“So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” John 8:28-29

When I was a student at UConn, I joined a Bible study and went to a local church right near campus. One day I was in a dorm room hanging out with the leader of our Bible study. While we were talking, we happened to look out the window and noticed two other students we knew walking by on the street below.

Both of these guys went to the same church we did, but one of them had a much stronger Christian witness and the other. My friend pointed toward them and asked, “Do you know the difference between those two guys?”

“What is it?” I asked. Referring to one with the weaker Christian witness he said, “He’ll do anything at all to please his friends.” “But that guy,” he said referring to the other one, “will do anything at all to please God.” That distinction made quite a difference in how they lived their lives.

Look again at the verse above. See how it ends? Talking about God the Father, Jesus says, “I always do what pleases him.” Only Jesus could say that; only Jesus was able to do it fully. It should be our goal, but all too often we live to please ourselves, or we strive to please other people ahead of doing what pleases God.

We please God by walking in faith and obedience. Walking by faith means actively seeking God’s sovereign will and “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6a). Faith inspires obedience and obedience is foundational to pleasing God. “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.” (1 John 5:3a)

Are you living to please God? Think about how you can live in greater faith and obedience.