There’s a line in a song by the group Van Zandt that says, “If you want to hear God laugh tell him your plans.” Well we may not be looking to hear God laugh, but do we want to make him happy, do we want to please God? In Romans 12 Paul says that we need to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, “that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Do we want to know what God’s will is? Usually we think of this as having to do with us. God’s will for us is something that will make us happy. God will find me my dream job or my dream person. The truth is that our desire needs to be to find out what God wants and our happiness comes from falling in line with God.
We can please God through believing what he calls us to believe. Jesus called people to believe in him. Not just his teaching, but the miracles he performed were to call people to believe in him. This faith isn’t just in our head, not just an agreement that Jesus is the son of God, our savior. This is a faith that changes how we see our world, our selves. It is a faith that changes how we live our lives. This is a faith that pleases God.
Living to please God is a lot like a getting married. When we decide to get married it shouldn’t be because of what we will get from the relationship, though we will certainly get much in many ways. As I go into a marriage my goal should be what I can bring to and do for the person I love. That is the point of the marriage section of Ephesians 5. Wives submit and husbands love, not so the other person can make me happy, but so that I can make them happy, which in turn brings me happiness.
So, if you want to hear God laugh, give him your life.
We can please God through believing what he calls us to believe. Jesus called people to believe in him. Not just his teaching, but the miracles he performed were to call people to believe in him. This faith isn’t just in our head, not just an agreement that Jesus is the son of God, our savior. This is a faith that changes how we see our world, our selves. It is a faith that changes how we live our lives. This is a faith that pleases God.
Living to please God is a lot like a getting married. When we decide to get married it shouldn’t be because of what we will get from the relationship, though we will certainly get much in many ways. As I go into a marriage my goal should be what I can bring to and do for the person I love. That is the point of the marriage section of Ephesians 5. Wives submit and husbands love, not so the other person can make me happy, but so that I can make them happy, which in turn brings me happiness.
So, if you want to hear God laugh, give him your life.
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