What If We Were Created to Praise?

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” A.W. Tozer

Paul wrote it a different way:

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Romans 1:20-21

What we think about makes us who we are.

Quoting Tozer again,

“The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him. It begins in the mind and may be present where no overt act of worship has taken place. (The Knowledge of the Holy, pg. 7)

What we think most about is where we will put our time, our energy, and our monetary investments.

In essence, what we think most about is what we worship.

Truly, God could have created us to only choose to worship Him. The stars burn with fiery passion in praise to Him without a choice. The rhythms of seasons and tides and sunrises and sunsets sing God’s glory endlessly without a choice. As each one fulfills the purpose for which it was created, it lives out the glory of God without a choice.

But people have a choice for whose glory they will live for, and each day brings with it another opportunity to choose.

The less we think on the goodness, mercy, grace, lovingkindness, power, and wonderful works of God, the less we will praise Him. In turn, our thoughts will be tuned to lesser things, like our own glory, envy, comparison, contention, depression, anxiety, and despair.

A life that lacks praise to God lacks the purpose for which we have been created.

What if we were created to praise Him?

The Bible contends that we have been, indeed.

Psalm 145

​ I will extol thee, my God, O king;
and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
Every day will I bless thee;
and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise thy works to another,
and shall declare thy mighty acts.
I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty,
and of thy wondrous works.
And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts:
and I will declare thy greatness.
They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness,
and shall sing of thy righteousness.
The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion;
slow to anger, and of great mercy.
The Lord is good to all:
and his tender mercies are over all his works.
All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord;
and thy saints shall bless thee.
They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom,
and talk of thy power;
To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts,
and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
The Lord upholdeth all that fall,
and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
The eyes of all wait upon thee;
and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Thou openest thine hand,
and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways,
and holy in all his works.
The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him,
to all that call upon him in truth.
He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him:
he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
The Lord preserveth all them that love him:
but all the wicked will he destroy.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord:
and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

There are two main areas we can praise God in: general revelation and special revelation.

General revelation are the things we can see without any specific knowledge of God. What have you seen and experienced today?

Special revelation is the way God has revealed Himself more personally. His Word specifically tells us who He is, and what He has done for us. What can you praise Him for as His child? Salvation, mercy, grace, goodness, peace with Him? The list could go on for eternity!

I cannot wait to hear how you are praising Him today!

Have a blessed day!

Erica B.