What Does God Expect of Me?
Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
2 Corinthians 5:9
When we please the Lord then are doing what he expects of us. God will not expect from a new Christian what he expects from a person who has been a Christian for thirty years. Although there are things that God expects from all Christians such as reading his Word, praying, and fellowshipping with other Christians.
To be pleasing to God, we must first believe his word is truth and only Christ can save us by bridging the gap between us and God. God expects us to believe that Christ, his son, paid the price for all sins, taking our punishment on the cross. He overcame death, arose three days later, and remained on earth for forty days and seen by over five hundred people including his apostles. And his apostles watched him ascend into heaven. When we confess this truth and baptized into Christ, he will ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to us. For the rest of our life, the Lord will mold us to the mind of Christ. But we have the mind of Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:16)
Now that we are saved, God expects us to mature as Christians by reading the Word, praying, fellowshipping with our church family, and learning how to follow Christ. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. (1 Peter 2:2) Maturing in Christ consists of developing a closer relationship with the Lord, seeking him through prayer, the Word, fellowship, and experiencing him in our life. God expects us to grow, to continually seek to know him. A Christian is never complacent but always learning and becoming more Christ-like. God changes our heart through his love and obeying his commands become natural and desirable. I can’t express this point enough because it’s what God expects of all Christians, and it is the only way our faith will grow. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
God expects us to be Christ-like by following the Holy Spirit, motivated by a heart of love, and to seek and help the lost. Then Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Hebrews 11:6) We are a light for Christ in this world and it is our first priority, the most important thing we do. As we mature in Christ our hearts are filled with his love and we live by faith. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—(Ephesians 2:8)
In summary, God expects us to; ‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” (Luke 10:27) We show our love to the Lord by showing our love to his creation – people. We mature in faith, trusting the Lord to lead our life through the Holy Spirit.
Today please the Lord by letting him led you by the Spirit and being a light for Christ. This is what God expects form those in his family. Living by the Spirit giving God control, is a life free in Christ giving us the most fulfilling life possible. Today be free in Christ, not controlled by the world but controlled by the Lord, and reap life to the full as you give your best to the Lord and leave the results to him.
Prayer: Lord, help be to always obey your will and to give you my best. I surrender control to you and you free me from the world as I live by your divine guidance. Help me to grow in love and faith, and to become more Christ-like every day. In Jesus name, Amen