Ephesians 5:10
[10] and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (ESV)
If you have ever had the privilege of getting to know a happy couple who has been married for several decades you will observe something. The two people who have grown in their love for one another have learned what things are pleasing to the other. The husband knows that while he may love surprises his wife does not, so he does not do things that surprise her. The wife knows that her husband is a very private person so she does not embarrass him in public situations. He may know that she loves being at the beach more than anything, while she knows that a cabin in the woods is her man's special place.
What's the point? Over time, because they love each other, they try to determine what pleases each other. And they have learned the value of doing those things. Learning what pleases the other takes time. They have likely tried doing things that they thought would please the other only to discover by trial and error that they were wrong on some efforts.
Paul tells us here in Ephesians 5:10 that we are to try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. What a simple admonition. And yet, we fall short on this one. To discern means to test and prove. Have you tested things to see if they please the Lord? Do you love him that much? Do you make the effort to find out everything you can about him so as to test things and see if they match up with what you know to be true of your Savior?
The wonderful thing for us is that we do not need to be in the dark as to what our Savior is like. We do not need to be unaware of what he likes and dislikes. We are not handicapped in our understanding of what pleases the Lord. The Word of God is a direct revelation from God to us. It lets us know exactly what pleases the Lord and what does not. Where most of us fail in this admonition to discern what is pleasing to the Lord is that we do not know the Bible. We continually do those annoying things that the Savior despises. Why? Because we have not bothered to discover what is pleasing to him by reading the Word he has already given us.
Make an effort. Try to discern what pleases the Lord. I can assure you, the way to his heart is through his Word. The more you know him the more you will love him. The more you love him the more you will please him.
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