The short answer: Yup. You see, we were created to "wow" someone - to please someone. Many people live for themselves - to "wow" themselves. Many live to please others - to "wow" others. But we, as followers of Jesus, understand that we were created (and have been re-created) and called to "wow" God - to please God.
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2 Cor 5:8-10
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We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him,
whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
that each one may receive
what is due him for the things done while in the body,
whether good or bad.
Did you catch that? "So we make it our goal to please Him!" That assumes that we actually can bring pleasure to God. Is that truly possible? The short answer again: Yup!
God, who is the Great Creator, actually created us for His pleasure - to please Him, bless Him, to "wow" Him. But one may ask, "How can we bring a genuine pleasure to a God who is totally sufficient in Himself, totally complete in Himself (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)? Good question. The God, who created us, also had the ability to create within Himself a pleasure that only we, His awesome image bearers, could fulfill. He's opened that part of His heart up to us and we can either bring to His heart genuine pleasure or grief.
The genuine plesure we can bring to God is not a pre-programmed, micro-managed pleasure that He makes sure will take place. That kind of "pleasure" would be the same kind a father would experience in this scenario: a father has a rebellious and sloppy 10 year old son who refuses to clean his room, so the father forcebly opens his boy's hands, making him pick up each garment and toy. When the father's finished, he sits back and says, "My, what pleasure you've brought me by cleaning up your room!" Yeah, right!
Compare that scenario to the same rebellious and sloppy son who cleans his room without even being asked to do so, because he values the relationship he has with his father and understands that he has the power to "wow" him. That's what I'm talkin' about. That's pure pleasure his father would experience. In fact, the father, upon walking in the clean room may say, "Wow! I'm so pleased with you, son."
We must understand here that we became pleasing to the Father, accepted fully, when we believed in Jesus. Yet, there is another level of pleasure we can bring to Him. Why else would Jesus encourage us to seek the approval from God verses man's approval? He rebuked the Pharisees for seeking praise from man instead of seeking praise from God:
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John 5:44
. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another,
yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?
The Roman Centurian received praise from Jesus after he did something that "wow'd" Him. Luke records that "...Jesus marvelled..." at his faith - which was working through a heart of love (for his servant - see Luke 7:2-10).
We were created to live for something, someone greater than ourselves; not just to live "to not sin so much" or "to not breaking our Father's heart." We're created for His pleasure - to "wow" Him. Faith and love wow God. No, He's not surprised at what we're capable of doing. He knows all we are capable of - the opportunities, possibilities to please Him or grieve Him that each moment affords us. But He marvels when we actually move in faith, in love. He's pleased when we push aside that which grieves Him and choose that which pleases Him - wow's Him.
And "wow-ing" Him is not just in those great exploits. I can picture God saying, "Wow!" regarding the woman who is faithful in her care-giving to an elderly parent or friend. I can hear him say of her, "This woman continually puts her own life aside and pours out to this friend for the greater reward I promised her. What faith! What love! Wow!"
What else do I think "wows" God? Being faithful - in a age of unfaithfulness, showing equal devotion in each and every task (integrity - and qucik repentance when we blow it), growing in love one for another, the way we believe God - take Him at His word (without faith it is impossible to "wow" Him / to please Him - Heb. 11:6), the way we trust Him and (even) rejoice in difficult times. When we're living this kind of Life, if you listen, you will hear Him saying, "Wow! Great job, son (or daughter)." And the greatest final "wow" we can bring to God is on That Day (the Judgment Day of reward for the believer ....refer to the passage above - 2 Corinthians 5:7-10) when his Son rewards us with a full reward.
Wowing God? I'm just following Jesus' example. He said,
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John 8:29-30
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The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone,
for I always do what pleases him."
Similiarly, through Jesus Christ's His enabling power working in me, the Father's "wow" is what I live for. Can we actually do something to put a smile on our Father's face? You betcha. Believe it or not, you can.
We're going to live to "wow" someone because we were created this way, whether it be to wow yourself, or another. I'm just choosing that someone to be my Heavenly Father. I think He's worth all the wows we can bring to Him. And this is not a one time decision - it's a continual day by day, moment by moment decision. And He is continaully helping me as I often hear Him whispering to my spirit these kinds of sobering questions: "If you're not living for My "wow," whose "wow" are you living for? If you're not living for My reward, whose reward are you living for?
When you wake up in the morning, I challenge you to start the day with this thought /prayer: "I am not created to please myself - I am created to please my Father in heaven. Father, help me to wow You today." I believe it will transport you out of the realm of worldly spins into the realm of the Kingdom of God.
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Phil 3:15-16
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All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.
And if on some point you think differently,
that too God will make clear to you.
Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
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