Praise Becomes You

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. – Psalm 103:1 (NLT) 

Worship is about who God is. And worship is also about who we are, and who we are becoming through worship. 

The brazen gap between religious creeds and religious deeds is increasingly evident in our society: We praise the Prince of Peace while committing human lives and precious resources to unjust wars. We bow before the One who brought good news to the poor while enacting policies that deny health care for the disadvantaged and to fund tax breaks for billionaires. We celebrate the God who loved the whole world, yet welcome into our own communities only those who conform to our culture. 

True praise is not just an expression of belief; it is an expression of being. Individual and institutional renewal will not take place until the words of our worship become incarnate in the everyday lives we lead. 

While testing all the limits as a rambunctious teen, a friend of mine remembers his grandmother telling him, “You ain’t gonna Do Right til Do Right gets in you.” 

Faith without works is dead. Words from the Bible without the Word Made Flesh are impotent and empty.  

Mahatma Gandhi challenged us to be the change we wish to see in the world. Too many of us pray for changes we never commit to enacting and praise God for visions we never work to realize.  

According to Christian apologist, G.K. Chesterton, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult, and left untried.” 

Prayer
Lord, may my praise extend beyond worship. Let my daily attitude and actions bless your name and strengthen your people. Amen.

About the Author
Kenneth L. Samuel is Pastor of Victory for the World Church, Decatur, Georgia.