The Role of Praise in the Christian Life

In the military, soldiers train to perfect Pre-Planned Responses. In the middle of battle, if a soldier is unable to respond according to his training, he will undoubtedly make ill-advised decisions. 

But if the opposite is true - if there is a habit that has been so ingrained through training and repetition - that same soldier will remain unfazed in the face of chaos, confusion, and destruction. 

The same is true for the army of the Living God. Our general, God, has developed a technique: in any and every situation, God calls us to praise Him. In the good times and the bad, in the sorrow and the struggle and the pain; in the celebration and the glory and the grace; when we feel Him and when we don't; when we've done well and when we haven't; when we're not feeling good or happy; when we feel like everything is coming to an end; in the middle of sin and shame and wretchedness; in the middle of joy and triumph and confidence; when we're poor and when we're rich; when the world is with us and when it's against us; when things are going our way and when nothing is; when we have all things, and when we have nothing. 

Philippians 4:6 declares, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Emphasis mine) 

It's easy to praise God in the good situations. And it's easy to praise God in the times when we feel good or had a good night's sleep or have just gotten good news. But what about the hard times, the times when it seems like He's failed to hear our prayer requests? Or the moments when the car breaks down? We seem to forget that even in those situations God is still sovereign. 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." God's sovereignty is not negated in the midst of negative situations. God doesn't miss things. He is not surprised by the things that happen and the ways that things go. He is still in control, and He knows what He's doing. 

In fact, it's not even about the situation. It's all about who He is. He is good. He is just. He is faithful. Since He does not change, our response to Him should not change. 

If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, He has forgiven us. He has given us eternal life. 2 Peter 1:3 says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who has called us by his own glory and goodness." If, then, our eternal destiny is secure, why are we letting little things get us down? That is like a man who has won the lottery, then is depressed because it rained on his suit. He is missing the big picture. With his lottery winnings, he can buy 100 suits. 

We have won the spiritual lottery. Why, then, are we so worried about temporary things? Psalm 118:1 says, "Give thanks to The Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." So let's do that: let's choose to give thanks and praise and worship, even in the midst of difficulty. After all, "if God is for us, who can be against us?" 

God's Pre-Planned Response to us is love. So what will be ours to Him?

Written by: John Michael Den Hartog

Love God, Love People

Recently at a conference in Phoenix, I heard a speaker say something like this, “Your love for God is measured by your love for people.” In other words, how much you love people really demonstrates how much you really love God. It’s another way to describe the Great commandment – Love God, Love People. As I’ve been thinking about this, I thought about a legal proceeding. If we were charged with loving God, could they find enough evidence to convict us? James in the Bible talks about this same issue in the 2 chapter of his book. Some people say they have faith (love God), but where is the proof? I on the other hand have abundant proof, works (love people) which demonstrates my love and faith for Him. As I work with different churches and cities, I try to find what is working. How are churches demonstrating their love for God? Is there enough evidence in the community to convict them? I’m afraid to say that most would be acquitted due to the lack of evidence. What about your personal life, your good works? Is there enough to convict you? I challenge you to live your life in such a way that if they took one good look at your love for others, they would promptly lock you up and throw away the key.