…trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

    Ephesians 5:10

Do you want to please God? That is a pretty straightforward question. Not a lot of wiggle room here. The answer is either “yes” or “no.” But that is what Paul is referring to in today’s verse. We should be “trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.” He’s the reason that we exist and our existence is for the purpose of enjoying a personal relationship with Him, free from the guilt, shame, and burden that comes from a life apart from Him. And Jesus has made a way for everyone to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). So, by surrendering our lives to Christ, we are positioning ourselves to live abundant, eternal lives, lives far superior to the futility of the masses. 

Paul has already made it abundantly clear that, because we belong to Christ and no longer live in spiritual darkness, that we are to be different from the world. Here’s the last three verses put together in order to provide us with the context of Paul’s instruction of pleasing God:

…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.

  Ephesians 5:8-10

“Walk (live) as children of Light…trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.” You get the idea! Because we belong to Christ, and have been saved, we are to be living in a way that is now consistent with the Word of God. Here’s another passage regarding pleasing God:

Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.

    1 Thessalonians 4:1

Here, Paul is reminding the church that not only do we possess lifestyles that are godly and pleasing to God, but that, we should “excel still more.” The idea of excelling at anything is the reality that we want to improve, get better at what we are doing, and, if we’re competitive, be better at it than anyone else. I wonder what would happen if Christians, in our modern culture, would begin to take “excelling” in living for Christ and pleasing God to another level, one in which we were determined to improve in our lives and please God more tomorrow than we even did today. Does this sound foreign? It shouldn’t. These are the very instructions that God is giving us in His Word. Consider this passage:

…but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

    1 Thessalonians 2:4

There it is! We are to think, speak, act, and live as people who are only interested in pleasing God. I call this living for an audience of One. The idea of pleasing mankind doesn’t even come into the discussion, mainly because, in one way or another, pleasing mankind is essential for worldly success but it has nothing to do with eternal success. Pleasing God should be the goal of every man, woman, and child but we know that we don’t live in a perfect world therefore, Christians are the ones who are to set the bar for such behavior. Thought of as foolish by those who are perishing, living this way is essential if we want to make a difference for the kingdom of God. Paul, once a Jewish Pharisee, expert in the Law, and enemy of the church, came to discover that his life’s trajectory was not in line with what God desired. And after meeting the Person of Jesus Christ (Acts 9), Paul’s desire to please God came to the front and center and was more important than anything else. Once a man who, no doubt, enjoyed his position in religion and the accolades that come from that position, considered all of that but rubbish in comparison to serving Christ and the gospel (Philippians 3:8). That’s why he could say the following:

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

    Galatians 1:10

Pleasing God will require us to choose between the accolades of mankind or the reward of serving God and pleasing Him (Matthew 25:23). We see this again, in still another passage of scripture:

…so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…

        Colossians 1:10

Living in a manner that is “worthy” of the Lord means that we have appropriately responded to God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. And look at the outcome to this appropriate response…pleasing Him in all respects, bearing fruit, and increasing in the knowledge of God. These should be natural outflows of a life that belongs to Jesus and is filled with the Holy Spirit. 

So the question goes out! Do you want to please God with your life? If the answer is “yes,” then you first need to surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Secondly, after your salvation, be baptized as a public testimony to your new life in Christ. Thirdly, God will come to live within your heart (Acts 2:38). It is the power of God’s presence that now equips you to live in a manner “worthy of the Lord.” Your new life in Christ will be a lifelong journey of walking with Him, learning, and growing in your faith. And it all begins with you coming to the end of yourself and responding to the Lord, praying and asking Him to save you on the basis of what Christ has done for you on the cross. Our sin causes separation between God and ourselves but the free gift of eternal life is ours for the taking if we would only ask (Romans 6:23). This spiritual transformation of your life, in which you move from spiritual death to spiritual life, is necessary if you are going to live a life that is pleasing to God. And what a life it is! 

The world has a funny way of deciding who is successful and who is not. For some it’s winning a championship. For others it’s making a lot of money. Still others find success in obtaining and holding onto positions of power and influence. But there will be a day when the champions, the wealthy, and the powerful and influential will surrender back all that they have obtained from this life, rings, money, and positions and they will stand before the One True God and give an account of how they have used their time on this earth (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). Then, every knee is going to bow and every tongue is going to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11). True success, on that day, will belong to those of us who quietly, persistently, and faithfully lived in order to please God. After all, if God is pleased with your life, you can say with confidence that you are truly successful!

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

        Psalm 19:14