Now My Lifesong Sings-living a life of praise

Anyone who is familiar with Casting Crowns knows that my title includes two of their song titles, my favorite of the two being "And Now My Lifesong Sings". This video has pretty pictures and the lyrics are included. The piano is played beautifully here. Please take a minute or two and listen.

Praise is so much more than singing a song or saying "Praise God!" when one is excited. It's more than simple words. It's more than a feeling of ecstasy. Any faith built on emotions is a futile faith indeed. Praise begins as does love, forgiveness, surrender and just about every other aspect of life.

A Choice.

“Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different than it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state of the other.”                  -C. S. Lewis, courtesy of Good Reads

The things I mentioned above are all wonderful sources of praise, and are great ways to praise our Lord. However you can sing the most soul-stirring, praise-giving song and yet, with our own glory in mind or thinking about something else. In that case, then whom are we really praising? It isn't praise-it's vain, or even, God-forbid, hypocrisy. I'm not condemning anyone; I'm just as guilty as the next man on this one.

Also, what if we praise God with all our heart...on Sunday morning. ouch. Praise should be a week-long endeavor. A constant thing.

How? I'm glad you asked!
There are many ways to praise Him! Anything we do that brings glory to His name is praise, not just verbally, but in our actions.

• When we treat another with love, especially if they don't deserve it.
• When our motives are pure.
• When others see us endure great trials and not wither away.
• When we pray before a meal in a public place.
• When we dress in a way that doesn't defraud.
• When our faces radiate Him and His beauty.
• When we are always grateful in all things...even harsh criticism.
• When every time we are praised, we use it as a chance to reflect who He is and what He's done.

People will notice...and He will be praised.

The bad news...there is a way that we can praise Him and still have evil in our mouths:

"But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh." -James 3:8-12

Also in Matthew we are told:

"...How can ye, being evil, speak good things? 

for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." -Matthew 12:34

We cannot speak one way to God and another to his Creation. No aspect of God can accept hypocrisy. He is the Truth and cannot lie. (John 14:6, Titus 1:2)Our God is holy and maintains Himself as such.

To conclude, let us praise Him with sounds of music, lifted voices, working hands, running feet, loving hearts and pure minds.

 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.  

              Praise ye the Lord.-Psalm 150:6