Fools for Christ

Posted by Jeffrey Smith January 4th, 2016 2,086 Views 0 Comments

2 Samuel 6:22: I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.

When we allow ourselves to let go of our perception of dignity, in exchange for worship that goes beyond our limits, we will never be in a position of dishonor. We can often get caught up in the idea that we are above a certain level of worship. We have heard of the "Holy rollers" the fanatics, all the euphemisms for someone completely overtaken by the Spirit in worship. What does worship look like to you?
What does worship really look like? I know that I have been in some churches where everyone is dressed up, and their hands are down, and some churches where everyone was dressed down, with hands straight up. I think that worship can be a very intimate and revealing act from us to our Father, our God. I don’t think there is ever a wrong way to worship, but we see in this scripture where David is free of any restraint and is just letting go of any area of what his wife deems inappropriate. It is interesting to say the least that after she witnesses David’s freedom in worship that scripture says she despised him in her heart (2nd Samuel 6:16).
It would seem that the more undignified we become in our worship, the more honor the Lord places us in. David, no doubt was devoted to singing and dancing, and most of the Psalms were written by David which originally were sung as songs of worship to the Lord.
David had his struggles, but the Lord always brought him through and always exulted him. He blessed not only his kingdom, but his whole line leads us to Jesus, who is forever on the throne as our high priest in the order of Melchizedek as declared in Hebrews 7:17.
If you find yourself stuck in a rut, or in a situation that you don’t understand, look to free yourself of the constraints of worship. If you aren’t comfortable dancing around in public, you’re not alone, but in the quiet spaces, open yourself up to worship unashamed, and free. This can open the door to hear the Lord and to lift any block of communication with Him. He will find you always acceptable in His sight through Jesus, and when you come to Him with an open heart, He will not reject you, ever.
I am not suggesting that you fake worship or act in a way that looks good in front of others with the idea of a payoff of exultation, by no means. What I want to get across to you is that when we push aside the concern about what the world thinks about our acts of worship, and just be true and open, well, you can never go wrong.
I remember the first time I lifted my hands in worship. The enemy told me that everyone would stare and point at me, laughing and ridiculing me out of the church. You know what? That didn’t happen, in fact, I felt such a huge reassurance from the Lord, that I cannot even explain the sensation of joy. Another time, I watched an older couple across from me just start to let go, moving with the music, and singing loudly in total submission and worship, and it was a beautiful thing. Nobody else joined in with them, but it didn’t matter them or anyone else.
There are times in our lives that we cannot help but be moved by the Spirit of the Lord, and we find that what separates us from total release is our filter on what others think or the perception thereof. The honest truth is, that it is a total act of worship to have faith in Jesus and nothing else matters then letting Him see you in your undignified manner.
The question I have, is it really undignified when we let go before the Lord, or try and keep it looking dignified in front of man? Paul talks about being a fool for Christ in 1st Corinthians 4:10. He was talking about selling out completely for Jesus. He says that " you are distinguished, but we are without honor." I ask you, are there many names more distinguished than Paul’s name in the whole word of God? Not many, and so it is with this scripture that when we let go of the world view, and pour out our hearts on the Lord, we will never be in a position of dishonor.
Michal, the wife of David it says in scripture, never had children to the day she died. In those days, honor would be found in continuing on the name through children. That is not to say that if you don’t worship you will be without children or punished, it is to point out that she despised David in her heart for his undignified worship of the Lord. She was left without honor, yet David, like Paul are both with honor to this day. Even people who are non-believers know the names of David and Paul. That is the truth. If you find yourself without honor before man, find yourself even more undignified before God, and be exulted, lifted up, and free of whatever the world thinks or says. What matters is God our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.