WHERE IS YOUR FAITH POINTING?

Is your faith pointed in the right direction? As believers we certainly must use our faith to build our lives, families, churches, ministries and businesses. We use our faith to acquire houses, cars and other things that promote comfort in life. While there is nothing necessarily wrong with these things, many have lost sight of a primary purpose of faith. That is, to please God! That’s right, to please God! Hold on, please don’t shut me down at this point. For many of us who have been serving God for some time, it’s easy to take the attitude of “Yeah, Yeah, I know having faith pleases God.” But I’m not talking about having faith, I’m talking about using your faith to please God. Yes, the word of God does say that without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6. But God is also saying we must know and understand that we are to use our faith to please Him! It seems many forget that God should be both the source and object of our faith. Indeed, God is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:2. Faith is not about faith alone; it’s about faith in God. When pleasing God becomes a primary purpose for our faith, then our faith is pointed in the right direction!

Faith connects us to God and to the promises of God. Life is not about using our faith to get things, it’s about using our faith to please God. We are created for his pleasure. Revelation 4:11. Recognizing we have need of food, houses, cars and clothes which require us to use our faith, these things fall under the category of needs, not purpose! Purpose gives direction and when we make pleasing God a primary purpose in life, it points our faith and our lives in the right direction. When getting things become the primary purpose of our faith, we will most likely get mis-directed in life. This is one reason why it is critical to seek first the kingdom of God and allow God to add the things we need to us. Matthew 6:33. Please remember, Jesus said a man’s life does not consist of the things he possess. Luke 12:15. Life consists of our relationship with God in Christ. It’s about pleasing the God who created us.

Perhaps it’s time to take inventory of our faith and it’s affections. Perhaps it time to “tweak” our faith compass so that as we stand before God, He will be pleased with us because we purpose to please Him. The Christians life is not about faith alone, it’s about faith in God! Some have harden their heart towards God. Life comes from God; breath comes from God; health come from God; wealth comes from God. God is the source of all that is good! We must make (and keep) pleasing God the priority in life. Pleasing God means God is your standard; not your family, friends, social status or political party. Life is not about using faith to get things; it’s about using our faith to please God. The things are a by-product or bonus!

Pleasing God means we must desire him; be devoted to him and delight ourselves in the Lord our God. When we do these things God will give us the desires of our heart. When pleasing God is a primary purpose in life, we won’t get out of the will of God because of someone else’s problem or offense. Satan (the devil) is envious of our relationship with God. He uses things and pleasures to entice us from God. Satan knows if he can redirect your purpose to please God he can derail, disable or destroy your relationship with God. So if necessary, make the adjustments, make the heart adjustment and make it now! Love God more than all and all your choices will be better. Loving and pleasing God means telling others about Jesus Christ. Pleasing God is a motive that directs our faith into the miraculous. In that great chapter of “Faiths’ Hall of Fame,” Hebrews chapter 11, Enoch experienced the miracle of translation because he pleased God (on purpose)! Faith that purposes to please God points us in the right direction and into the miraculous.