonstrate the same love I have for you by loving one another, everyone will know that you’re my true followers.
John 13:35 TPT
This is Jesus telling us how we can give God a good rep out there: by loving people as Christ loves us. And I think (Galatians 5:14 says it, too) this pretty much sums up everything.
When you love your neighbor, you will want them to be saved, and you will preach the gospel to them. When you love your neighbor, you won’t lie to them, steal from them, envy them, or lead them into destruction.
When you give God a good rep by loving your neighbor, you are truly doing something that pleases Him.
Do Something to Please God Now
Now, are you really going without sharing this post? How can you decline this effortless opportunity to actually do something that pleases God today?
Thank you for sharing this post with everyone you know.
God bless you!
