I want to live a life pleasing to God, don’t you? It is because it truly defines a successful life more than any other indicator of success. For instance, what good is it if you live a righteous life but God is not pleased? What good is it if you build a megachurch but God is unhappy? What good is it if you love your wife and provide for your children but do not please God? What good is it if you preach to thousands of people, give money to many charities, and even give your life to save someone but do not please God? Someone may ask, “Is it possible to be a good person and live a righteous life and not be pleasing to God?” The biblical answer is, “Yes, you can.” It is because we can be right in our own eyes but not according to God. This was the main problem with the Israelites. Apostle Paul explains it this way, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God” (Rom.10:1-3). Therefore, it is crucial that we first understand what pleases God before seeking to live a life that pleases Him.

Understanding what pleases God is the first step towards living a life that pleases Him. It’s not enough to act, we must act pleasing to God. This was the central piece of Jesus’s lifestyle as he said, “And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him” (Jn.8:29). God the Father even testified concerning this as He spoke from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Mt.3:17, 17:5). Apostle Paul also expressed his goal in life to live pleasing to God: “Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Cor.5:9-10). Then he pleaded with the church, “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you may excel still more” (1 Thess.4:1). Yes, we must make it our goal to excel still more to walk and please God! Again, he writes, “Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Eph.5:7-10). Yes, let us eagerly learn what it means to please God biblically and then strive to act on it. Here are ten things that please God according to the Bible.

Ten Things that Please God as Taught in the Bible

1. God is pleased when we come to Him with faith.

“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a reward of those who seek Him.” (Heb.11:5-6)

2. God is pleased when we fear Him and desire a love relationship with Him.

“He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. The LORD favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness.” (Ps.147:10-11)

3. God is pleased when we joyfully worship Him with praise and thanksgiving.

“I will praise the name of God with song, and shall magnify Him with thanksgiving. And it will please the LORD better than an ox or a young bull with horns and hoofs.” (Ps.69:30-31)

“Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise in the congregation of the godly ones. Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King. Let them praise His name with dancing; let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre. For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.” (Ps.149:1-4)

“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Heb.13:15-16)

4. God is pleased when we are humble and offer a sacrifice of obedience rather than things.

“For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; Thou art not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” (Ps.51:16-17)

“Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their plans, because they have not listened to My words, and as for My law, they have rejected it also. For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.” (Jerm.6:19-20)

5. God is pleased with those who have uprightness in their hearts and speak the truth.

“Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.” (Prov.12:22)

“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.” (Prov.15:8)

“Since I know, O my God, that Thou triest the heart and delightest in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Thy people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to Thee.” (1 Chron.29:17)

“And it was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.’” (1 Ki.3:10-12)

6. God is pleased when we obey and honor our parents.

“Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.” (Col.3:20)

7. God is pleased when we do good deeds and share with others in need.

“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Col.1:9-10)

“But I have received everything in full, and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.” (Phil.4:18)

“And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Heb.13:16)

“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb.13:20-21)

8. God is pleased when we live by the Spirit and not according to the flesh.

“For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” (Rom.8:5-9)

9. God is pleased when the wicked repent and sinners are saved from their sins.

“Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’” (Eze.33:11)

“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Lk.15:7)

10. God is pleased with His Son Jesus and those who seek to imitate Him.

“This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Mt.3:17)

“This is My Beloved Son, listen to him.” (Mk.9:7)

“While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!’” (Mt.17:5)

These passages show us what is important to God: How we relate to God and the people around us. I have summarized them into ten things, and they are not exclusive. One thing for sure is that there is a close connection between how we relate to God and those around us. It is first about fearing and loving God and then treating people around us with kindness and justice. It reminds us of Jesus’ answer to the question, “Which is the great commandment in the Law?” His answer summarizes the Old Testament laws, including the Ten Commandments. He answered, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Mt.22:36-40). Thus, if we are genuinely seeking to live a life that is pleasing to God, we must make it our priority to love God, love one another as believers, and strive to love our world to Jesus Christ.