Always do what pleases Him

NIV John 8:29 “So Jesus said… He who sent me is with me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him. ”

On a sunny day a little girl kneeled down to pick pretty white flowers growing amid sticker plants. The roots dangled from her small fist as the sandy bouquet was presented to her Grandma. Wrinkled hands drew her close in a warm strong hug and she felt loved.

Even when she started elementary school, she carried little trinkets to Mrs. Dorothy. Her teacher’s appreciative gaze made her feel special.

But it didn’t stop with merely gift giving. She desired for her peers to invite her to birthday parties, to sit at their lunch table, and play with her at recess.  She would listen quietly to their conversation and agree with them.

Giving gifts and listening are great social skills. The trouble began when she did these actions because she want to be liked. Especially when she found herself violating her own beliefs or allowing others to hurt her physically.

Many people pleasers may relate to Shirley Dobson’s story:

“As I look back on the painful experience of my childhood, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to God for answering my early prayers. He heard the desperate cries of a ten-year-old girl who could offer him nothing in return. I had no status, no special abilities, no money to contribute. I was totally without dignity or social influence. Yet the Creator of the universe entered my little room and communed with me about the difficulties I was experiencing. It was awesome to realize that he loved me just as I was, and my pain became his pain. What a magnificent God we serve!”

Isaiah 40:10 – 11 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. … He tends his flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

If only she had believed she is a child of God and is held in the palm of his hand.

That He listens to her as fascinated by her discoveries as she will listen to her own son’s description of his first day to school.

If only she had believed her Heavenly Father eagerly awaits for her to ask Him for counsel in the same way she one day will wait for her own son’s phone call.

She gave all she had, but still failed to please the people who mattered the most in her life.

Now she looks to her Heavenly Father with sorrow in her heart.

If she can’t please people certainly she can’t please God?

Turning the pages in her bible to Isaiah Chapter 32, she notes several actions that please God:

I please God every morning when I allow Him to be my strength. He wraps me in his arms when I  accept him as my salvation in time of distress. He comforts me, gently lifting me and guiding me to a safe place to rest. He restores my broken places and pulls me up to a standing position. He smiles when I exalt the Lord as a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge.

When I lift up the Lord’s name in a song, acknowledge his power during a friendly conversation, and speak what is right to children, He is pleased.

When I praise Him for who he is and thank Him for all the ways I am grateful for His presence, He is pleased.

When I admire the pink and blue skies of the dawn rising above the blanket of fog over calm blue waters, He is pleased.

If we desire to please God, we would avoid things that cause him pain. As a parent it is painful for us to watch our children make poor decisions.

But, do we value God enough to exercise self control in our own lives?

If we want God to treat us as a chosen and prized daughter, we need to treat him as a chosen and prized Father.

Think about the following:

Is your relationship with God a priority in your life?

Is there a task that God has laid upon your heart?

Ask God to reveal what may displease him.

Heavenly Father, we praise you because you are our shepherd who carries us in your arms. We thank you for giving us wisdom, knowledge, and happiness. We ask you to forgive us when we do not place you as a priority in our life. Give us courage to complete the task that you have laid upon our heart. Forgive us for not avoiding those things that cause you pain Father. Thank you for sending Jesus who always does what pleases you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

NIV Ecclesiastes 2:26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness.

References:

Taken from LET’S MAKE A MEMORY by Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dobson. Copyright 1983 by Gloria Gaither, Shirely Dobson, and James Dobson, Inc. Published by Word, Incl, Dallas, Texas.

Morin, A. (2017). Psychology Today. 10 Signs You Are a People Pleaser. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201708/10-signs-youre-people-pleaser

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