How to Please the King

"'And let the young woman who pleases the king

be queen instead of Vashti.'

This pleased the king,

and he did so."

Esther 2:4

King Xerxes was ready for a new queen.  He didn't want just any woman, though.  She must be young and beautiful, and pleasing to him.  In order to find this perfect candidate, his advisers counseled him to search the kingdom, bringing in young women from every province to compete, as it were, for his affections.  What would it take to please the king?

In such an environment, it would take quite a lot to impress the king.  Whoever would be chosen would have to stand out from the crowd, impacting him in a powerful way.  She would have to be pretty special to capture the king's attention.

Thankfully, this is not the case with God.  To please Him is quite another matter.

Obedience.  I give up my favorite pursuits as a show of dedication to Him.  While I know there's nothing inherently wrong with my nightly television viewing, I decide to try to capture God's attention with my faithfulness by cutting out this enjoyable time.  Even though my possessions are just stuff to me, I become a minimalist, thinking that the less I have the closer I can become to God.  All my efforts are in vain, however, because I consistently fail to heed His warnings, comply with his wishes, or yield to His loving hand of discipline.

God doesn't care about all the sacrifices I make in His name whether it be giving up things, forgoing sleeping in order to regularly attend church, or abstaining from sensual pleasures as a show of dedication to Him.  Instead, what He is really concerned with is my heart.  He wants me to treasure Him and His opinion of me so much that I will take seriously His leadership in my life (1 Samuel 15:22).  He's not impressed with my religious activities, my commitment to foreign missions, or my faithfulness to spread the gospel.  All He wants from me is to be a good listener who does what He says.

Then, if He calls me to give up things, dedicate time, or commit to activities, I'll please Him when I comply.  Otherwise, it's wasted on a God who only looks at my heart.

To please God I must obey His voice and submit to His hand.

Humility.  There is a sacrifice that God does accept.  While all my efforts to impress Him with my faithfulness mean nothing, there is something that will capture His attention.  What He does desire is for me to fully realize the weight of my own sin and to understand how much my sinful ways grieve Him.  God will not refuse such a thoroughly remorseful attitude for the ways I've pained Him with my selfishness and rebelliousness (Psalm 51:17).

This means if I think there is anything good in me that could impress God, I'm still too proud.  It also means if I don't believe God would ever accept me as I am, I've got some humbling to do.  I must see myself as God sees me as a sinful child loved enough for which to make the ultimate sacrifice.  Despite my sinful ways, I'm accepted as family.  In spite of all my unsuccessful efforts to reach God's standard, I'm made righteous by the blood of Jesus.  My identity in Christ is secured by faith, not works (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

I am who I am because of what He's done, not because of what I have or have not accomplished.  My place as His child is secure because of His strong love, not based on my worth, whether I view it as low or high.  Since I'm secure due to nothing I could ever contribute, I can't lose such a position in His family.

To please God I must realize how I am fully dependent upon Him for my acceptance in His kingdom.

Faith.  I try in vain to follow the letter of the law found in God's Word.  I make a resolution to curb my appetites, to abstain from cursing, to show patience to my loved ones.  I give it my best shot, putting all my effort into doing what I know is right.  Still, I fail.  There is no joy, only an utter sense of failure.  Where is God?  Does He see my attempts to live for Him?

There is a better way to live than to try to do the impossible.  I can no more reach God's perfect standard than a 1000-pound grizzly bear can fly (Romans 3:23, 3:9).  In order to please God, then, there is something else.  My hope is not in my efforts but in my faith.  I can only draw near to God because of my belief in what Jesus has done to repair my relationship with a Holy God (Hebrews 7:19).  

Without this willingness to trust God and know without a doubt that He is my salvation, I am unable to please Him (Hebrews 11:6).  Pursuing Him, then, even though I can't see Him or touch Him, is what it takes to be satisfactory in His eyes (Hebrews 11:1).

To please God I must belief He exists despite my inability to prove His reality.

Pleasing God is far different from satisfying a human king.  The King of kings looks for my compliance to His personal guidance in my life, a broken and contrite heart, and the willingness to believe what I cannot see.  This is how I please the King.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to do as He says.

When do I try to impress God with my sacrifices instead of simply obeying Him?

How am I doubting His ability to work through the hurt in my heart, revealing my lack of faith?