A Sacrifice of Praise
Have you ever thought about how your life brings pleasure to God? All throughout Scripture, we learn about how we can use our lives to please God. In fact, we were created for God’s pleasure.
Since we have been given new life in Christ, and we’ve experienced God’s grace, we should desire to please God. Since He has given us everything in life, we ought to give Him everything we are.
The writer of Hebrews tells us two distinct ways we can please God. The first is in Hebrews 13:15. The writer says that our first sacrifice to God is praising Him. This is what the Bible calls "worship."
Worship is the orientation of our entire life to live in awe of who God is and what He has done for us. We can worship God not only by the songs we sing, but also the way we live our lives.
Hebrews 13:16 tells us another way that we can please God: by loving others. When we love others, we are reflecting the love that God has for them. That is why it matters how we treat people.
Our actions are a reflection of how God has loved us. And since we’ve been loved by God, we ought to do good to those around us.
These are two ways that we can bring pleasure to God—by worshiping Him and loving others. This is similar to what Jesus says the greatest commandment is in Matthew 22:36-40. He sums it up by telling us to love God and love others. We love God by worshiping Him and praising Him. We love others by doing good to them and sharing with them.
How are you doing at loving God and loving others? Do you spend time each day in Scripture and prayer, praising God for who He is? If we don’t love God first and foremost, we won’t be able to truly love other people in our lives.
From my personal journey, I've found that pleasing God goes far beyond routine spiritual practices—it’s about making worship and love a lifestyle. Worship isn't limited to traditional church settings or songs; it’s truly about orienting your entire life to live in awe of God’s presence and grace. For me, this became evident when I started appreciating the small daily moments as opportunities to worship—whether it's through my work, how I interact with others, or offering kindness without expecting anything in return. Loving others can sometimes be challenging, especially when people don't reciprocate or when life gets busy. But reflecting God’s love through generosity and compassion deeply enriches not only others’ lives but mine too. Hebrews 13:16 really resonated with me—it’s not just about words or feelings, but tangible acts of goodness to those around us. It reminded me that every good deed done in Jesus’ name counts as a sacrifice of praise. The phrase from the image, "Keep doing good. Keep living generously. Keep showing up—in Jesus' name," has become a powerful mantra for me. It encourages perseverance in faith-filled actions, even when results aren’t immediate or obvious. That consistency builds a meaningful connection with God and witnesses His love in practical ways. Committing daily time for Scripture and prayer helped me stay rooted in loving God first, which naturally overflowed into loving others more genuinely. When love for God is central, it fuels an authentic love for people, free of judgment but full of grace. This alignment transformed my understanding of worship—not just as an event but as a continuous offering of praise through life itself. If you’re reflecting on how to better please God, consider embracing these two pillars—worship and love—as ongoing sacrifices of praise that delight God’s heart.