The overriding motivation.

I have a weakness. In fact, I have many weaknesses. Space in this publication will not permit me to list all of my weaknesses. One of these weaknesses is a great desire for self saucing chocolate pudding and custard, preferably crafted by my dear Aunty Grace. My waistline does not need this pudding, but sometimes I feel that I do!

Another weakness I have is a profound dislike of washing dishes. Maybe this more a normal human reaction than a weakness? We have an old fashioned dishwasher in our rented house – me! That is my job, and I will admit to whinging a few times over the years about washing up pots and pans after a delicious meal. (Better I wash dishes than cook!) Usually, however, I wash and dry the dishes in the Young household because I want to please my wife. She has slaved over a hot oven, prepared a delicious meal and she oftentimes deserves a break, hence my desire to please her.

Pleasing your wife is a noble objective. I often wonder, though, how often I stop and consider as to whether or not my life pleases God? When all is boiled down, the Christian life comes to this: Does my life please God? Am I making God happy at this very moment?

Whether or not I’m happy is irrelevant. Whether or not I’m successful doesn’t matter. Whether or not I am living a fulfilled, healthy and contented life is not the point. Is God pleased with me at this very moment?

God made us for one main reason – for his pleasure.

Revelation 4:11 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.

God made man so that he would receive all the glory, honour and power from that very creation. Only one Person ever walked this earth that completely pleased his Father; His eternal Son Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

God’s pleasure in his Son came not from basking in the success of an amazing earthly ministry. In fact, at the age of thirty three, our Lord died with only eleven notable disciples, plus a few who followed from afar; not exactly stirring figures compared to today’s churches’ predisposition with numbers.

God was pleased with His only begotten Son because he completely and minutely obeyed the Father’s will.

Hebrews 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

Is it wrong to want to please others? I think not. Is it right to want to please those you love and care for? Of course it is. Should I want to please my pastor? Yes. Should I want to please my boss? Yes.

How many times during the course of a year do we consider whether or not our lives are a pleasure to God? My success, my health, my wealth, my influence, my ministry and my relationships all need to be stirred by this one idea. Pleasing God should be the overriding motivation that dominates our lives.

Why do we teach our children to obey their parents? To gain the correct viewpoint for living? Yes. To foster respect for elders? Yes. To train young people to be helpful and usable in society? Yes. However, the overriding factor in teaching our children obedience is that it pleases God.

Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

I firmly believe we need to constantly evaluate our lives, our ministries, our goals and directions and our relationships, and ask, “Am I pleasing God in all of these?”

1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.