Pleasing God

Hebrews 11:6

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

How to please God is an issue many, if not all, Christians struggle with. What can I do to please God? Does the way I live make God happy?

The author of Hebrews explains how we please God in very simple terms. We must believe God is God. Believing God is God also entails believing what God says to be true is, in fact, true. This was Adam and Eve’s problem. They chose to believe the serpent rather than God. Paul also explains this is the problem still today. “They [The people of old] exchanged the truth of God for a [the] lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 1:25). Believing what God says to be true regarding Jesus is what pleases God.

Believing God is only done through faith. So then what is faith?

Faith is what provides the certainty or foundation that what we believe to be true about God is, in fact, true, genuine, and real. Faith provides the evidence or proof that what we believe is true is true.

Are you pleasing God in your life? Or do your doubts cloud your faith in God?