Living a Life of Praise!
“Praise the Lord! Let all that I am praise the Lord.” Psalm 146:1 (NLT)
Do you live a life of praise? Think about that before you answer too quickly. Really evaluate your attitude and conversations of late. Are they filled with praise or complaints? Are they positive in nature or more negative and fault-finding? Because we are all part of a fallen world, it’s human nature to complain. The Christ follower is different - or is supposed to be! Even as Christ followers, we can be pulled back into that vortex of negativity. It was what kept the people of Israel in the wilderness, wandering around for forty years, when God’s intention was to give them the blessing of a promised land! What about you? I want to challenge you to eliminate negativity in your life. It simply blocks God’s blessings in your life when you grumble, gripe, and complain.
I find there are two types of people that I can become: a praiser or a complainer. I can be positive and faith-filled, or I can be negative and filled with fear. Praisers live by faith. Complainers live by fear. Living a life of praise doesn’t deny the problems I have nor the pain I feel. Praise simply lifts them to God with the unshatterable confidence that He is greater than any problem. He can heal my hurts with His love and power. That’s the secret of praise! It’s the power of praise that the psalmist’s offers us throughout the 150 chapters in Psalms. I love the way they end. The last five chapters of the book of Psalms closes with a crescendo of praise! Each chapter from Psalm 146 to Psalm 150 begins and ends the same – “Praise the Lord!” Let me ask you. Is that a request or a command? I think the exclamation point may give it away. You see, praise is a choice. It’s a choice to rejoice! And you don’t even have to wait until you feel like it. When you choose to praise, your feelings will catch up with your choice!
Will you choose to live a life of praise? It will take practice. Every time you are tempted to gripe and grumble, turn your problems into praise! Praise your problems back to God. The problem with problems is never the problem. The problem with problems is our response to them. Consider this for a moment – all our problems are temporary! When I worry about them, I’m saying, “God, I don’t think you can handle this one, so I must worry about it.” Sounds silly, doesn’t it? Worry is like revving up your engine. It burns a lot of gas, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.
When I praise my problems back to God, I’m not denying them; I’m admitting honestly to Him how I feel and that I don’t like what is happening. I'm admitting I'm powerless to do anything about it, but I am praising Him because He has the power! He has the power to do what He chooses in His time and, because He loves me, it will be for my good! Make the choice to rejoice and live a life of praise!