Anyone who is a Christian has a deep desire to please God. Sometimes it seems strange to us but people of other religions also want to please Him. Our heartfelt dilemma is that humans can never please God with their own energy. There must be a reason why God cannot fellowship with us. Paul says it this way, I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (Rom 7:18)
There was a succesful middle aged American Jew from Chicago that decided to give up everything in his life for a cause. John's dream was to serve God, so he moved to Israel and began learning how to live a holy life. After three years in Israel and working every waking minute to make his dream come true, an opportunity for me to interact with John arose.
While standing on a jetty watching the waves of the Mediterranean wash against the rocks, my Gentile thoughts were interrupted by the banging of pots and pans behind me. It was a sight watching John, dressed all in black, standing on a rock attempting to "drown" his cookware. He did not look happy and his shoes were getting wet. John had a rope attached to a large net bag with about ten pots and pans in it. No matter which way he tossed the net full of pans onto the water, they refused to sink. In a kosher kitchen all the cookware must be made in Israel (The Holy Land). Any pans made in another country, must be taken to a body of water larger than 100 meters and submerged. When removed from the water, the "foreign" pans were considered purified for use.
John exlained that the pans were a small problem. For three years his failures to please God were becoming a weight that he could hardly carry. John was discouraged knowing that his three years of hard work had moved him no closer to God. When I asked him if a person became sanctified when pushed under the water, John thought for a minute. Finally he said that a soul was much more difficult to make righteous.
Many Christians are also working hard under their own strength to please God. If you are struggling to live a Christian life, let me tell you something that will change your life and make it a lot easier. If you believe the Spirit of Jesus can bring godliness into our lives, then ask Him to take the burden of pleasing God and allow the Holy Spirit to do it through you. If you will be still and know that He is God, you will most assuredly find peace.
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