The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But in order to practice what is pleasing to His Eyes, it is essential to know what He expects from us. Here are 5 things God loves among so many others, and on which He emphasizes every time:
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5 things God loves
Discover the 5 good things God loves below
1. Justice and truth.
God loves us to practice righteousness. Everyone should be treated fairly and never favoritism. To be fair also means to be honest in all respects: no fraud in the professional field, in the discharge of all kinds of public charges (taxes, etc.), in the field of studies for pupils and students, in the acquittal obligations to family and society, etc.
Acts 10: 34-35: …. In truth, I recognize that God is not respectful of persons, but that in every nation he who fears him and who practices righteousness is pleasing to him.
Likewise, we should learn to tell ourselves the truth, from the smallest things in everyday life. You have to stop this bad habit of lying to someone on the phone and say that you are already on your way to such and such a meeting place, while you are still at home preparing.
Husbands and wives, know that telling the truth from the details considered insignificant creates mutual trust between the couple. Neither children nor parents should lie to each other. But in the case of things that are forbidden to disclose, such as the case of professional or family secrecy, the most appropriate is to simply say nothing, instead of inventing a whole bunch of lies instead.
Zechariah 8:16: This is what you must do: Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor; the judge in your doors according to the truth and for the sake of peace.
3 John 1: 4: I have no greater joy than to learn that my children are walking in the truth.
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2. Mercy and forgiveness.
Sometimes we are tempted to judge certain people who still live in a life of overt sin such as drunkenness, drug addiction, prostitution, adultery, crime, etc., especially when we are direct victims. of their misconduct. Instinctively, we treat them as people denied by God, marginalized, lost forever. Now, the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 9: 4
that for all who live, there is hope.
No one knows what the Lord has in store for them, He who did not come to call for repentance of the righteous but of sinners (Luke 5:32 ). All we have to do is take a merciful attitude to everyone. It is an act that is of great value in the sight of God, more than any kind of sacrifice made in His Name for the purpose of respecting tradition. You can be convinced of this in the books of Hosea 6: 6 (Martin Bible) or Matthew 12: 7/9: 13 ) where God clearly says: ” I take pleasure in mercy, and not in sacrifices”.
3. A sincere heart.
When we approach God to pray or to confess our sins, we must not keep any reservations. Either way, God sees everything, even what is invisible to human eyes. Some also think that if they bring many offerings to God, this will give them special merit. No! No one could buy Him or buy His Favor, not even with all the gold in the world that belongs to Him by the way. All he appreciates is our sincerity. What we confess with our mouth must be the same as what is hidden in our hearts. God never rejects sinners who come back to Him with all their hearts to repent. On the contrary, He hates the haughty and those who do not fully recognize their faults, those who refuse to admit the sinful nature of man,
Psalms 51:19: The sacrifices which are pleasing to God is a broken spirit: O God! You don’t disdain a broken and contrite heart.
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4-Love your neighbor.
The first outward sign of a true Christian is love. Love is God; and therefore if we abide in love, it proves that God is in us, and we are in Him. The love that animates a child of God is selfless and unconditional love. The Word of God always emphasizes that the offerings and respect for customs have no value in the eyes of God if we refrain from practicing the essential which is the love of neighbor.
Mark 12:33: … to love your neighbor as yourself is more than all burnt offerings and all sacrifices.
And who is then my neighbor? Is it only my spouse? My family? My friends? My neighbors? My colleagues? The Bible challenges us on this subject in Matthew 5:46 (Martin Bible) in these terms: If you love [only] those who love you, what reward will you have? To love your neighbor is to love everyone without exception, including your enemies. In fact, the children of God do not see anyone as an enemy, but that does not prevent people from seeing us as such.
5-Obedience.
Obedience is one of the greatest virtues that can be found in someone who is regenerated in Christ. It differentiates between two people who wish to reach a certain level of spiritual maturity.
Obedience also guarantees the support of God. Since He is faithful to His Word and he who walks according to His Commandments never fails to help in difficult times.
On the other hand, obedience gives us the freedom to live fully. When we obey the Lord, we do not fear the results of our actions.
1 Samuel 15:22: Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and the keeping of His Word is better than the fat of rams.
The Bible compares walking with the Lord as a race. She says that in a competition you have to participate according to the rules so as not to run in vain. Let us not tire of seeking the will of the Lord, let us walk according to His commandments and we will find our joy there!