It was a typical Thursday night a few weeks ago, and I was at choir rehearsal. As is fairly customary, our minister of music was talking to us about the meaning behind one of the songs we would be singing. But something in particular that he said caught my attention: “Our praise is expensive.”

A Culture of Expense

All I could think about is the song “XXpen$ive” by Erika Jayne. Perhaps you’ve heard it in the ShoeDazzle commercial. The original song describes how it is literally expensive to be Erika Jayne, and if you happen to watch Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, you know that’s the truth. Glam squad, designer clothes, private planes, costly restaurants and vacations­­­–it’s all exclusive and expensive.

This is a cheeky song that describes Real Housewives culture, but it also triggered me to do some deeper thinking about the FACT that it is expensive to be me, and it’s expensive to be you too!

It’s Expensive to be Me!

Take some time to think back on your life. Think all the way back to your first memories, your interactions with your family, the first time you felt hurt. Reflect on your time in elementary school and the teachers and friends your had. Did you go on family vacations? Were you able to spend time with your grandparents and cousins? Soak it all in. Travel through middle and high school. Were people always kind? How were your classes? Work your way into adulthood and all of the new freedoms, responsibilities, and relationships it brings. Keep going until you get to this present day.

Now that you’ve worked your way through your whole life, meditate on the FACT that God brought you through it all. Failure, disappointment, hurt, last place, mistakes, betrayals, fear, illness, lack of money, lost relationships, lost jobs, and everything in between – YOU ARE STILL STANDING!!!

People look at your life from afar, whether it be in person or social media, and they think they know. The truth is that they have no earthly idea just how expensive it is to be you.

And because it’s so costly to be who we are, does it not also make sense that our praise would be expensive too?

Expensive Praise

If you are familiar with the story of the woman with the alabaster jar, you understand just how expensive praise can be. Long story short, Jesus had gone to a dinner and while there, a woman who was a known sinner showed up. She didn’t come to socialize or to join in on the meal; she had something much more important in mind. The woman began to anoint Jesus with the expensive perfume in the alabaster flask. People questioned why Jesus would even talk to her considering her known reputation and scolded her for having the audacity to “waste” something so expensive that it could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor.

But Jesus knew. He knew this was her sacrifice; this was her praise. Hebrews 13:15 talks about the sacrifice of praise. This sacrifice isn’t just about what is taking place in the present. Our praise is a manifestation of the thanks and adoration we pour on God for all He has done for us. This includes bringing us through the hardships of life.

So, the next time you find yourself in praise – whether it be in your car, your war room, or at church – remember that your praise is a costly sacrifice. It is expensive to be you, and Jesus paid the ultimate price for it on Calvary.