Ephesians 5:10 (NIV): … find out what pleases the Lord.
I’ve been reading through the Bible, cover to cover, for decades. I’ve learned much. The stories are familiar to me. Some of the stories are hard. Some are baffling. Some really hit home. All of them challenge me.
I feel like I am beginning to know God’s word. Still, there are verses that are like gems that I have never really seen before. The above verse is one of them.
Paul simply states, “find out what pleases the Lord.”
I love my wife. I apply the truth of this verse to my relationship with her. I want to listen to her. I want to find out what pleases her. But I cannot stop there. After I find out what pleases her I want to actually please her. Otherwise, I have knowledge but no action.
I want to do the same with Jesus. I want to find out what pleases the Lord and then I want to please Him. I know that Jesus already loves me. So, finding out and then pleasing Him doesn’t “earn” any additional love from Him. What it does is simple. It is a way for me to return the love He has for me.
There are so many verses in the Bible that speak to me about how I can please Jesus. Perhaps the biggest one is about loving my neighbor, even those that are hard to love. I am convinced that by loving my neighbor I please Jesus. That is a good thing.
Prayer: Father in heaven. Help me to please Your Son. Help me to find out and seek what pleases Him. Then, help me to do what I find.
