Living To Please Jesus: An Intruduction

I realize I have been going on for a while now about knowing the purpose for our living, but it is important to understand. The orientation we have in life is crucial in us fulfilling our purpose in Jesus Christ. Without that proper perspective we can spend our days pursuing all the wrong things and end up with an empty life and no treasure laid up in heaven. What a terrible position to be in, to be spiritually bankrupt when Jesus has made available to us all the spiritual treasure that exists. We need a better grasp of God's will and plan.

That's exactly what Paul prayed for the Colossians:

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. (Colossians 1:9)

That's exactly what we need in our current age, spiritual wisdom and understanding. We need to pray every day for these things and seek them as if they are the greatest treasure in all of heaven and earth. Look at Paul's reason for praying this:

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way (1:10)

Is that not exactly what we want our life to be about, living a life worthy of Jesus and pleasing him in every way? It should be but it seldom is. So many things get in the way, including ourselves. We keep making a place for Jesus in our life when in fact he is our life and living is all about him. If that isn't the case for you, if Jesus is only part of your life and not the total sum of it, then you are not following Jesus, you are admiring him. There is a difference.

Look at how Paul says we live a life worthy of him and live to please him in every way:

1. bearing fruit in every good work (v. 10)

2. growing in the knowledge of God (v. 10)

3. being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience (v. 11)

4. and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you^[d] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (v.12)

A simple list of how to live a life that pleases Jesus. Let me sum it up: good works, growth in knowledge of God, great patience and endurance, a grateful heart. It is sad that many of us do not even know that we are suppose to be living to please Jesus. I am going to take the rest of this week to consider each of these things and where they should dominate in our lives.

I am praying for you my friends as I pray for myself, asking God to fill us with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. We are desperate for it as we desire to live a life that pleases Jesus instead of a life that pleases ourself. The pull of this age is strong with all its pleasures. Never in the history of man has there been so many distractions from the purpose of our life. I encourage you to take this week and reflect on these verses with me and may the Spirit guide us in knowledge, wisdom and understanding.