May 17 Our aim: be well pleasing to Him

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.  (2 Corinthians 5:6-10 — New King James Version)

Paul has no fear of death. To be away from the body (to die), is to be with the Lord Jesus; he is confident about that — he knows that to be true. To live physically on earth is to be away from the Lord. He knows this by faith, and lives by faith. Even though Jesus was with him, helping him, strengthening him each day; Paul knows that he will actually live in His presence when he leaves this earth. And he prefers this — living in Jesus’ presence — to living on earth. In order to make sure this happens, he makes it his goal in life to be well please to Him — faith and obedience to Jesus Christ. And so at the judgment seat of Christ he is determined to be approved and accepted.

You can have this same confidence and faith about the future, and about your present standing with God. If you make it your goal in life to be well pleasing to God, and if you remember that all of us will stand before Christ — you will be able to say what Paul the apostle said. Yours will be a very different life compared to those who are living without God, and your future will be wonderful — beyond anything you can imagine. You will live with God your Father and your Savior Jesus Christ in the new heavens and the new earth. Don't fear the future; look forward to it like Paul did. Trust Jesus, obey Him, love Him, surrender your life totally to Him, and you will be approved at the judgment!

Fear is such a common emotion among people today. The more advanced and sophisticated society becomes in terms of science, wealth and technology, the less advanced it seems to be in terms of faith and God — and fear is a direct by-product of this trend. Paul’s comments must have shocked the first century world, but they are an even greater shock to the twenty-second century world. His confidence in God and his own salvation, and his willingness to keep on living in this world or to leave and go to heaven should challenge us to assess our own attitudes toward these matters. Faith cannot only be talked about, it has to be lived.