“And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” (John 8:29, ESV)
Dame Laura Davies is in the World Golf Hall of Fame. With six majors, the record for the most Solheim Cup appearances (12) and points (25), along with many other remarkable achievements, her selection was about as easy as it gets.
And of course being named a Dame Commander of the British Empire is not something every female golfer from England can claim. (Do not search the web for “English golfers who are Dames” to try to find others.) Dame Laura was also the recipient of the ASAP Sports/Jim Murray Award, which recognizes a golfer for “cooperation, quotability and accommodation with the media.”
When she was asked by David Feherty why she was so accessible and approachable, she honored her mother, stepdad, and father for raising her to be polite. In other words, she wanted to please them not just with her golf, but with her behavior.
While pleasing God does grow out of love, it also takes study and practice and testing.All good parents love to be pleased by their children, and that includes our Father in heaven. All good and loving children want to please their parents, and Jesus was no exception, as you can see from today’s verse. In letters to both churches and individuals, Paul encouraged actions that pleased God. That encourages us as well.
Pleasing God, or desiring to please God, is a natural byproduct of loving God. Just think of people you love and how much you want to please them. You care about what they think, what they like, and you find joy in their pleasure. So you learn about their likes and even about their dislikes. Simply thinking about how they’ll be pleased by your actions pleases you.
Too seldom, perhaps, do we think of being pleasing to God. Our prayers are filled with supplication and lack adoration, our offerings are given with gratitude but not with the joy of pleasing God. When we talk, we are often conscious of whether or not our words would please those around us, but we forget that God is listening.
How do we go about pleasing God with our lives? While it does grow out of love, it also takes study and practice and testing. Just as I had to learn what pleased my earthly father, so it is with my heavenly Father. Fortunately our heavenly Father sent along prophets and a book and Jesus to help us—plus one other incredible resource for learning how to please God: each other. Learn, then act. God will be pleased.
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Lewis Greer
September 4, 2020
Copyright 2020 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Why Am I Here? 1: Bearing God’s Image
Why Am I Here? 2: Seeking God
Why Am I Here? 4: Sharing the Gospel
Why Am I Here? 5: Living Sacrificially
Why Am I Here? 6: Being Transformed
Why Am I Here? 7: Using Our Gifts
Why Am I Here? 8: Living in Community
Why Am I Here? 9: Confronting Falsehoods
Why Am I Here? 10: Mirroring Christ’s Love