Living a Life of Undignified Worship

Today I wanted to talk about being undignified before the Lord. If you’re anything like me, you may crave the approval of others, you may make decisions based on how others will perceive you for it. The past year I’ve been challenged to lay down my hunger for human approval, and let my desire to love and honor God steer my life and the decisions I make.

Last summer I had the opportunity to travel around the country performing shows as the lead singer of a band. The seven other people in the group became some very dear friends of mine, and we made so many memories, traveled to exciting places, and played 40 shows, but one show stuck out among the rest for all of us. We arrived at a church in Texas to play our final show of the summer. When we got there they brought us to a room in the back, and they just wanted to pray over us and speak truth and love over us. It was a beautiful time of worship, rest and prayer. During this time, a girl I had never met looked at me, and through tears she told me that God told her that I am a Mary of Bethany. This moment really touched me and I could tell this word was from the Lord. Around six months after that moment, I had another person tell me the same thing at a church I was visiting while out of town.

If you don’t know the story of Mary of Bethany, she was a faithful follower of Jesus. Before his death after Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, Mary came in with a bottle of perfume that was worth an entire year of wages. She dumped the entire bottle on Jesus’ feet and kneeled before him. She began to wash His feet with her hair. You can read more in John 12:1-10. People thought it was stupid. They thought it was weird. They thought it was wasted.

But Mary knew that the possession of hers that held the most worth, meant nothing compared to the worth of Jesus.

Mary brought the most valuable possession she had, and dumped it on Jesus’ feet which was considered one of the dirtiest parts of a person. She used her hair to wash his feet, which in that time period, a woman’s hair was her glory! What a beautiful picture of pure, undignified worship. She didn’t care what others around her thought about her act of worship because she valued Jesus above all else.
I am honored to have people see the qualities of Mary of Bethany in me, and it has challenged me to live a life of radical, undignified worship.

When I think of being undignified before the Lord, I of course think of David dancing before the Lord with all his might, in his underwear! Others saw him and despised him for it. Do you know what David did? He blessed those who despised him. The love we have for God, and the love He has for us allows us to love others in an unconditional way. David was dancing for an audience of one. He was celebrating his Lord and he didn’t care who saw or what they thought.

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.” -2 Samuel 6:22

We must understand that when we worship God, it is for an audience of one. When you let what others think of you, and what they might say affect your acts of worship to God, you are no longer worshiping with a pure heart. You are letting the opinions of man set parameters on how you worship. I have been guilty of this too. But this year I decided I would no longer let the opinion of someone who did not die for me, determine the way I worship the one who did.

I’ve met countless people who disagree with expressive, undignified worship. Firstly, I would point them to these two examples of such worship in scripture. David was a man after God’s own heart! And when Mary of Bethany was receiving hate from others in the room, Jesus told them to leave her alone. She understood Jesus was worth more than anything else.
I want you to take a moment and think about your favorite music artist. If you saw them in concert, I’m sure you would jump around, shout the lyrics, dance, clap, and not care what others around you thought of what you were doing all because you love and value that artist. Maybe if you were listening on the radio you wouldn’t do that, but that’s because the artist isn’t in the room. You want to know something so exciting and incredible?

EVERY TIME WE WORSHIP HE IS IN THE ROOM! What a beautiful chance we get to show Him we love Him! To show Him we honor Him! To show Him we value Him above every. other. thing.

Do you love and value Jesus? Are you willing to look like a fool to the world if that’s what it looks like to worship Jesus with a pure heart? Are you willing to give up the riches of the world if that’s what it looks like to worship Jesus with a pure heart? Are you willing to have others call you stupid and call your life a waste if that’s what it looks like to worship Jesus with a pure heart? Are you willing to give up your yearly salary if that’s what it looks like to worship Jesus with a pure heart?

One practice I’ve added into my life that I encourage you to do as well, is spending time worshiping Jesus in a room by yourself. I want to worship in public the same way I do in private. This is a great way to not have to worry about what others may think of how you worship. Even if it’s just one song, go find a solitary place, pray and ask God to show you how to worship Him in a way that He desires, and that He loves, and let Him lead your worship. I also know it’s impossible to understand the worth and value of our Savior if we do not know Him. Because I spend time with God every day, and I strive to know His word, I know who He is, and I am able to worship Him! If I didn’t spend time with God throughout the week, I would not be able to lead worship. I cannot lead others in worship to a God that I do not know and worship myself. Before I worship, on and off the stage, I pray and ask God to help me worship Him in a way that honors Him. Apart from Him we can do nothing. I need His help for everything, even worship!

God deserves our hearts, He deserves our time, He deserves our love, and He deserves our lives of pure, undignified worship.