Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Good morning, dear ones.
We are puzzling and sad over a very strange unsolved mystery—Dandy dog has disappeared. He was present with us yesterday afternoon, chasing balls, following the little boys around, being very normal. But when Becki and I returned home from dining with family around 8pm, he was never seen again. We’re totally baffled.
Lot’s more on the agenda for the day. I’d better get with it. Blessings on your day.
Love, Dad/Ray.
Here is stated perhaps the highest premium value of Biblical revelation—a full and more-than-adequate resource of information and instruction on “how to live in order to please God.” Can there even be any more appropriate and legitimate attitude and motivation in doing life than this?—to use the amazing phenomenon of life to please the One Who made life? The way my own mind has become oriented, the obvious answer to that question is a no-brainer.
It occurs to me here that EVERYONE IS A PLEASER—everyone lives and behaves so as to please someone. Of course the most automatic and common orientation among people is to be a SELF-PLEASER—living to satisfy and feed one’s own desires and pleasures. That mindset begins early. After all, why does a baby normally cry? As one grows, another motivation is likely to be added—that of becoming a PEOPLE PLEASER—a mindset formed by peer pressure—the quest to be accepted and conformed to whatever is expected or valued by the group. So when the rescue of Biblical conversion takes place, there is a God-empowered paradigm shift where one’s primary purpose for doing life is dramatically modified toward becoming a GOD PLEASER. In this regard, Jesus remains the supreme role model—“The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him” (John 8:29). That sounds very much like a HEART AFTER GOD.
If the ideal standard for doing life is to be a GOD-PLEASER, anything less has to be some form of rebellion. Is that not precisely what SIN is?—varying degrees of rebellion against God—varying forms of violation of His standards for human life. The prophet Samuel identified the destructive core of that mindset when he said, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Samuel 15:23).
For the sake of emphasis, let’s repeat this basic question: How far off course is one likely to wander if he has been programmed both by God’s AMAZING GRACE and by personal commitment to follow the proven instructions on “how to live in order to please God”?