My heart is stirred daily as I observe people who claim to be Christian but walk in the flesh. Satan has crept into the heart and mind of some people convincing them that if they go to church, give in tithes/offerings and be involved in ministry that they will be saved in spite of how they live their lives.
I’m thankful that my father was a lover and doer of the Word. He not only studied and prayed for hours and hours each week to preach and teach the Word of God to the church, but he practiced what he preached. I learned at an early age what it meant to be Christ-like. My father shared his life experience as a small boy working with his mother in a garden. She would warn him not to step on the young sprouts coming out of the ground. So as he took steps behind her, he would ask, “Mother is this step OK?”
How many of us ask God moment by moment, “Is this alright with you, Lord?” My 34-year old son was recently talking to me about a lucrative job opportunity. The main responsibility of the job would be promoting and handling products that he loves. But another part of the job would entail ‘wining and dining’ people in a social setting to promote the products. He asked himself, “Would Jesus do this?” His godly heart gave him the answer.
There is no part of our lives and activities that can exclude the question, “Would the Lord be pleased?” He told us to do everything heartily as unto the Lord! Your secular job is a gift from God. Perform your duties on that job as unto the Lord. If a boss asks you to do something ungodly, be strong enough to refuse and speak the truth in love and explain why you cannot do the ungodly service, etc.
When I was a young woman working as an administrative secretary for a city school district, my boss asked me to lie for him when he would go golfing during working hours. I told him I would not lie for him. So he wrote on the ‘check out’ board that he was at a school. When his boss would call on the phone and ask for him, (when I knew he was out golfing) I would say, “Mr. Gray, Mr. Burkhead wrote on the check out board that he is at Gault School.” Mr. Gray would say, “I know he’s out golfing isn’t he.” I would never lie to cover up my boss’s actions. My boss respected me even if he didn’t like my honesty.
I desire to be like Enoch of the Old Testament. He walked with God. He pleased the Lord and the Lord took him. A commentary says, “Enoch pleased God and preached to the ungodly about their ungodly ways.” In this New Testament age, we have the wonderful opportunity to be born again of water and Spirit. It’s God in us the hope of glory! Salvation is a gift of God through the blood of the cross. Are we going to choose to walk with God and please Him in all we do?
The Word tells us Jesus is coming back for a church without ‘spot or wrinkle’ or any such thing! An old song says, “Your heart must be clean to meet Jesus, the Savior who died on a tree. To purge us from every transgression, your heart must from evil be free.” We cannot fulfill our selfishness and please the Lord. Selfishness is what rules this ungodly world. Lucifer’s selfishness is the reason God cast him out of heaven. Lucifer wanted to be worshipped like the Lord God Almighty. In our own way, we can be influenced by that same selfishness.
Every sinful thought, desire, addiction, godless action is prompted by selfishness. Even though we have been baptized with the Holy Ghost, God does not force anyone to follow godliness. He gives us daily choice as to whether we will follow our flesh or follow His Spirit. My prayer is that every believer follows the heart of God instead of his/her selfish heart.
We are living in the end times more than ever seen before. The next prophecy to be fulfilled is the return of Jesus for His Bride. Only those who are pleasing the Lord will be ready for the change in the moment in the twinkling of an eye. My focus is on Him. I’m accountable to God for every thought, feeling and action. My life must be lived to glorify God in all I do. I’m no more ‘spiritual’ than anyone else. I choose to love and follow the Lord. It’s His Word that gives me direction and strength to desire to please the Lord.
God does not look at past abuse or sin. He looks deep into our hearts as to the motives behind all of our actions. If we choose to make God the center of our lives, it will please Him to take us at His coming!!! Are you pleasing the Lord??
© Carol Clemans – September 2013 – www.carolclemans.org – carol@carolclemans.org -(636) 448-0121 for counseling or scheduling speaking.