Sunday, 9 August 2015
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 2 Corinthians 5:9
“Therefore” is given as a summary of his thoughts from the beginning of the chapter. He has been speaking of being alive in this earthly body and also of dying – at which time we will receive our eternal, heavenly body. In order to describe either state he says, “…whether present or absent.” The Greek here literally reads, “…whether at home or away from home.” To be “at home” means to be with Christ, to be “away from home” means to be separated from Him, as we currently are.
Regardless of our state, he says that “we make it our aim … to be well pleasing to Him.” The idea is that we should strive with all diligence to be pleasing to the Lord. It should be our one and only ambition. This was the life of the apostle and it should be our desire as well. In our current existence, we have to really work at this. Trials, fatigue, stress, and so much more gets in our way of accomplishing this, but through constant prayer and the fixing of our eyes on Him, we are enabled to do so.
Life application: What is it that motivates you? We tend to exert the majority of our energy and our time on that which we find most important. If it is the Lord, then you will exert these things in order to be pleasing to Him. This doesn’t mean that this is done at the expense of other things, such as work. Rather, it means that we will incorporate Jesus into our other tasks. Our life will become a “living sacrifice” to Him as we earnestly strive to be pleasing to Him.
Lord God Almighty! It sure is good to know that You are always with me, tending to me in my frail human weaknesses. I get tired, I get frustrated, and I get worn down by those who are more and more at enmity with You each day. But in You, I have a place of rest, a place of calm, and a place of reinvigoration. You sent Jesus to show the way to Your heart and in receiving Him, I was sealed with Your Spirit. I stand ready for the day ahead and all that it entails because of this wonderful relationship! Thank You, O God. Amen.