Praise part 2
Praise is a response to something praiseworthy happening. Praise is not how you make something happen. See, God is first. We love Him (by loving each other) because He first loved us. He is the source. Every good and perfect gift flows from the Father of lights. And every time I quote that description of God I like to point out that He is the FATHER of lights because WE are the light of the world. Jesus identified Himself that way, and He identified us that way. Because it's the same light. It's Jesus in us. He is the beloved Son in whom God is well pleased... which means WE are the beloved Son in whom God is well pleased. Jesus is our true identity. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in our flesh. Love in our body. When God looks at Jesus He sees us. And when God looks at us He sees Jesus. I said all that to say this: If you have to convince your heavenly Father to take care of you... then, really, He's not much of a Father at all. The picture of God that is most prevalent--especially in the New Testament--is a Father. A provider. A giver. All good GIFTS come from our Father. He doesn't wait for, or expect, us to earn His love. He lavishes His love on us. Like any true father lavishes his love on his children. That's what MAKES one a true father. So this idea that we have to praise Him in order to soften Him up so we can ask Him for stuff... "Wait until Mom's in a good mood. Do some chores. Tell her how young she looks." That kind of sneaky stuff isn't necessary. And, as a parent myself now, I can see how that would be mildly offensive. Buttering me up before asking me for something instead of just trusting my love for you. Especially when you consider that on the cross God moved. He did everything He would ever need to do, both for us and as us. So if we're trying to get Him to do something for us... when He's already done everything for us... what that really means is that we haven't received what He has already given us. We need to shift away from "I need, I want," and into, "I have, I am." I have everything I need. I am who I am supposed to be. You can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. So you need to know what you have. You need to know who you are. That's what changes our mindset. It is the GOODNESS of God that leads men to repentance. It is what God has done for us--It is finished--that jerks a praise up out of us. We don't praise Him in order to butter Him up so we can get what we want. We praise Him because He has already given us everything He has and everything He is. And the natural response to that love... is praise. Singing it from the moutaintops. Letting that love bubble up out of us. Filling ourselves to overflowing with what we've been filled with. When we drink the living water, it flows out of our innermost being. When we receive the love of God, we release it. It's too big to keep it inside. The natural response to God loving us... is to love Him back. By loving each other. Receiving it and releasing it. Not trying to get anything, but giving what we've got!