Meant to Praise

"Praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD from the heavens;

praise him in the heights above.

Praise him, all his angels;

praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon;

praise him, all you shining stars.

Praise him, you highest heavens 

and you waters above the skies.

Let them praise the name of the LORD,

for at his command they were created. . ."

Psalm 148:1-5

God spoke the world into existence.  Without Him, nothing would be present:  no heaven, no earth, no angels, no sun or moon or stars above, no water or land, no sky dotted with fluffy clouds, no creatures, no me, no you.  What is the response of His creation to such a revelation?  What is the fitting reaction when realizing we owe our very existence to this Creator-God?  Praise.

As God's creation, we are meant to give Him adoration and honor.  This is what we can give to the the God who has everything, and this is how we can honor and thank Him for our life: praise.  

All of creation is meant to praise Him.

Word.  It is said humans use an average of about 16,000 words per day*.  If I were to take inventory of how often I use my tongue to give God praise it would probably be a small percentage of the total.

It's time to start intentionally using my words to honor God and make Him look good (Colossians 3:17).  I can give glory to God in the way I build others up with my words, not tearing down or looking for ways to criticize (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  May I make it my mission to find the good that others are doing and point it out to them.  I can also use my words to direct the attention of others to God where they will find healing and purpose, and to turn all compliments and congratulations back to Him, giving God credit as the ultimate source of what is needed for me to do well in life.  It's also wise for me to use my tongue to show respect for all of His creation, realizing He made it all so it is worthy of my esteem, especially in regard to His image-bearers.

Since I'm created by God and thus meant to praise Him, I can use my tongue to honor and give glory to Him.

Attitude.  The heart is so important to God (1 Samuel 16:7).  Why I do the things I do is more significant than what I actually do.  He cares about my attitude while going about my day not just how I conduct myself.  Is my motivation to bring glory to God, to make Him look good, to give honor to Him, or am I focused mostly on my own reputation, on getting what I want, or meeting my expectations?  

As I grow closer to Jesus, He continues to transform my inner-self (Romans 12:2).  As I submit myself to Him, He goes through the process of opening the eyes of my heart where I start to understand His purposes for me (Ephesians 1:18).  Instead of only looking out for myself, I begin to look out for the welfare of others first.  While I tend to be plagued with doubt and insecurities, He grows my faith until He takes up more of my vision so that I'm unable to notice that which used to scare me or cause me to not believe.  Even though I'm naturally negative, noticing all the ugly stuff, the suffering and the pain, He changes me so I think positively, seeing all the good He is always busy doing (John 5:17).

Since I'm created by God and thus meant to praise Him, I will find my attitude changing in ways that bring honor and glory to Him.

Deed.  I'm task and performance driven.  I tend to live according to my to-do-list and judge the worth of my life according to how much I've accomplished.  God is working on me in this wrong way of thinking. He is teaching me to focus more on Him and my relationship with Him as my highest concern.

As I walk in this new way I learn that I am already valuable to Him, apart from anything I do.  I don't have to earn my keep, prove my worth, or work my way into His good graces.  Through Christ, I already am securely placed in His kingdom, worth more than all the gold in the world, and swimming in His grace and mercy.  There is nothing I can do to improve His love for me, thanks to Christ (Romans 8:38).

Thus I am free to simply follow Him, no longer bound to ambitiously work to make my presence necessary.  My work is to obey Him, doing what He places on my heart to do and going where He points me to go.  No matter how small the request, when I obey, I am bringing honor to Him.

Since I'm created by God and thus meant to praise Him, I can bring honor and glory to Him when I follow Him in obedience.

As part of God's wonderful creation, I am meant to give Him praise.  I can do so by using my tongue in ways that will make Him look good, by cooperating with His mission to align my attitude with His, and to learn to follow Him exclusively.  In these ways I will bring glory to God in word, attitude and deed:  What better way to honor God in the way I was meant to praise?

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can pay attention to how He is working to transform the way I look at things.

When do I get stuck in a rut, keeping to the same old negative attitudes?

How do my words fail to bring God glory?   

*http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/women-talk-more-than-men/

Before You Speak

"Should I continue to wait, now that you are silent?

