Lessons Learned: Praise & Worship

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to share some life lessons I have learned in my short time on God's green Earth. This little mini-series will be called, "Lessons Learned" and I hope they bless you.

I remember while growing up how different situations would change my actions. If I got what I wanted, I was happy. If I was corrected or something didn't go my way, I pouted. If someone made me mad, took my favorite toy (I wasn't the best at sharing..haha), or my friends picked someone else's idea over mine; I would get angry and throw a hissy fit. In other words my current situation picked my attitude and my demeanor. It affected how my emotions showed and how I would act towards people.

Paul said in I Corinthians 13:11 that when he was a child, he spoke and act as a child; but there was a growing process. He continues and I am paraphrasing here, he says but when I grew old, I gave up those childish ways. We all know one person that who stills act like a big baby or child. Their immaturity isn't that of their age. But this also happens in the spiritual realm. Now you might be asking, how does this title of praise and worship have to do with this? Here is your answer.

We often too many times allow outside circumstance and situations affect how we praise and worship God. We let our finances, intense moments of fellowship with our spouse, a child who rides on our nerves, a co-worker that annoy us, a church member that gets on our nerves truly affect our worship. But a life lesson I have learned is this, there are 2 times to praise God; when you feel like it and when you don't. This is called putting childish things away. Look at Psalms 150 when you get a chance. David says this one phrase in verse 6, "Let everything that has breath, PRAISE THE LORD." He didn't stipulate to praise God when every thing was going your way, if there was money in the bank, if your spouse was the best thing since sliced bread; he told us to PRAISE THE LORD. If you have breath, you are commanded by God's word to praise.

I challenge you this week to give God everything you have in worship. Hold nothing back. Worship unashamed because God has told us in His word in Psalms 22:3 that He is enthroned in the praises of His people. In other words, he INHABITS the praises of His people. You want to see God show up, PRAISE HIM! When praises go up, BLESSINGS come down.