We make it our aim…to be well pleasing to Him. —2 Corinthians 5:9

“We make it our aim….” It requires a conscious decision and effort to keep our primary goal constantly in front of us. It means holding ourselves to the highest priority year in and year out; not making our first priority to win souls, or to establish churches, or to have revivals, but seeking only “to be well pleasing to Him.” It is not a lack of spiritual experience that leads to failure, but a lack of working to keep our eyes focused and on the right goal. At least once a week examine yourself before God to see if your life is measuring up to the standard He has for you. Paul was like a musician who gives no thought to audience approval, if he can only catch a look of approval from his Conductor.

Any goal we have that diverts us even to the slightest degree from the central goal of being “approved to God” (2 Timothy 2:15) may result in our rejection from further service for Him. When you discern where the goal leads, you will understand why it is so necessary to keep “looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2). Paul spoke of the importance of controlling his own body so that it would not take him in the wrong direction. He said, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest…I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

I must learn to relate everything to the primary goal, maintaining it without interruption. My worth to God publicly is measured by what I really am in my private life. Is my primary goal in life to please Him and to be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how lofty it may sound?

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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord
Some of these scriptures seem to promote getting back on a squirrel cage or climbing a ladder to prove ourselves worthy enough and our experiences with that mentality have not been good. We’ve come to believe that you don’t use guilt as a motivator with your children… even though some of your servants use it regularly. Can we arrive at the same place, being “approved to God”, well pleasing to you, etc” from a motivation of love instead of a motivation of guilt and penalty avoidance? Perhaps acknowledging these scriptures that seem to invite us to judgement and striving but spend our time and mental energy on the others? Meanwhile placing the “hard to understand” ones at the foot of the cross and wait for you to reveal them further … in your time.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8

“All coins have two sides. You can focus on one while knowing the other exists. You can live and breathe in the scriptures like Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11. You can preach them and sing them and encourage crowds with them. Leave these other scriptures to me and Holy Spirit to reveal to each person. If you preach about judgement and measuring up… it will be heard by ones who are not ready to hear it and they will default to a “motivation by guilt” and that is not my way. I will show each of my children what I need of them in my time and my way.”

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