Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. (1 Tim. 6:17-18)

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Aiming To Please God

Photo by USMC Wounded Warrior Regiment
Daily Priorities

When you get up in the morning, what is your first thought? Got to get up, get the coffee pot fired up for your first cup of java? Or maybe, you really need to hurry up, take a shower, get dressed, and get out the door so that you can get to work on time? Or maybe, you've got to drag the kids out of bed and get them ready for school? Perhaps it's a combination of all these things and more!

Each and every day, we all have priorities that rule our lives. Some we set for ourselves, but unfortunately, I fear that many of our priorities are set for us by other people. Our spouse can set our priorities. Our kids can set our priorities. Even our workplaces and our bosses tend to tell us what is important in our lives at any given time!

Identify The Target

The Apostle Paul was a man on a mission, a man with a plan. Everything that he did always seemed to have a direction or a purpose. He never did anything haphazardly. He had a goal he was aiming for each day of his life as a believer in Jesus Christ. Here's an example of Paul establishing a priority in his own life in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10:
Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.
After reading these verses, I like to imagine that Paul's first waking thoughts were on the Lord and how he could please his Savior. He had a target, a goal he was aiming at: a life that pleased God. Living a life that pleases God is not easy, though! You have to be willing to live a life of complete surrender to your Lord and Master. You can no longer live a life of selfish ambition. You can't live a life of selfishness, period. You need to abandon your secret sins and seek to live a holy, blameless life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The really cool part, though, is there is a pay day coming. We will be rewarded by Christ for living a life that pleases Him!

What Are You Aiming At?

A Christian who desires to grow in their walk with Christ has to be intentional about setting daily priorities. Healthy growth in the Christian life is definitely not going to happen by accident. As you ponder these statements, also consider these quotes:
“The odds of hitting your target go up dramatically when you aim at it.” - Mal Pancoast
“To me, the definition of focus is knowing exactly where you want to be today, next week, next month, next year, then never deviating from your plan. Once you can see, touch and feel your objective, all you have to do is pull back and put all your strength behind it, and you'll hit your target every time.” - Bruce Jenner
Do you have an objective, do you have a life goal that is centered on pleasing God? If yes, have you recently evaluated how you're doing on this life objective? Are you on target? Are you even aiming at the right target? The beginning of a new year is always a great time to re-evaluate and get perspective on where you're at and where you're going in life!

If you honestly can't say that you are living a life that's aimed in the direction of attempting to please God, what do you need to do to get to that place, starting today?

My prayer for you and for me today is that we would all live lives that bring honor and glory to the name of Jesus and bring a smile to the face of our Lord and Savior.

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