Most of us find it easy to praise God when everything is going well. You got the promotion at work. The kids are doing great. You’re full of health. But what about when you’re facing one challenge after another? What about when the kids are off course, things are not good at work, and someone just offended you? That’s exactly when to put into practice the words of Hebrews 13:15: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.” A “sacrifice of praise” is something you don’t necessarily feel like doing, but it’s always the right thing to do.
It's interesting that the writer of Hebrews didn’t stop there. He added, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” You might look at your bank account and think you don’t have enough, but that’s when God says, “I know your situation. No matter how you feel, if you will continually offer up this sacrifice of praise and not neglect passing on this gratitude to someone else, that’s when you’ll live an abundant life. That’s when you will please Me.” When you make pleasing God your highest priority, the Scripture says that He will do things for you that you cannot do for yourself and you’ll see your life go to new levels.
There is a principle in God’s Word that says, “The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped” (Proverbs 11:25). “Give, and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:38). The Scripture says, “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). When you do something for someone else—take them to a doctor’s appointment, pick them up when their car is broken down, call them, cheer them up, do something that no one else can do for them—God’s going to do special things for you. When we go out and make someone else’s day, we’re saying, “God, thank You for making my day,” because when you make someone else’s day, God will make your day. When God sees you blessing others, He blesses you, and there are no blessings to compare to the blessings of Almighty God.
God put us on this earth to not only be for the praise of His glory, but to be His hands, to be His feet, to be His kindness, to be His compassion to others. We all need to go out every single day and say, “God, I want to show You my gratitude through loving expressions toward others. Show me how I can bless others today.” That’s what pleases the heart of God.