What Pleases God Most
We want to live for Jesus and do what makes God happy, right? After all, look at all He’s done for us! We love Him deeply, so, of course, we want to honor Him. But how? We set lofty goals of doing great things for God. Maybe we serve the poor, preach the gospel, or fight for a cause. We tell God and ourselves, “Starting today, Lord, I’ll try harder, rededicate my life to You, and do more good and less bad things. I’ll get my act together so we can be close.”
But here’s the truth that few people tell us: we never fully get our act together. No matter how hard we try or how much we do, it never seems enough. The harder we try, the more we seem to fail. It’s exhausting, and I think it misses the entire point.
For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been diving into the importance of joy in our relationship with God in Christ. We’ve seen how grace leads to joy, and joy helps us stand firm in Him. But too often, we get caught up in trying to “be better” for God, and we skip over grace.
What Really Pleases God?
Bill Thrall explains it this way: we often reduce godliness to a simple equation: more right behavior + less wrong behavior = godliness. This equation focuses on our actions rather than the good news of God’s grace—Jesus’ sacrifice and the free gift of His righteousness and eternal life to all who believe.
So, what pleases God? How do we please God? The Bible tells us that God is most pleased by our faith in Him, not our best efforts or good works. Faith is the foundation of what pleases God. Let that sink in for a moment. God is most pleased when we trust Him and take Him at His word.
The Bible tells us that God is most pleased by our faith in Him, not our best efforts or good works.
Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith, it is impossible to please Him…” Even if we’re doing our best to serve, give, or be a better person, without faith, it’s all in vain. It’s not our performance that pleases God but our trust in Him.
In Matthew 8:10, Jesus marvels at the faith of a Roman centurion. The officer asked Jesus to heal his paralyzed servant, and when Jesus offered to come to his house, the man responded, “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” When Jesus heard this, He “marveled” at his faith. This is the same word that described the crowd’s reactions to Jesus’ miracles.
When Jesus heard this, He “marveled” at his faith. This is the same word that described the crowd’s reactions to Jesus’ miracles.
Jesus’ joy over this man’s faith in Him shows God’s pleasure when we trust Him and take Him at His word. Our trust honors Him and allows God to love and teach, guide, and influence us.
We aren’t just saved by grace through faith; we’re called to live by faith. The righteous shall live by faith (Romans 1:17). “Just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord,” Paul says, “so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6). Faith in His grace is the foundation for everything in our relationship with God—the source of our identity and the key to transformation.
The Power of God’s Love
So much of what we do is motivated by trying to avoid rejection, you know? We want people to like us, approve of us, and accept us for who we are. And sin and shame just seem to define us. When we mess up, we feel unworthy or unlovable. But God’s love, freely given through Jesus’ sacrifice, is the one thing strong enough to break shame’s hold on us.
On the cross, Jesus took all our sins—every wrong, every embarrassing moment, and failure—and bore our shame. Jesus endured the cross and all its humiliation to take our place. You don’t need to carry that shame anymore. Trust Jesus. He has replaced it with His righteousness and the promise that you are deeply loved, forgiven, and belong to God forever.
You don’t need to carry that shame anymore. Trust Jesus. He has replaced it with His righteousness and the promise that you are deeply loved, forgiven, and belong to God forever.
Faith That Leads to Obedience
So, faith pleases God, but active faith (trusting the truths that touch our hearts) leads to actions that also please Him. After all, Jesus said, “I always do the things that are pleasing to Him” (John 8:29). Jesus didn’t obey the Father out of pride or to earn His favor but because He loved the Father and believed His way was best. We, too, can obey God, not because we have to, but because we delight in Him.
Our faith pleases God, but active faith (trusting the truths that touch our hearts) leads to actions that also please Him.
But what are some things that please God? Well, we can’t create a neat checklist with His sacrifice at the top of the list. But here’s the bottom line: Jesus did whatever He believed would please the Father. We must know the Father, His character, and what delights Him. We need to read His Word, be influenced by the church, and listen to the Holy Spirit. Delight in the truth of God’s love, God’s choosing you, paying your debts, guaranteeing an awesome future, and as you do, you’ll stand firm in your faith.
What Specific Actions Pleases God?
In a word, LOVE. But a few passages tell us directly what pleases God:
- Hebrews 13:16 says, “And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Doing good and being generous with God’s grace to you.
- Matthew 25:21 “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” God rewards what pleases Him, particularly at the judgment seat of Christ.
We don’t do these things to earn favor. We do them because we know God’s heart. His love, not guilt or pride, enables us to love well. This is the kind of faith-filled, love-driven obedience that pleases God.
The Bottom Line
- If you trust in Jesus, you are fully loved, accepted, and pleasing to God—not because of what you do, but because of what He has already done for you. Let this truth free you from the burden of striving to earn God’s favor.
- If you want to serve God in big ways or are already doing great things—ministry, sharing the gospel, caring for others—awesome! Let your faith and love for God drive you. Don’t do it out of guilt or to earn anything from God, but out of joy, love, and gratitude for His grace.
Remember: “It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Keep close to Jesus, walk in faith, and leave the results in His hands. When you walk by faith, you are already pleasing to God. That’s the foundation for anything He will do through you.