A Life Pleasing to God

No, I'm not perfect and I will never claim to be.  I sin. More often that I'd like to admit.  

Here lately, I've tried to be more observant of those around me and the lives that they lead.   Those that I know from church seem to be leading a good life "pleasing to God". But that is only the way it seems to be.

I was brought up to have morals. My mother instilled in me that you don't have sex before marriage, that you don't live with your boyfriend before marriage because people automatically think that you are having sex, along with many other things.

I feel like the more I watch people, the more I see that our world is going down a path leading straight to destruction.  No, I'm not referring to political destruction or economic destruction, but spiritual destruction.  

Our pastor spoke about suffering on Sunday.  Many people suffer in many different ways.  The path to spiritual destruction and that sermon about suffering has led me to want to grow spiritually and pray more.   So I was reading my Bible a lil while ago and this is what I read:

1 Peter 4: 1-6
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.  As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.  For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do- living in debauchery, lust, drunkeness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.  They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.  But they  will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.  For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the Spirit.

This speaks of judging. I'm not here to judge anyone.  Its not my place.  But the part that says "They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you," that is one of the parts that I deal with. 

I try my best to do what I think is right and good, but often I am looked at strange.  Sometimes, I'm asked why I don't do certain things, why I don't "plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation."  Trying to live for God may not be the best way to make your social life more active, but then again, why would you want to have a social life with the people who question how you live in the first place? 

I ask myself this.  The answer is that I don't, but my husband is friends with some of those people.  I'm nice to them, but I don't particularly want to plunge into their way of life.  

I've just been struggling lately with reevaluating my life and what purpose God has for it.  My husband asked me Sunday in the car "What do you want to do for God?" I couldn't answer him because I didn't and don't have an answer.  I want to know what that answer is.   

I hope this helps someone, because I think its helped me see.