Happy Sabbath friends! We made it through another week! Praise the Lord! Now we can take some time to reflect on whether we put the approval of God first in our lives, or the world…

I’m going to be honest…people pleasing is something I have struggled with for as long as I remember. Something I’ve always struggled with is remembering that God’s validation is the only validation that truly matters. I would make all my decisions on how I act, what I wear, how I look, etc. based on the people around me, and I’ll be honest, it would get quite exhausting always seeking approval from the world. Putting God and His approval first in my life is something I have started to prioritize and let me tell you…it is a lot less exhausting. It is honestly more uplifting and encouraging than it is exhausting. Let us delve into the Word of God to see what has to be said about living to please God instead of the world…

“As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit. Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To break this down, Paul starts off by writing that we have already been instructed in the Word of God on how we can live our lives to please God. So if you are ever wondering, “hmm what are some ways I can start prioritizing a life that is only to please God, and not the world?”, well the answer is right here in the Word of God! Verse 3 starts off by stating it is GOD’S WILL which definitely lays out the amount of seriousness and power that comes from these instructions that the Lord gave to us. Paul then goes on to list some of the ways that the Lord has commanded for us to live a life that is purely to please God instead of the world. It starts off by bringing up sexual immorality. I’m sure we have all noticed by living in this world that sexual immorality is a big commodity and it makes you 10x cooler in the eyes of the world if you partake in this sexual immorality. Well, Paul is laying it down from the Will of God that sexual immorality is NOT a big commodity in the eyes of the Lord. God doesn’t state this to punish us, but to PROTECT us because He LOVES us and doesn’t want us to be hurt. He values our bodies as they are like a temple, so He wants us to treat them like such.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

After Paul goes over sexual immorality and God’s viewpoint on that subject, he then delves into the subject on loving one another as God has loved each and every one of us.

“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Paul then brings up living a quiet life. This does not mean being silent and not speaking up. God’s Will is explaining to us that we need to live a life where we don’t boast, or we don’t speak words that don’t align with our actions. I state this because the final verse states:

“so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Our daily life should be a witness to those around us that we have God in our hearts. If we are truly living a “quiet” life, then that means our words are following our actions that we are a follower of Christ. We don’t have to boast about it. Our actions should do all the talking to those around us.

I also love how Paul ends this statement by saying “you will not be dependent on anybody” as this serves as a reminder that we should not be dependent on the world, but on God, and God alone. These three instructions that were stated from Paul from God’s Will are here to not punish us, but to benefit us. God is always looking out for us as He knows the plan for our lives. He already knows how everything plays out in our lives, so shouldn’t we put our complete trust in Him?

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I pray that as we walk on the narrow way that we always remember to only seek the approval of our Heavenly Father, instead of the world. As our Heavenly Father cares and loves us so very much. Every instruction He gives is here to only benefit us, never to punish us. God loves each and every single one of His children, and only wants the best for them. I pray that we are reminded of this, and that we truly believe this. The world is always going to let us down, but God will never fail because God is love, and true love never fails.

“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God be with us all, always.

Amen.