Can Man Impress God?

In this world, as we live, we sometimes struggle with issues to do with pleasing one another. There are many things that we can do to please our friends, our families, our bosses and even our juniors. In mundane affairs, it is possible to do so. And if such is the case, is there anything man can do to please or impress God?

Most of us ask ourselves: what should a sinful creature like me do to impress a holy and righteous God? Or still, is there anything I can do to impress God?

In all truth and fairness, in our natural state, it is impossible for us to reach that level of righteousness needed to impress a holy God. But still, that should not prevent us from making efforts in that direction. But such efforts should not be so oriented in the sole intention of impressing God, for it is usually when we don’t do something with the aim of pleasing God that we please him.

The Bible in the book of Isaiah says that our righteous acts are like filthy rags in the presence of God. If our righteous acts are like filthy rags, then it may appear that the only logical conclusion remains that there is nothing we can do to impress God. Or in other words, nothing that we do can be able to reach the extent of making God impressed with us.

The Bible further says that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. In this regard, this fear of the Lord can be compared to the relationship of a parent and his child. The child in a normal situation is supposed to have reverence for the father, but not in a dangerous sense, but in the arena of security and boundaries.

Consequently, we, as God’s children should have that element of fear coupled with trust with our Heavenly Father. And this impresses God. In essence, impressing God can only happen when we do not try to impress him. When we do our works with the aim of impressing him, it is impossible to impress him.

In the book of Luke, Jesus talks of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Says the Bible, specifically in chapter 18, verses 11 – 14: “The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I am certainly not like the tax collector! I fast twice a week, and give you a tenth of my income.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘oh God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The Pharisee took himself to be righteous before a righteous God. He forgot that man is naturally a sinful being because of the original sin, and therefore cannot claim that he is not a sinner. Consequently, he was not blessed. It was the tax collector, who acknowledged that he was a sinful person, who returned home justified.

Sometimes after falling into sin, we think we can make amends to our God by doing some overt action in order to draw God’s attention to us so that we can impress him. Yet, there is nothing we can do to divert God’s attention away from our lack of obedience. God is much in love with our obedience than our sacrifice. For is it written in I Samuel 15:22: “…what is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen, obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of lambs.”

Thus, our actions can do nothing to please God; but obedience can please him. We can not make amends with our God by good actions; but by submitting ourselves to him and acknowledge our shortfalls for “a contrite and broken heart he does not despise.”

Psalm 69:30-31 records: “Then I will praise God’s name with singing, and I will honour him with thanksgiving. For this will please the Lord more than sacrificing cattle, more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves.” In this passage the Psalmist tells us that singing songs of praise and offering thanksgiving impresses God more than tangible items.

Humility is another thing that impresses God. Just like children need to be humble before their fathers, we also need to be humble before our God. I Peter 5:5 says: “In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you serve each other in humility, for ‘God opposes the proud but favours the humble.’”

Above all, pleasing a righteous God cannot happen using our acts, for what we consider our righteous acts are like filthy rags before him. It is when we do holy things without intending to please God that we please him.