What Impresses God (#31 of 365+)

I began working in the business world about twelve years ago, at a time when I was in the middle of a divorce and felt completely lost. I didn’t have a college degree or anything impressive on my
résumé but I felt driven to find a career with good advancement opportunities. I didn’t want to be dependent on the sporadic child support payments I was receiving back then. I wanted to be able to take care of my little boy on my own and move out of my parents’ house as quickly as possible. Some people may have seen my subsequent career successes as a result of my hard work but the truth is that I was leaning heavily on God and he would open doors left and right. I half-jokingly tell my friends that in the early years it seemed all I had to do was just show up and God would roll out the red carpet for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t perfect. In many ways I was still very immature in my faith and I made some poor decisions that I still regret. I worked around worldly people so their opinions or lifestyles rubbed off on me a little. Even though I avoided the more overtly sinful choices like drunkenness and sexual immorality, I succumbed to the sin of materialism. I used to wear a lot of Ralph Lauren and Liz Claiborne. I believed I should only drive a new car. I even had a little liposuction done and I always had perfectly manicured nails. I now look back at the younger me and barely recognize myself. Who was I trying so hard to impress?

“His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love” (Psalm 147:10-11)

God’s creation is filled with wonderful and awesome things but he isn’t impressed by any of it. Nor is he impressed by the horsepower in our car's engine or our sculpted abs. Our self-sufficiency doesn’t earn a second glance from him. Joni said God “is moved when he sees us stand back in awesome respect and worship him. This is what touches his heart.”

Lord, as Joni prayed I also pray today: Purify my heart, refine my motives, sanctify my intentions, and stir within me a deep desire to worship you with a happy heart. Amen.