Must I also remain silent?

No, I will say my piece.

I will speak my mind.

For I am full of pent-up words,

and the spirit within me urges me on.l

I am like a cask of wine without a vent,

like a new wineskin ready to burst!

I must speak to find relief,

so let me give my answers."

Job 32:16-20 NLT

I often feel like young Elihu; that I have to get things off my chest.  But is it always wise to speak, or is there something I should keep in mind before spouting off at the mouth (Proverbs 17:28)?

Sensitive.  His voice is so quiet, His Spirit speaking gently to mine.  He's easy to ignore and I often pretend I don't hear the soft promptings.  Don't say anything.  Or sometimes, Not now.  But the words I long to speak seem so wise and helpful; just what my friend needs to hear.  Only God, however, knows the heart and perceives her readiness to accept such a message.  Therefore, listening to His voice is vital.

What would have happened if Philip, one of the believers who were scattered after the killing of Stephen, disregarded the direction of the Lord?  He was told by an angel to travel down the desert road that goes from Jersualem to Gaza.  He obeyed and soon met an Ethiopian eunuch traveling there.  The Holy Spirit prompted him to go to the man and soon he was sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:26-38).  If Philip had ignored God's promptings to approach the foreign man, he would have missed out on being part of such a sweet and joyous conversion.

God knows what is best for every situation.  He understands what each heart needs to hear.  Only He perceives whether there is willingness to listen or not.  Consequently, I'd be wise to let Him direct my paths, seeking His will in each and every situation instead of merely doing what seems right to me.

Instead of just saying what I feel needs to be said, I would be wise to be sensitive to His leading.

Who Gets the Glory?  Often, I want to say something because I desire the positive affirmation that comes from giving good advice.  If I'm honest with myself, even though I often deny it, I'm all about getting at least a little credit for spouting words of wisdom.  Therefore, with such a self-seeking sin nature, I must be careful, asking myself "Who will get the glory if I speak?"

If my heart is humble, it won't matter if no one knows from where the advice, counsel or support came, as long as God gets the glory.  Whether or not anyone acknowledges me will not make a difference, as long as His name is lifted high.  Even if no one ever realizes it was I who spoke the necessary message, it will be fine with me providing that much is made of God.

If my heart is feeling insecure, hungry for some positive affirmation, however, I may have an ulterior motive for speaking up.  It could be that I want a bit of the attention that comes from offering a good suggestion.  Or I could want at least a few accolades or a pat on the back for being clever enough to give such wise counsel.  Or it may be that I simply feel hungry for the spotlight, soaking in the encouragement that comes from such positive attentions.

Instead of just saying what I feel needs to be said, I must ask myself who will get the glory from the words I speak.

Build Up.  If the words I intend to speak come out of obedience to God's promptings, they will work to build up the faith of others, edifying the Body of Christ.  If, on the other hand, I speak on my own behalf, I'll probably find that I'm tearing others down or not making a difference to their faith walk at all, even if that is not my intention.

I had the bittersweet opportunity a few years back to encourage a woman that was weathering a horrific ordeal.  Her teenage daughter had been abducted from their home.  As she desperately searched for her only child, this single mom sought out encouragement from the Lord.  In response, I began sharing scripture and positive messages via text as God led me.  

One day, I felt like these messages were no longer being received as they once were.  Instead of heeding God's gentle warning, I plunged ahead, continuing the mission that was no longer from God.  Soon, the poor woman asked me to stop, telling me it was all getting to be too much.  Her message cut me to the core as I realized I had gone too far, entering into the territory of hurting rather than helping, all because I ignored the Lord's guidance.

Instead of just saying what I feel needs to be said, I must heed God's guidance so that I will build up those that will hear.

I can think of countless things to say, especially if someone asks for advice.  Before I speak, however, I would be wise to listen to what God is telling me, being sensitive to His leading, to make sure God is the one getting the credit, and that my words will build others up.  Just because I have something to say, doesn't mean it needs to be said.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can be sensitive to God's leading, especially in my speech.

When do I let my zeal drive me to say too much?

How am I guilty of seeking my own glory, even if only a little bit?