#3 How Should I Act?
 

A Walk That Pleases
 

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.
(Colossians 1:10)
 

    What if I've decided what I want to do with my life, and I've been happy doing my own thing? And what if suddenly God blows the whistle and says, "Foul!@
  Do I start yelling at the umpire? Or do I say, "Okay,@ and ask myself, What did I do wrong? The answer will come loud and clear: "You weren't interested in doing God's will, therefore you haven't taken time to discover what it is. You've only been interested in doing your own thing, and have expected God to smile benignly upon you and bless you out of your socks.@
  If that's what's wrong, I've got to go back to the drawing board and decide if I'm going to find out what God's will is and walk with him. Only when I do that can I enjoy a life of purposefulness. My new, overriding purpose will be to "live a life worthy of the Lord.@ What does that mean?
    The word translated live a life is actually the Greek word for walk. The Christian life is frequently described as a walk. It gives the idea of progression and reminds us that it is lived one step after another. It's not just one big step. We don't become perfect immediately. But when I know I represent my Lord, When I know that in some way my conduct is tied to the glory of his person, I'll be careful. I don't want my behavior to reflect negatively on him.
    Some people take a step into Christ and they stop. They= re stuck. You come across them years later, and they haven't gotten anywhere.
    Those who are living a life worthy of the Lord are progressively, situation by situation, circumstance after circumstance, doing and delighting in his will.
    The king of England's two sons were in Hyde Park. The prince of Wales said to the duke of York, "I bet you a shilling, that all fat policemen have bald heads.@ The duke said, "You're wrong.@
  Just then, a fat policemen came along on cue. They didn't know how to dislodge his helmet, but fortunately there was a little cockney kid from the east of London nearby. They said to him, "I say, old fellow@ (that's how king's sons tend to speak), "We'll give you a shilling if you can dislodge that officer's helmet.@
  "I'll do it for nothing,@ he answered.
    He picked up a stone and threw it. . .bulls-eye! Off came the helmet. Sure enough, he had a bald head. The prince turned to the duke of York and said, "You owe me a shilling.@
  They were steeling their debts and their winnings when the portly officer descended upon them, grabbed the boys, and in typical police fashion, got out his little notebook, licked his pencil, and said, "What are your names?@
  "Prince of Wales,@ said the first boy.
  "First you assault my person, then you insult my uniform!@ the officer snarled. "I could have you on charges for this. What's your name?@
  "I really am the prince of Wales,@ came the reply.
  "What's your name, then?@ he asked the second boy.
  "I am the duke of York,@ the boy said.
  "I don't believe you, either.@ Turning to the third scruffy little kid, he asked, "And what's your name?@
  At this the lad nudged the other two and said, "I'm the archbishop of Canterbury.@
  The problem with claiming to be the prince of Wales when you go around knocking off policemen's helmets is that nobody believes you. A noble status demands a disciplined life. Christians find fulfillment and purpose in living a life worthy of the Lord.
    When we do that, we can't help pleasing him.
    I don't know about you, but my greatest ambition in life is to enjoy the smile of his approval. A grin like his can keep me going for eternity!
    Do you consciously try to know and do God's will, or do you tend to do your own thing and hope he will like it?


Father, please help my walk today to be worthy of you, Amen.
 

~Stuart Briscoe~