WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
(Psalm 19:14)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever thought about who you are trying to please by the
things you do and say? Are you inwardly focused and only trying
to please yourself? There are books available that encourage us to
only be concerned with pleasing ourselves.

But is striving to please yourself really a healthy goal? When our goal
is to please ourselves, and we fail, we can find ourselves sinking into a
state of sadness, or even depression. Pleasing ourselves can cause some
to become isolationists (preferring to be alone than to be around others).
Why? Because when they are alone, they don’t feel pressured to please
others.

Do we try to please others so they will like us? This can create a type of
stress as we try to determine what pleases each person. If everyone had
the same expectations, it would be easier to please others, but that’s not
the case – each person is different, so they have different expectations
and desires.

Some people will do things they might not ordinarily do in their efforts
to be liked. If we aren’t careful, striving to please others can result in
our being an enabler to some of their bad habits. We may complement
and encourage them to continue doing things that are not good for them
and their spiritual life. Why? Because we think they will like us for being
supportive of them.

Maybe your goal is to please your boss so you will get a promotion. This
can create stress because the demands of the company change and those
changes impact the needs and expectations of your boss. Or it could be a
co-worker you are trying to please so that they might recommend you for
a particular job. In either case, you are pleasing someone else for selfish
reasons – to get something to benefit you.

Of course, it’s important to have consideration for others and to look
for ways to encourage them, but it should be for the right reasons. It
is also important to seek happiness in our own lives. However, when
it comes to pleasing, our primary focus should be on our Lord.

Our desire should be to please the Lord out of our love for Him and for
what He did for us on the cross. He is the One who knows us best, so He
knows what will benefit us the most. He also the One we look forward to
seeing as He welcomes us into heaven.

Pleasing others is a short-term effort when compared to eternity. It is only
for the time we are living on earth. But pleasing the Lord will benefit us
eternally.
Paul gave us some great advice:
    So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,
    since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
    (2 Corinthians 4:18)

When our primary goal is to please the Lord, we can be more
pleasing to some people and to ourselves as well. Why? Because
His characteristics will become a part of who we are. When we
focus on pleasing our Creator, our priorities will change, and
our efforts will be to please unselfishly.

We will no longer do things for others to satisfy our cravings to be
liked, or to feed some other selfish desire of ours. Our concern for
others will replace our self-centeredness. Our efforts to encourage
and lift the spirits of others will be genuine and without self-serving
purposes. We will discover the joy of having a positive impact on the
lives of others which will contribute to improving our own self-esteem.

Robert Browning said,
    “Thought is the soul of the act.”
Emerson said,
    “Thought is the seat of action. The ancestor of every action is thought.”

What we think is what controls what we say and do. Consequently,
it’s important for us to ask the Lord to be in control of our thoughts.
When He is in control of our minds, our words and actions will be
pleasing to Him, to others, and to ourselves.

ACTION:
Ask yourself,
    “Who is in control of my mind?

If we haven’t yielded our mind to the Lord, then sin and selfishness
still abound within us. The Lord is the only One who can create a
mind of righteousness to replace the unrighteous thoughts that have
been in control of our actions and words. His sanctification process
will re-mold our minds to focus on pleasing Him instead of self.
    Do not conform to the pattern of this world,
    but be transformed by the renewing of your
    mind. Then you will be able to test and approve
    what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect
    will.
    (Romans 12:2)

    Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly
    we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being
    renewed day by day.
    (2 Corinthians 4:16)

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for the wrong thoughts that occupy
my mind. Forgive me for my selfish and self-centered attitudes. I
know that You can change my thought processes and rearrange my
priorities to give You first place in all things. When You are in control,
I know my life and the lives of those around me will be changed for the
better. Lord, I yield control of my mind to You and look forward to how
my life will be changed as a result.”

BLOG: utvolwoody.wordpress.com