Notes from this week's podcast: Get ready for the day. Don't go out naked.
Life is not about me.
Yet, we're running in circles to please ourselves. From God's point of view: Life is really all about pleasing God.
Going forward, I want to keep that at the forefront of my mind.
Four simple steps on how to make it real in our lives -- it's like getting up every day and how we prepare to go about the day.
STEP ONE: We get up and take a bath. We cleanse the body. We make ourselves presentable. * Spiritually: We get our heart ready, cleaned up.
Why? Because we are all going to appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ and we will all give an account, will all be rewarded for good or evil deeds we have done. We want to purify our heart before God -- our motives should be pure, right, and righteous. Give God that opportunity -- to make the attitude of our heart pleasing to Him.
Acknowledge sin, confess. He forgives us.
This is how we can be strengthened in the Lord. We are motivated by the love relationship with God.
STEP TWO: Clothe yourself. Don't go out naked. * Spiritually: Clothe yourself in righteousness.
What is righteousness? The state that we ought to live in; purity; condition that's pleasing to God.
Why? Because Christ's righteousness in us is what should be revealed through us.
STEP THREE:
- Maintain righteous clothing. Being prepared to respond, which would be well-pleasing to God, reflect Him.
- Aim to please God in our actions. The foundation: Our ambition should be to please God. Everything we do is all motivated out of our love for God. We want to honor God.
I don't want to mess up His reputation. I don't want to misrepresent Him, dishonor Him. I forget. But I want to please Him because I love Him.
Ask: God, How can I serve You today? How can I please You?
Stop and ask God. Do this every day, every morning.
My day is about pleasing You and to do Your will.
Stop right now & throughout the day -- in the middle of any task, with any relationship.
Listen for the Holy Spirit to answer. Obey. Respond by faith: Yes, Lord. God, I trust You.
Our sufficiency is in Him.
When you're walking unrighteously, in sin, in unconfessed sin, you're stripped naked! Get yourself clothed!
STEP FOUR:
At the end of the day, spend a moment. Ask: God, were You pleased with me today? Listen for His response. (My Child, I was pleased with you today.)
Find yourself in our daily lives being more pleasing to God because we love Him. We want to honor Him because we want to represent Him. We want to be His ambassador to show the world who He is and show God how much we truly love Him.
Scripture for study: 1 Peter 4:2, 2 Corinthians 5, Matthew 12:36, 2 Corinthians 5:1-4
