When Jesus was hanging on the cross in excruciating pain, He looked down at those nearby. The soldiers who were playing a game with His clothes, the religious leaders who sought the death penalty, the mockers, haters, doubters, and the ignorant. In that moment, He said, “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” I think this is a lesson for all of us. What is that lesson? Be very careful what you do and say. Be intentional about how you live. The apostle Paul says it like this: “Carefully determine what pleases the Lord” (Ephesians 5:10). He goes on with this thought… “Be careful how you live…Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise…Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do” (Ephesians 5:15-17).
This jumped out to me this morning as I was reading God’s Word. Every morning when we arise for a new day, we have the opportunity to live in a way that pleases the Lord. We should think about everything we do before we do it and everything we say before we say it. We should think… Will this please the Lord? Will this honor Him? Will this put a smile on His face? As I pondered this, three things came to my mind… three things we can do that truly please Him.
1) Put aside your differences! I’m positive you disagree with some people… politically, doctrinally, and fundamentally. I remember a scene in a movie… During the war, a resident opened her door to find soldiers standing there… cold and hungry. She was staring into the face of her enemy. But rather than shut the door and hide from them, she invited them in for a meal. Come, take off your coats, and sit down. And they did. They put aside their differences for a meal. Maybe we need to just sit down and share a meal with those we do not agree with. Maybe we need to just lay aside our differences for the sake of the gospel. Our desire to please Him should trump our differences with others.
2) Love like Jesus! Jesus spent time with the sinners, the outcasts, the unclean, the rebels. They felt special in His presence and multitudes of them surrendered to His Lordship. Maybe we need to extend grace to someone today, take a meal to someone who may be struggling, lend a listening ear to someone who is trying to understand, or come alongside someone younger and immature in the faith. Maybe we need to carefully determine our actions today… actions that will love like Jesus.
3) Forgive those who have hurt you! Let me say this… forgiveness is one of the main doors to freedom, to abundant living. We cannot be free if we’re still holding onto the pain someone inflicted upon us. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you need to be friends with that person again, or that they are worthy to receive it, or that they will ever reciprocate. Forgiveness means that what someone did to you will no longer control you… you are willing to lay it at the cross and walk away. Forgiveness is not easy and may take some time. Most of the time, forgiveness cannot be done on our own… But we can do it with God’s help.
Today’s let’s carefully determine what pleases the Lord and walk in it. Hope this encourages you.