The Life That Pleases God Bears Fruit: Jesus says “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” If there is not a change in our living then we can conclude there is no change in our souls. Now it is important that we remember that fruitfulness takes time. It takes time for the tree to mature. The same is true for followers of Christ. The change might not be immediately discernable. However, over time we should be seeing a difference in the way people live. Jesus said: “ No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” We don’t go out to bear more fruit . . . we seek to draw closer to Him and the fruit will come naturally. It’s not a matter of trying harder but drawing closer.
The Life That Pleases God is One that Yearns to Know God Better: The life that pleases God “keeps on growing in knowledge.” First, growing in the knowledge of God is not the same as seeking to learn how to get more from God. Many of us want to know how to get God to answer our prayers. We want to know how to get God to meet our needs and banish our problems. Second, growing in the knowledge of God is not the same as growing in knowledge about God. We can spend all our time mastering information about God and not have a relationship with God. The life that pleases God is the one that yearns to know more about God so that they can know God better. They read the Bible not for factual information but to discern the heart of God. Their prayer is not totally consumed with requests. They take time to work on their relationship with God.
The Life That Pleases God Endures Troubled Times and is Patient with Difficult People: God enables us to endure by giving us the strength of His Holy Spirit, the promises of His Word and by reminding us He is in control; He only does what is good; He never makes a mistake. So in hard times we don’t complain . . . we trust. We don’t walk away . . we listen and try to learn. We don’t despair . . . we hang on tighter. Being strong in the times of trouble is difficult. But it may not be as difficult as the concept of patience with difficult people. People naturally react to difficult people negatively. When we are in Christ He begins to give us a different perspective.
The Life That Pleases God is The Life Lived Gratefully: We thank God for what He’s given while at the same time feeling He should have given more. We seem to think that if God really loved us we would have more money, less illness, more good times, less difficult times. Gratitude begins when we realize we do not deserve the inheritance that has been reserved for us. We should spend every waking moment being grateful that God has pulled us from the jaws of Hell. An attitude of gratitude grows as we learn to open our eyes to the blessings we take for granted. When was the last time you thanked God for the breath you were able to take? When did you last thank Him for the Bible, for fellow believers? When did you last thank Him for a home and conveniences we consider “rights”? When did you last thank Him for your family? Or the trials that give us perspective? We also grow in our gratefulness as we see how wonderful our Savior is. As we study His words, His actions, and as we become more attuned to His character, we will naturally grow in our gratitude that we are united with One who is so magnificent. (REV BRUCE GOETTSCHE)