Why be good?

Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes (Ephesians 4:22).

Why bother being good? Why not just do what you want, when you want? Shouldn’t you live each day to the fullest? Shouldn’t you squeeze every drop of pleasure you can out of life, before you are too old or sick to enjoy yourself anymore?

There are two reasons for living a God-pleasing life. The first one is this: a life lived according to Jesus’ teachings is a happy and contented life. The Ten Commandments are about loving and respecting God and each other. Jesus summed up all of God’s laws with these words: `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind'…And…`Love your neighbor as yourself' (Matthew 22:37, 39). If you make your decisions based on showing love and giving respect, your life will be filled with quality relationships which are far more fulfilling than any pleasure you can get from sexual encounters, taking stimulants, or getting an adrenaline rush from taking risks.

The other reason for living a God-pleasing life comes into play when you die. At that moment, one of two outcomes awaits your soul—eternal happiness in heaven, or everlasting punishment in hell. Most people don’t think that far into the future; pleasure for today seems much more important than some invisible happiness off in the future. But no athlete wins a trophy without first going through years of training; a good coach always keeps the athlete’s attention focused on a prize that lies in the future. In 1st Corinthians chapter 9 Paul writes, All athletes go into strict training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. Heaven and hell do exist; the decisions you make as you live your life will have consequences on the day of your death.

There are very real, very practical reasons for living a God-pleasing life. However, there is one important point that needs to be made: Hebrews chapter eleven says, Without faith it is impossible to please God. You can be the most loving and generous person on the face of the earth, but if you don’t believe in Jesus, nothing you do can earn God’s favor. To live a God-pleasing life is to trust in Christ as your Savior from sin and death; if you truly love Him, living a God-pleasing life will become your heart’s desire.