Another common myth about God that can drive us crazy is that
God is Unpleasable
Prior to Martin Luther’s biblical understanding that he was saved by grace the great reformer tried to please his exasperating father throughout his life and took it into his journey with God. Luther’s sad upbringing along with his performance based religious orientation added to his inner frustration that his best efforts would never please his father or God. (Watch the movie clip here)
Have you felt that your best is never enough? It’s no wonder people don’t want to spend time with people they can’t ever please no matter how hard they try. Do you think God is like that, always disappointed in you? Those who think God is exacting and unpleasable understandably reject Him.
Like Martin Luther, I’ve heard countless people say, “I’m not perfect, I’ll never please God no matter what I do.” But does that mean God is unpleasable? NO!
Truth – God is a gracious Father
Many will do almost anything imaginable to gain someone’s acceptance. We all need acceptance, yet we might not ever get it from those we’ve tried to please. Is there anything we can do to gain God’s acceptance? No! Absolutely nothing!
An attorney asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus simply replied, “Believe on Me whom the father has sent.” Nothing, but faith, only faith, ‘sola-fide.’
Thankfully, Luther discovered that his relationship with God was rooted in God’s grace and not all his hard work. This revelation not only changed him, but the whole world. God graciously gives us what we need and not what we deserve. He gives us what we all desperately need –GRACE through His Son!
Would it shock you to know that God is not disappointed in you? How could that be? I know I disappoint myself and others. Most of the time disappointment comes from something that happens to us that we didn’t expect. In contrast, God already knows all your stuff in your life, your choices and your sins. He’s definitely not surprised at anything.
No one scores a 100. Nobody is perfect. No one has arrived. We all fall so short of God’s best, but God had a redemptive plan in sending His Son. He knows what we really need is a relationship with Him that is based on forgiveness through undeserved abundant grace.
But now God has shown us a different way to heaven—not by “being good enough” and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us “not guilty”—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like. Romans 3:22 (LB)
God wants a relationship with you and me. He has done all that is needed by sending his Son for our redemption. There is nothing else for us to do for our acceptance –it’s already DONE! It’s finished!
Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own, through what Christ would do for us. Ephesians 1:4 LB
Maybe you grew up with a hurtful father who was uncaring, unavailable, unreliable and unpleasable. If that is your experience I’m sorry for that, but
God can be the father you never had!
As a father God knows that there is far more to being a father than creating a child. God will never lie to you, never abuse you, never get tired of you, never neglect you, never leave you or never ever not care for you! He will always love you and only wants what’s best for you.
God can be the father you never had. Let him father you. When you develop your relationship with your heavenly father through His word it will change your life and those around you.
Your Father loves you,
