Learning to Please the Lord

      Here is an interesting verse that I guess I have just read through a hundred times without thinking about what it says. My brother-in-law recently brought it to my attention.

      Ephesians 5:10 says, “Trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”

      Did you catch that? It didn’t say trying to please ourselves. It didn’t say trying to please our friends or co-workers. It didn’t even say trying to please our brethren. Nor did it say trying to please the Lord the way we feel is best.

      It said, in context, that we need to walk as children of Light, trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. The KJV says, “Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.”

      The word for “trying” or “proving,” according to Strong’s Enhanced Lexicon, means to test, examine or prove to see if it is genuine, as with metals.

      Our job is not to do whatever we want. It is not to assume whatever feels good is right. Rather, our job is to test and examine what we do and make sure it is pleasing and acceptable to the Lord.

      Our first concern here is revealed in Luke 16:15, “…that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” It is not enough to feel something is pleasing to God. It is not enough to get consensus among men about what is pleasing to God. We actually have to get into the mind of God and find out what is pleasing to Him.

      I Corinthians 2:11-12 says only the Spirit knows what is in the mind of God. But the Spirit did reveal the mind of God to the apostles and prophets. They combined those spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. They wrote down what was revealed. In Ephesians 3:3-5, Paul said we can read what these apostles and prophets wrote and understand their insight into God’s mystery.

      II Peter 1:20-21 says the Scriptures are not an act of human will but are the product of God’s work. We are not allowed to make of them what we want. We must study to know what God wants.

      Further, II Timothy 3:16-17 says the Scripture is what is good for teaching, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. It will prepare us for every good work. That is, it will let us know what is pleasing to the Lord.

      If we are going to be children of light, we must learn what is pleasing to the Lord. We must not walk through life merely doing whatever we feel like. There is only one way to know what is pleasing to the Lord. We must constantly be in the Lord’s word. Reading it, studying it, learning it and living it.

      May we be children of light, pleasing the Lord.

Edwin L. Crozier