Perspective and Celebration

We are emotional people, and at the risk of commenting on a science in which I have no formal training, I think our celebratory behavior might have a physiological angle.  It seems to me both our tears and our cheers are tied to our personal investments.  This is why our hearts break when people we love make major mistakes in their lives.  It is also why we find parents crowding a stage when their children perform.

This may explain why we are more likely to pray for a need than praise God for His blessings.  I am not suggesting we never praise Him, but am merely echoing the common observation that the two are out of balance.  When good things happen to us in the normal course of life, we may not think to praise God because we lack emotional investment.  It is true, if the sun comes up on a cloudy morning, creating a painted sky, we are moved to thank God.   But if the sun merely comes up, it might not occur to us to say anything.  On the other hand, if winter snow is falling and our children are huddled around the television to see if school is canceled, they are guaranteed to scream with delight when they see the name of their school scroll across the screen.

If there is any truth to this perception, then the key to increasing our praise for God is to become more invested in life’s simple blessings, and show care not to take them for granted.  “Let everything that has breathe praise the Lord!” (Psalms 150:6)