Thank God!
Kyle D Christensen, DC
I have a friend whose life is
graced with joy. She smiles, laughs and carries with her, each time I see her,
a radiance and lightness exuding her joyful countenance. Her life has not been
an easy one. Her life, like yours and mine, fraught with ups and downs,
challenges and setbacks, heartaches and disaster. I used to think maybe
something was wrong with her. Maybe she was oblivious to all the negative
swirling around her. Perhaps she was “touched” and just didn’t get it. Last month however, she shared with me a book
– Power in Praise by Merlin
Carothers, and now I get it. And I want what she has.
You see, too many of us
Christians are not radiating the sweetness and joy that the gospel can bring.
Too many of us (and I’m speaking primarily of myself) are so busy with our
‘nose to the grindstone’ and ‘our shoulder to the wheel’ that our enduring to
the end is with gritted-teeth and grimacing faces. I look out at our worship
services and I don’t see a sea of beaming happy faces. I see people who are
tired, stressed, worried, anxious, and grieving. Yes, we love each other and happily greet
each other, but we (me) perhaps are not experiencing the quality and quantity
of joy that we could or should.
After all, the message of Jesus
is that we have been redeemed from the Fall. Our sins and shortcomings can be
forgiven. We can have put into us a new heart – one filled with peace, comfort,
satisfaction, and joy. I know that I (personally) take life too seriously. I
absolutely believe and strive to have Christ in my life and honestly desire to
do only that which is right and pleasing to the Lord. But in so doing, (I’m too
often) not enjoying my family, my relationships with others, and life as I
should be or as I would like to. Like many of you, I’m TOO BUSY. Too busy doing
too many good things – trying to provide for my family, trying to help my
patients, trying to serve others.
In this marvelous little
book, a well-hidden secret was revealed to my heart and soul. And like most
mysteries from God, it is hidden in plain sight. The secret is that joy is only
found in praising and thanking God. And not just for our blessings and the
things that are good and right in our lives; but thanking God in all things.
Yes, that means we should be thanking the Lord even for the heartaches,
disappointments, and setbacks. Maybe, especially for those things.
We say we believe in God, but
do we really believe He is mindful of the details of our lives? Or do we think
He is off in some distant galaxy with more important business? The scriptures teach (and I testify and
believe) that God is part of our lives, whether we think so or admit it. God really is in control of our lives and
this world. This life, this world, is our schoolhouse. It is designed more like
a one-room schoolhouse filled with people of all different levels on the
continuum of development. Some are just beginning while others are refining
their doctoral degrees. And in this setting, we are each expected to not only
learn for ourselves, but to assist and help each other.
I believe that God allows or
permits bad things to happen in life for our learning and growth, but more
importantly to bring us to Him. Most of what we experience is due to, what I
tell my kids ‘your own dumb fault’, the consequences of our decisions and
behavior. Making good choices results in good consequences. Poor or selfish
choices result in pain and struggle. Tragedy, heartache, and sadness should
ultimately bring us to our knees and hopefully to God. The scriptures talk of
having a broken heart and a contrite spirit. How can that be good?! Well, it
is. Because when we come to God in deep humility, it is then that He can
forgive us, heal us, and take our heart, change it, and return to us. A heart that
is healed and filled with hope, joy, and promise.
If we can understand that joy
can come into our lives only through a changed and healed heart, we should be
more motivated to get there. As with so many things in life that are
worthwhile, it requires persistent effort. The scriptures teach that all things work together for good to them
that love God (Romans 8:28). This means that even the bad things are
working towards your ultimate good; even the deaths, the disasters, the
tragedies – all things. And if that is
true, then shouldn’t we in an act of faith, praise and thank God even for, and
especially for, those things that we don’t fully understand? Praising God expresses our acceptance for
what has happened. Praise is Faith in Action.
To praise God is to express
our acceptance of something that God is permitting to happen. Remember God is
God and has the power to prevent anything bad that could happen. So if you have
faith in God, you must have faith that He sees the bigger picture in your life.
As the prophet Isaiah teaches, God’s thoughts and understanding is higher than
ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). We see life from such a shallow and limited perspective
compared to His. So to praise God for difficult situations, such as sickness or
disaster, literally means that we have faith to accept what has happened, as part
of God’s plan to reveal His perfect love for us.
The very act of praise and
thanking God releases the power of God into our lives and enables God to change
hearts (yours and others) and circumstances according to His will. The healing
power of God that brings peace and joy to your heart, soul, and life is
released when we begin to praise God for everything in our lives instead of
pleading with Him to change the circumstances, the pain, or the memories and
past traumas that have caused so much distress and pain. When we praise God, we thank Him FOR
our situation, not in spite of it. As we praise God for our anxiety,
worry, depression, and addictions, a sense of peace will slowly replace the old
habits of fear, lusts, and unchecked desires.
In practice, you must commit
and deliberately set out to practice joy, regardless of how you feel, trusting
that God will go to work, transforming your sorrows into pure joy, just as He
has promised. The source of joy is not
to be found in happy circumstances, but in drawing your heart and mind to the
Lord, knowing His commandments, obeying them, and abiding in Him.
Adopting a life of joy that
wells up as an outgrowth of praise for most of us is a transitional
process. As you begin to praise the Lord
for your blessings as well as your hardships, please do not expect your heart
and life to magically change the moment the words fall from your lips (yes, you
will say it aloud). The prayer of praise is the highest form of communion with
God, and one that always releases a great deal of power in our lives. Praising
Him is not something we do because we feel good; rather, it is an act of faith
and obedience. Often the prayer of praise is done in sheer teeth-gritting
willpower; yet when we persist in it, somehow the power of God is released into
us and into the situation. At first in a trickle perhaps, but later in a
growing stream that finally floods us and washes away the old hurts and scars.
Singing songs or hymns of praise are also effects ways to turning your heart
and life to God and can open the windows of heavens peace, love and comfort.
When we can praise God with
the faith that He is in charge and knows what He is doing in our life, then God’s
power can be released not only in our own life, but this power can be infused
into situations and circumstances that can bless others we love and care for as
well.
I know this is hard doctrine
and will be difficult for many to wrap their hearts and minds around. Those who
are willing to give it a try and exert their faith really can and do find peace
and joy. Far too many of us, as Christians, are not experiencing the joy in
life that the gospel of Jesus Christ promises.
The very thing you think is
painful proof of God’s absence from your life is in fact His living provision
to draw you toward Him – so that your joy may be full.
Look up and praise Him! He
loves you, and He dwells in the praises of His people!
Blessings,
Dr Kyle Christensen – May
2017
The principles and concepts
shared in this article are expounded more fully in Merlin Carothers books, Power in Praise and Prison to Praise, which I
heartily recommend to anyone who is serious about bringing more joy into their
lives.
