A Sacrifice of Praise?

There were people around me, but I felt far away. They were talking, I was listening. But the more they talked, the more tense I became. I rested my head on the top of my chair, studying the floor closely. My arms were fastened around the back of the chair, as if maybe it could shield me from life. I thought I already learned to deal with change Lord? Why am I so afraid when I sense it coming on? I closed my eyes, wishing I could just spray some detangler on the muscles in my stomach and comb them out. "Get a grip Kara, focus on your work." I tried to tell myself. I was able to finish what needed to be done, but I fought the urge to lock myself in the bathroom and cry (or scream) several times that night.

The urge didn't go away the next day.

What do I do with this God? How do I deal with this?

The answer seemed simple.

Bring me your sacrifice of praise.

Something inside me urged me to run the other way.

What was that God?

Turn your eyes to me. Bring me your sacrifice of praise. I'll teach you how.

That's what I thought you said.

So what exactly is a sacrifice of praise? And what does it have to do with the situation described above? Here's what God has been showing me.

When I think of a sacrifice, I think of giving something up. Not for the sake of just giving it up, but for the sake of the One you are doing it for. Because He's worth it. I think of David. In 2 Samuel 24:24 he says, "...for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing."

What does it cost to bring a sacrifice of praise? For me, I have discovered it costs my selfishness. If my hands are going to be free to offer up a sacrifice of praise, they must be emptied of my self-interest first. This includes my fears, pride, insecurity, jealousy, anger, bitterness, and just plain selfishness. I find myself wanting to hold on to the hurt, wallow in my fear and make my pity-party last just a little bit longer. But I have to learn to open my hands and let those things fall to the floor, or I'll never grow. Offering a sacrifice of praise can be costly, but it's worth it.

I'm beginning to understand that I am faced with a choice every day. When I find myself in a situation where I am out of my comfort zone, when I don't like what's happening around me, or when I am afraid, I can do one of two things. I can continue to dwell on the circumstances that are making me uncomfortable, or I can recognize that God is in control of each of those circumstances and choose to praise Him. Even if all I can says is, "Thank you God that You are in control, and you know what You're doing, even when I don't." As I continue to do this, God helps me loosen my grip more and more, so my hands can be free to bring more sacrifices. Does it cost me something? Most of the time, yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

But these choices aren't all about gritting our teeth and "just do it" or "get'r done". There is one more thing that happens when we make them. We experience God's peace. (Supernatural stomach detangler!) :) For me, it may not always come right away. But, the more I practice choosing to bring my worries and stresses before God, thanking Him that He can handle them, the more this happens:

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

How does the Monsanto commercial go? "Now that's peace of mind you can't put a price on." I couldn't agree more.

Lord it's really hard for me to let go some days and trust that You can handle what's going on around me. But I thank you that You are teaching me to do this more and more, one day at a time. Help us not to give up Lord. Teach us how to get to the place where we continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to You. I feel like it's going to take me a long time Lord, but thank you that You will walk with me every step of the way. I love You Lord. Thank you for loving me first.



Here are a couple of thoughts I found really helpful this week:
(Note: These suggestions, and probably many of the thoughts in this blog came from or stemmed from Linda Dillow's book, Calm My Anxious Heart. I urge you to check it out. Great book. Tami can tell you. :) Ultimately the thoughts below are based on Philippians 4:6-8.)

1. Choose to give my anxieties to God.
(This is a moment by moment thing for me... not just once in the morning and then I'm done.)
2. Choose to pray specifically.
3. Choose to be thankful.
4. Choose to dwell on the positive.
(This is not just the power of positive thinking, see Philippians 4:8)