It is evident that our present world is infatuated with self-glorification, and with what some may call “The Religion of Self.” We often see its effects in the ways people decide their own standards of truth, goodness, justice, and satisfaction. The reality of such standards are often hidden behind a curtain of self-praise—society offers the bait of “trust yourself,” urging you to embrace your own sovereignty. But, whether the world acknowledges it or not, upholding these self-decided standards can be quite a weighty task.
So, why do I mention self-praise in an edition dedicated to praising God in our daily life? Because we are surrounded by a world that offers lucrative possibilities for self-praise. It is after all naturally instilled in us as a cause of Genesis 3, where the first humans decided their own standards of truth over what God said. This is why the apostle Paul repetitively exhorts Christians to be transformed by the Gospel, and not conformed to the ways of this world.
Paul is onto something here when it comes to the importance of humility within our identity as Christians. Humility is and should be the driving force in our consistent praise unto God. Gavin Ortlund, a pastor and theologian, makes a wonderful case for this in his book Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness. Ortlund identifies a direct pathway to humility through Calvary, as we view ourselves in light of the cross:
“The gospel cures us of this because it teaches us to measure our pride by the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross shows us the depth of God’s love, but it also shows us the depth of our sinful need. It reveals what God was willing to do, but it also reveals what he had to do. Our pride is such that it put the son of God on the cross.”
What a sobering line: It is our very pride that put Christ on the cross—our belief we could live apart from Him. From Ortlund’s suggestion, we can understand that the worst thing we could do is depend on ourselves, which makes us think that we can be self-sufficient apart from God.
Later, to crush any temptation of such self-dependence, Ortlund adds: “Every breath we breathe is a gift from God. He is the fount and source of everything. We are infinitely vulnerable before Him–infinitely dependent, infinitely receptive.” We are infinitely vulnerable and infinitely dependent when placed before such a being who is the source of all creation. It is as if we were an ant standing at the base of Mount Everest, looking upward with an extraordinary sense of awe and utmost wonder. Still, even this image merely scratches the surface. How could we acknowledge His supremacy and still believe we know better? How could we believe that we deserve praise for what we think is right? In contrast to God, we are capable of nothing.
Now this can all seem pretty negative, but these realities are not meant to crush us. Instead, they challenge us to be all the more full of praise toward God. In light of this revelation, let us embrace the abasement of all our pride and take on the reality of living a life of Doxology toward this God who shows us so much love, care, and mercy, though we are so unmerited of it.
It is crucial to examine how this kind of Doxology can be approached practically. In his first epistle to the church in Corinth, Paul instructs his audience of believers to do all they do to the glory of God (10:31). How much there is to say about this—every word we say, every action we take, every thought we have should serve to glorify God. Now, is it possible for us to perfectly do this all the time? By all means no! However, we must follow the call to do all we do for the glory of God so that we starve our desire for our own glory.
In the first book of Thessalonians, Paul also instructs us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances” (5:16-18 ESV). Rejoicing, praising, and giving thanks are vital within the Christian life. Firstly, to rejoice always does not literally mean that we be happy in each and every situation. However, the undertone of the passage is that we should seek to find joy in all circumstances.
Second, we are to pray without ceasing. Does this explicitly imply always performing customs such as a bowed head, crossed hands, and closed eyes? No. However, prayer is necessary to create intimacy and close out other distractions. When we remain continually in prayer, we retain our contact line with God, the Creator of all things, the One who cares for us. Though He is all-knowing, how much more does it mean when we confess how we feel and bring our requests to Him?
Lastly, we are to give thanks in all circumstances. This could also be called gratitude, and practicing it as a discipline bears great fruit in the Christian life. When we show gratitude toward God, it shifts our focus away from ourselves or anyone else and solely attributes glory to Him.
If we give thanks within all sorts of circumstances, we are able to recognize the sovereign control of God, foregoing our own control as we lay it before Him.
The Christian life is one called to be set apart from the typical way of the world, and my prayer is that this revelation can motivate someone to become a living doxology—by shifting focus outward towards praising God. I will admit, my advice may not be perfect, but the Lord utilizes broken individuals for his purposes.