“Praise keeps the character of God before our minds. The practice of praise forces us to relate God’s character to the issues of life. The effect of praising God on our mental attitude is liberating, for praise focuses our attention on the person and work of God.” Myrna Alexander
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11 ESV)
Blah.
That’s how I felt.
As I looked out my kitchen window, I felt like I was looking at the world through dirty lenses. From the olive-drab grass to the gray-washed skies, everything looked dull and dingy. Like a damp blanket, the clouds smothered my energy and enthusiasm.
I found dozens of reasons to complain. My coffee was cold. The rack on the dishwasher had come apart for the umpteenth time. The weather channel was forecasting rain all week. Oh, great.
I didn’t dare turn on the TV because I couldn’t bear listening to the anchorman’s grave tone of voice as he delivered the news…. all bad. Wars. Poverty. Murders. Corruption. I didn’t want to hear it.
I was suffering from a serious case of Bad Attitude, and I needed to counteract it with a megadose of Praise.
Because despite how dreary things look from my distorted perspective, God is worthy of praise. The grass growing outside my window and the rain that comes to water it— all of these things are here thanks to God. The roof over my head and the coffee and cereal that fuel my morning—-all given by God.
Regardless of our feelings, God Is Worthy of Praise
Unlike the value of stocks in the Stock Market, God’s worth is not up one day, down the next, depending on my mood.
When we feel whiney, when things don’t go our way—God is worthy of praise.
When we feel worried, when the future seems uncertain—God is worthy of praise.
And when we feel weary, overworked, and beaten down by the cares of this world—God is worthy of praise.
Reasons to Praise
Some of my complaints are trivial. (I could reheat that coffee in the microwave, for heaven’s sake.) Other circumstances in the world give us reasons for some serious mourning. When we see the extent of human suffering and the evil in the world, we should be saddened.
But God in his great mercy has provided a solution for our sin. We were all held captive by evil, and Jesus paid our ransom with his blood. And as we perform our day-to-day tasks, as we live out our lives in this sometimes dismal, dreary, depressing world, he’s in the process of calling people to belong to him. And one day. One day God will make everything right. One day we will reign with him.
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5: 9-10 (ESV)
A Sacrifice of Praise
We’re eager to praise God when the sun is shining, when he showers us with blessings, and when his answers to our prayers are to our liking.
But sometimes, though we know we’re supposed to praise, we struggle to rustle up the eagerness, energy, or emotion to express our gratitude to God. That’s when we offer a sacrifice of praise. A sacrifice is costly.
When our reservoirs of energy run dry, we praise.
When pain clamors for our attention, we silence it and praise God anyway.
If sorrow swells up in our souls, we express our sadness to God and allow him to fill us with hope.
We filter out the grumbles and complaints and allow only praise to flow from our hearts.
Then we turn our focus from our neediness and direct our attention to God’s worthiness.
“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” Hebrews 13:15 (ESV)
So I washed out my coffee cup and decided to deal with the dishwasher later, and as I went forward into my day, I offered a sacrifice of praise. I spent my limited energy and offered a song of praise to the Lord, not because I felt like it, but because he deserved it. A funny thing happened as I praised: my mood improved as my song reminded me of the things he created for me. And though the day was still cloudy, hope shone in my heart.
Father, you are worthy of praise and honor and glory. Change my perspective and clean off my dingy lenses so I can see the wonders of your creation. Thank you for the blessings you’ve provided. Help me to always have a heart filled with thankfulness and praise. Amen.
Images courtesy of Melissa Askew, Tim Foster and Katie Moum on Unsplash
