Making God Smile

Close your eyes and….. QUICK…. Tell me what God looks like. 
 

A little boy had been drawing a picture on the kitchen table for a long long time.  Finally his mother got curious and asked him, “Son, what are you drawing?”  He replied, “I am drawing a picture of God”.  His mother softly smiled and said, “Son, no one knows what God looks like.”  The little boy stated, “They will when I am done.”

So when you closed your eyes and pictured God…. what came to your mind? 

Was He angry with white flowing hair and holding a lightning bolt? 

Was He gentle and kind with a small child sitting on His knee? 

Did He resembling your father or grandfather? 

Your pastor often makes a statement about “giving God glory”. 

What does “giving God glory” look like?  What does that even mean?

How can a weak flawed human being do anything that pleases the Creator of the universe? 

Or better yet, WHY would Almighty God, the King of Kings, who has armies of angels at his disposal, find ANYTHING that I can do, remotely interesting?   

“He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God”
Micah 6:8

#1.  Act Justly

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God

the Father means caring for orphans and widows
in their distress and refusing
to let the world corrupt you.”
James 1:27

#2.  Love Mercy

 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.

 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”   
 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ 
For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:9-13

#3.  Walk Humbly With God

 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
You do not want a burnt offering.
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”
Psalm 51:16-17

So our spiritual take-away from this is, as God does His transforming work in our heart, it is be revealed in our attitude toward God and other people. 

In “church-speak” we call that the “fruit of the Spirit”. 

 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.  There is no law against these things!

 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
Galatians 5:22-25