HOW TO LIVE A LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD…

COLOSSIANS 1:9-10: “So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.” NLT

OBSERVATION: I want to live a life that pleases God. I believe that anyone who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ does too. No one begins their Christian life intending to disappoint the Father or grieve the Holy Spirit. How do we stay on the track of spiritual growth, bearing fruit that gives glory to God?

Paul’s prayer for the Colossians narrows it down like a laser beam. He prays that the Lord will give them complete knowledge of His will and that they would also receive spiritual wisdom and understanding. These three components will keep us on the path and will enable us to live a life that gives glory to God.

There is nothing more satisfying than knowing that you are in the center of God’s will. There is a peace that surpasses human understanding when you know you are right where God has called you to be. In the book of Romans, Paul reminds us how we can discover and abide in God’s will.

• “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”Romans‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭NLT‬

True worship is when we surrender our lives to God as a living sacrifice. This means that we see our life in Christ as more than just honoring Him with our lips. Our life in Christ is to permeate our entire life. We give Him our bodies, our desires, our actions, and our will. We fully surrender to Him and offer our lives in worship. We turn from the behavior and customs of this world and live fully for Him. When we do this Paul reminds us that,

• “Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

I love that! So many times we think that to fully surrender to God’s will for our lives will mean a life of hardship and sacrifice. It is entirely the opposite. God’s will, His personal calling for our lives are always good, pleasing, and the perfect pathway to bring us fulfillment, peace, and joy.

I will never forget when the Lord called me to full-time ministry. The call was clear. God was calling me to change my direction and my dreams to become a pastor. I fought this call with all my strength. I wrestled with God – and He won. Finally, when I surrendered and said – “Ok, Lord, I will do it!,” suddenly, a feeling of peace flowed over my life as I have never experienced before. At that moment I knew that I was in the center of God’s will for my life. In everything I have done in my life, there is nothing that has brought me more joy than serving God’s people as a pastor!

Not everyone is called to full-time ministry. However, each person is called to do something to bless others and build the Kingdom of God. Once we surrender to God’s call and will for our lives, how do we keep on the correct path? How do we keep from going down the wrong road? Paul covers this in his prayer for the Colossians.

• “We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

Note that in conjunction with knowing God’s will, Paul prays that they will be given spiritual wisdom and understanding. Wisdom is seeing life from God’s perspective. Understanding is know how to apply God’s Word to the daily challenges of life. We stay on the correct path that God has called us to when we begin to see our lives through His eyes and we daily abide in His Word. He is faithful to whisper in our spirit, through the Holy Spirit, “This is the way, walk in it!”.

Paul is so confident in this that he goes on to say,

• “Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.”

As we surrender to God’s will, as we walk in spiritual wisdom and understanding, not only will we stay on the right path, we will also grow in our knowledge of God and our intimate fellowship with Him through the Holy Spirit. And, as we know God better and better, we will continue to grow and find our hearts being transformed into the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! This reminds me of the old hymn,

Turn your eyes upon JesusLook full in His wonderful faceAnd, the things of earth will grow strangely dimIn the light of His glory and grace

Dear friend, I don’t know where you are at today in your walk with the Lord. However, I know that everything begins with surrendering our complete lives, body, soul, and spirit to Jesus Christ. When we do that we will discover His will for our lives. And, the Holy Spirit will begin to lead us by spiritual wisdom and understanding. We will find ourselves walking in His will, experiencing His peace, and filled with His joy.

What are we waiting for? Lord, today I surrender my entire life to You. I want to live my life as a living sacrifice. Grant me spiritual wisdom and understanding. Lead me on the path of Your perfect will for my life. Pour out Your Holy Spirit upon me and let me hear these words – “This is the way, walk in it.”

In Jesus Name!