How Ann Voskamp Helped Me Rethink How I Praise
How do I dwell on what is praiseworthy? This invitation in Philippians 4:8 can be difficult to practice, but here is a practical way you can practice praise.
Philippians 4:8 has always been one of my favorite and most personally challenging verses. It says:
8 Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.
One of the reasons I find this verse challenging is because I grew up in the church and find it easy to say and do the right thing and “look” the part. I know when to raise my hands in worship, when to nod, and when to talk. But to let God create new neuro-pathways in my brain and become a new creation from the inside out takes constant surrender, a heart that is moldable, and a level of obedience I’m convinced I don’t always reach.
To always choose not to worry, to immediately go to prayer and thankfulness, to reflexively not dwell on gossip, never hold onto bitter thoughts, and constantly keep a guard up against evil and things that would destroy takes a vigilance I’m not capable of in my own strength.
Not a Negative, But a Positive
But then I realized maybe I was thinking about this verse the wrong way. Paul's challenge to "dwell" isn’t a negative command but a positive one. Other than saying “don’t worry” in verse seven, Paul only uses positives.
Think about what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. Fill your heart and mind with what is good, and the desire to dwell on gossip, think about wrongs committed against us, and meditate on the latest viral reel that made you just a little bit uncomfortable will fade.
Our hearts and minds will be filled with something. We get to choose what it is.
This brings me to our final word in this series: praiseworthy. What comes to mind when you hear this word? Perhaps it’s someone on a platform getting a pat on the back. Maybe it’s a person working hard in their job and getting a plaque. The dictionary definition says deserving approval and admiration.
How Do You Put Praise Into Practice?
One of the most impactful books in my life has been Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts. In it, she says, “When we don’t focus on what we can thank God for, we can’t focus on living for God.”
Our focus as Christians should be positive. From Ann’s book, I learned the practice of writing what I now call my “thankful list.” I try every morning to sit and write a minimum of three things I’m thankful for. Three things that are praiseworthy. This practice has made me more aware of God’s work in the small details of life.
At different times in life, I’ve chosen to write down a few of the hard things I’m going through as things I can be grateful for. Years later, as I browsed through old “thankful,” I’ve been amazed to recognize how God used those things in my life and created beauty from ashes. And amazingly, one of the biggest ways God has changed the pathways in my brain has been through my chosen thankfulness.
At times I’m still inclined to worry, grow frustrated, and focus on how things aren’t the way I want them to be. But that’s when the Holy Spirit gives me a nudge to remember the goodness of God, his loveliness, his strength, and his goodness in my life.
If you’ve found yourself in a cycle of negative thoughts, switch things up. Create a trigger that switches your brain to praise. Maybe it’s a specific verse you memorize and quote whenever you catch yourself. Maybe it’s singing a worship song and focusing on the majesty of God instead of your circumstance or temptation. Maybe it’s creating your own thankful list.
As you do this, you will start to dwell on what is praiseworthy.
