The words “My pleasure” have become famous with the well known Chick-fil-A usage of the word over and over in their business. I wonder how many times a day those words are used in one given week. It’s use has been made fun of and it’s been admired. After all, good customer service is becoming a rarity in this day and time. And we all know CFA has the corner market in the area of customer service. They have knocked it out of the park!

As I was studying the scriptures this morning the word pleasure jumped out at me in Ephesians 1. Did you know it was God’s pleasure to choose you, love you and adopt you as His very own child? Yes, God said, “my pleasure” when you were born into His family. He wanted you! And He went to great lengths to bring you into His family. He loved you enough to die for you and take away the wall entitled SIN that kept you from being able to connect to a Holy God. You see, His life wasn’t taken from Him. He willingly laid it down because He loved you and He wanted you and sin had to be paid for according to God’s plan. (John 10:18). And the currency of His choice was blood. He used the blood of animals in the Old Testament to atone for their sins. This had to be done over and over every year. When Jesus came into the world his cousin, John, saw Jesus walking toward him. He said, “Behold the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” (Colossians 2:13-14). And it was His pleasure even though it cost Him everything! He could have backed out at any moment. The human part of Jesus was afraid, anxious and in horrific pain. But He still chose you!

If He took sin away why do we still sometimes sin? Because He took away the penalty of sin. It was paid for once and for all by His blood on the cross. (Hebrews 10:10). Those who recognize this truth and accept His payment for their sins are reconciled to Him and given His righteousness and holiness. A righteous and holy God cannot enter an unholy human being. So He had to change us on the inside where He will reside. (II Corinthians 5:21). He made us a new creation. Now as we go through life He is making what is true on the inside, true on the outside by growing us up and maturing us in our true identity. He’s helping us realize that we can still try to make life work in our own strength and we can still be deceived and think choosing wrong things will bring us happiness but it makes absolutely no sense to act inconsistently with who He really made us to be on the inside. Again, He is changing you from the inside out. That is why you feel like a fish out of water when you consistently choose sin. If you don’t feel like a fish out of water you don’t know who you are. The real you was changed in your spirit, down deep inside where Jesus resides. It would be “my pleasure” to help you understand this truth. Follow my blog or come to a small group, conference or one on one counseling to understand who you really are. Life is too short to miss the fulfillment that comes through getting to know your creator as your Father, Lord, Savior and your best friend.