"Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." (Hebrews 13:15)
One of the best things we can do to remain close to God is to praise Him continually, and especially when things are difficult in our lives or society as a whole. Being a grateful worshipper is part of being a fruitful ambassador of the Kingdom of God. I want to be like that, don't you?
For many, our natural human tendency is towards complaining. We complain about people who have wronged us, about injustices, about life's disappointments, and more. We complain when things don't go the way we think they should have. Not all do, but many do, and some do it without ever speaking a word. Suppose our minds are full of murmuring and complaints reverberating over and over, isn't that murmuring and complaining too? I have done that have you?
As disciples of Jesus Christ, God calls us to offer the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips, even when we feel the urge to complain. That would undoubtedly
put a smile on our Heavenly Father's face to see His children look beyond what they see and feel and instead look into the beauty of His holiness.
Does that mean we can't point out injustice and wrong? Of course not! Jesus did that a few times when addressing the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees of His day. The difference was He didn't do it with bitterness and unrighteous anger in His heart, and neither should we. Right?
It's hard to praise God when we've let bitterness, hate, and unrighteous anger fill our hearts. So instead, let's learn to praise God first, foremost, and continually before speaking about matters pertaining to our lives or even our nation. Then we can talk about the truth of God's Word with righteous judgment and a Christlike attitude. I am personally going to work on that in my heart and life. Follower of Jesus, will you join me?