Furthermore, Brethren, we beg and admonish you in [virtue of our union with] the Lord Jesus, that [you follow the instructions which] you learned from us about how you ought to walk so as to please and gratify God, as indeed you are doing, [and] that you do so even more and more abundantly [attaining yet greater perfection in living this life].
1 Thessalonians 4:1 AMP
...that you do so even more and more abundantly...
Do what? ...walk so as to please and gratify God...
It's funny how so many of us do things in life and with our lives in order to please someone else. We want to make momma happy, daddy happy, grandma happy, best friend happy, anyone and everyone else happy. Come on now! You know what I mean! Of course, some people only care about making themselves happy and never consider anyone else. I know you all know what I mean here!
Yet, truly, there is One Whom we should make happy - God! When we put God first, everything else falls into place, is as it should be. The first and foremost commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. You can't love Him without trying to live a life that pleases Him.
As you read the rest of 1 Thessalonians 4, you can picture the kind of life and walk that pleases God:
- Separated and set apart for pure and holy living
- Abstain from all sexual vice
- Know how to possess, control, and manage your body in purity and holy living
- Do not sin against your brother in the Lord
- Do not defraud your brother in the Lord in business
- Love one another
- Live quietly and peacefully, minding your own business
- Work with your hands being dependent on nobody, self-supporting and having need of nothing
- Live honorably, commanding the respect of the outside world
- Comfort and encourage one another
This is a pretty extensive list and covers many aspects of life. There are also many other places in the scripture that discuss walking a life that pleases the Lord. So, I'll leave you with some more scriptures for study. Talk to the Lord and ask Him how you can live a life that pleases Him increasingly. When you live a life that pleases Him, you will find yourself living a life that pleases you!
Scriptures for reference and study: 1 Thessalonians 2:4; Matthew 6:33; Mark 12:30; Romans 8:8; Romans 15:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:33; Ephesians 1:5; Colossians 1:10; Hebrews 1:6; Hebrews 13:21; 1 John 5:22
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