Pleasing or Trusting?
By Jason Glaze
I recently finished reading a book by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and John Lynch titled True Faced. It is a great book that deals with the key truths of Christianity and I strongly recommend it to anyone who desires to trust God and others with who you really are.
In the chapter titled To Please or To Trust, the author makes the distinction between trying to please God and trusting God. Now if you are like me, you maybe asking why does it have to be an either/or subject? Why can it be a both? Which is correct, we can please God and trust him at the same time, but I believe the goal of the author in the chapter is to get us to examine our primary motive.
If our primary motive is to please God, then we often fall into the trap of trying to perform for God’s love and acceptance which will leave us feeling defeated every time. However if our primary motive is to completely trust God, then pleasing God takes care of itself.
If I trust God with who He says I am, I will live my life from my true identity in Christ. If I don’t trust Him with who He says I am, I will try hard to become every thing that I already am. Watchman Nee said, “There is nothing more frustrating than trying to get into a room that you are already in.” To me that quote describes so many Christians that I know. They are trying to become lovable when God says you are already lovable. They are trying to become acceptable when God says you are already acceptable. They are trying to establish value when God says you are already valuable.
Are you on the performance treadmill when it comes to your relationship with God? If so shift your primary motive from trying to please him to trusting him and see what happens. You might find the peace you’ve been looking for.
Jason Glaze
Thanks, Jason, Great Book. You reminded me that I need to re-read it.
Great word, Jason. I’ve read Truefaced and loved it. I am learning to live in the Room of Grace… after more than 4 decades of living in the room of good intentions. I will never be the same!
Thanks Jason…great post. My wife and I have been living these truths in grace, which leads to freedom in Christ. He has never loved me more than when I first trusted in Him. The Truefaced message is in essence the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you get a chance, get out to a TrueFaced Intensive. Blessings. Vic
Thanks Julie. It is a beautiful room to live in.
Thanks Vic. I’ll look into the Truefaced intensive, it sounds interesting.