“We are made for worship,” according to the literature explaining Matthews UMC’s logo and tag line (Reach. Teach. Praise. Serve.). This explains why people “live for” their favorite team, athlete, musician, job, house, celebrity, etc. We praise what or who we treasure and, therefore, give our heart to that object or person (Matthew 6:21). We can’t help it. It’s how we were made.

Think of heart not just as “soul,” but also as motivation. The motivation for all that we say and all that we do emanates from our praise. Examine what a person does (in the light of day and under the cover of night) and you will have great insight into what he praises.

In Lecrae’s song “Boasting” (and later in a rap cameo during David Crowder’s live Passion performance of “Shadows“) my homeboy asks, “What’s my life if it’s not praising you?” Wasted, immature, unripe. That’s my answer. Because, ultimately, it’s the life for which I was created. My motivation then is to lead others into a life of praising our Creator as well.

What is your heart/motivation? In other words, what do you praise?