Romans 8:5-8 NLT
[5] Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. [6] So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. [7] For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. [8] That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
Good Morning!
It is a pretty simple choice, we can either let our minds be led by the Holy Spirit and be a God Pleaser or we can let our minds be led by our sinful nature and the things of this world and according to Romans 8:8 we can never please God.
Life is full of choices. We who call ourselves Christians have to make the choice daily to allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t want half-hearted commitments from us. He wants us to come to him with our whole heart and put our entire trust in Him for all of our needs, wants and desires. When we are neither hot or cold but lukewarm for God, it makes Him want to “vomit us out of His mouth.” God calls us to be with hearts that are boiling hot for Him. When we seek Him first, we don’t need to worry about the “stuff” of this life. It is hard for us to let go and let God be our provider, our source of strength and our all-in-all. Our humanity gets in the way. That’s why we need to carry our cross daily for Him and then we can be rest assured that God will give us what we need daily and not have to worry about the things of this world.
Revelation 3:15-16 NKJV
[15] “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. [16] So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
Romans 12:11 TPT
[11] Be enthusiastic to serve the Lord, keeping your passion toward him boiling hot! Radiate with the glow of the Holy Spirit and let him fill you with excitement as you serve him.
Matthew 6:33 NKJV
[33] But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
When we live as a God Pleaser, we are able to sow seeds into the lives of other people daily. Jesus’ charge to us is to “go and bear fruit.” In order to bear fruit, we first have to sow seeds. It may not always be us that reaps the rewards of sowing the seeds but Jesus said that the fields are ripe for harvest. It may be someone else’s seed that you are reaping and visa versa. But that is how the kingdom of God works. We are simply called to obey and God will work out the details of who reaps the harvest. In the end it is all for Him so it really doesn’t matter who reaps, for the reward we get is in being obedient and being a God Pleaser.
Galatians 6:8-10 NIV
[8] Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. [9] Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. [10] Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
John 15:16 NKJV
[16] You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
John 4:35-38 NIV
[35] Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. [36] Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. [37] Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. [38] I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
One day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Our job for here and now is to help those still in the land of the living to make the choice here on earth so that when they slip into eternity, their names will be already written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Philippians 2:9-11 NIV
[9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Revelation 21:27 NIV
[27] Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
I love you and am praying today!
Dad
PS – Here’s an oldie from Petra about being a God Pleaser…