Sacrifice of Praise

"Not vain words of honor praising You above, but true humble service in unselfish love, proves my heart’s allegiance and my love proclaims, causing men to glorify Your name.” –Chad Goossen, “Sacrifice of Praise” in the book He Goes Before

Praise is a glorious thought. It’s fun to receive and fun to give. It brings to mind thankfulness and adoration and poetic beauty. But the Bible doesn’t just mention praise.

In Hebrews 13:15, we are instructed “…therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually…” Something about that verse caught my attention one morning. I realized I’d always just focused on the praise. I’d assumed that the sacrifice of praise just meant praising God even when things looked difficult. But was that really all there was to it?

True praise from a pure spirit requires more than just words in the hard times. It requires action. It means laying down my wants and desires—maybe even the things I think I need—and trusting God enough to fully believe His goodness. So, yes, praising God when things are hard, but having such a grounded faith in Him that the hard things don’t send us spiraling into discouragement. A grounded faith that allows me to follow His gentle nudging rather than bitterly taking my own way. A heart attuned to His will, even when nothing makes sense.

I think perhaps the sacrifice part is in letting go of my own opinions and will. Maybe even my own logic. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:17) It’s so easy to get attached to our emotions and thoughts. Letting them go is a humbling thing.

What are some of the things I may need to sacrifice? 

I might need to lay down on the altar my opinion of myself. Sometimes we see ourselves as “pretty good,” an attitude that affects our ability to love and work in harmony with others. 

I might need to forego my desires to be something different than I am. Many of us have parts of ourselves we don’t appreciate. Why wasn’t I created to have a different temperament or talent? Accepting how we’ve been made is a sacrifice of the pride that says I would have known better than God. 

Occasionally it’s good things we need to lay down. Maybe we feel more needed and rewarded when we dash about helping others rather than doing the daily drudgery of caring for those in our own families. Are we willing to sacrifice something that looks good and feels good in order to praise God?

“I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:10) Many times in the past, when I’ve heard this verse, I assumed it meant God testing us to see if we would follow His direction. But I am so ignorant, and the real meaning is much more beautiful.

Strong’s concordance entry says this: “inmost being: heart, mind, spirit, the seat of thought and emotion of the inner person.” I can hardly grasp the meaning and the love in this. The Almighty Lord searching my heart, taking into account my inner man, choosing to adore me, even though I’m often a wreck of a person, because He is looking at the things I hold inside and reaching out to hold my hand even as I falteringly walk through life.

How could I help but praise the One who is so full of goodness?

Sacrifice of praise is not a one-time altar. It’s a place returned to many, many times throughout our lives. It’s a place to lay down shattered hearts, bleeding wounds, broken spirits, and anguished tears. It’s a place where we, with the help of God, pluck out the things of our proud, selfish, human nature and learn to be clay in His gentle hands.

Only when we realize the love of He we claim to worship, only when we throw our doubts, fears, and distrust on the altar and lean into Him, only when He sees our hearts are completely submitted to His will—then is the moment of beauty where praise can truly begin.

“May the life I live resound and sing in deep adoration to You my King; I present my life as a sacrifice, Living off’ring praising Your name.” –Chad Goossen, “Sacrifice of Praise” in the book He Goes Before