The key to our best lives is living lives God can bless.
We tend to try and force God to bless lives lived in ways that we want him to like, because we like them. Honestly, who do we think we are! That really is totally selfish and completely irrational, at least if you believe in God. If you don’t believe in God, it doesn’t matter what God will bless does it, go ahead live however you want. If you don’t believe in God, how you live, and what God can bless, is irrelevant and non of anyone’s business. Neither is it the business of any followers of him. However if you are a follower and you believe in the truth of his word – the Bible, you have a standard and method to live by that God says will be blessed by him.
We all want to share in things we like and enjoy. Somehow, when someone enjoys the very things we do it amplifies our enjoyment of it. We all know things our friends enjoy that we do or say that we just can’t wait see and feel their reaction and joy to. I love it when a friend, loved one, or colleague laughs or “gets me” because I “get them” in some unique or special way that only comes from knowing them personally and closely, and knowing what they like.
God wants that with us. I want to feel Gods joy when I do or say something. The key is finding those things that bring God joy. Believe me, God will definitely let you know when you are bringing joy and pleasure to your relationship. More than anything a human relationship can possibly express, God will let you know when he is pleased. I live for those moments. To me, those moments are inexpressible in human words, at least I am incapable of writing it down and giving it justice.
The famous missionary and Olympic champion runner Eric Liddell, was asked by his very devout religious sister once “why do you continue with this silly running thing when You are needed by God, right now you are wasting time with this Olympic competition.” He answer was beautiful to me; “because sister, I feel his joy when I run, God made me to run as well.” His story is told in the academy award winning movie Chariot of Fire.
Live a life God can bless, and he will. I lived trying to please myself for a long time…it didn’t
Ephesians 5:8-10
for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord