Like this:

“Find out what pleases the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:10)

I want to talk about this verse for a second … It kind of stopped me in my tracks last night.

Meditating on it, I remind myself that the verse is not talking about specific careers in life.  (Like, if you’re a pastor, you have found something that pleases the Lord.)  It is not talking about certain mission trips or volunteer experiences.  It is not saying that if you go to a soup kitchen, this, yes this, pleases the Lord.  And I need to remind myself that.  I’ve honestly felt that way before – like I needed to be doing some specific things of “service” to please God.

Thankfully the Bible isn’t a list of rules to check off at the end of the day!  How much would that suck?  When I read this verse, I think of a fragrance, of how my life smells to God.  When I am putting others above myself, a sweet smell is arising towards my Father.  But when I sneak off to look at something bad on the internet or when I am a jerk towards my roommates, a bad fart smell arises towards my Father.

What pleases the Lord?  It’s the church answer.  It’s Jesus.  Love him, live with Him, live like Him.  It can be a 24/7 thing.  No special task.  The fact that I am in a homeless shelter does not please the Lord; it’s when my heart is set on the Father and on loving others that He is pleased.  If you’re in school or at a job, you can please the Lord just as much as I can at Jefferson St.  And that’s pretty cool.

PS  The fifth chapter of Ephesians is good stuff.

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