Hola everybody!
I hope everyone had a good day today. I just got an idea for a post as I was singing at Whiteout (my youth band) rehearsal, and I wanted to get it out before I forgot about it! I'm going to attach a video to this post that I'd really like you to watch before reading, although you don't have to, it's a great video. (shown to me by James, by the way. I thought he should get credit for the revealing of this wonderful little bit)
Does everyone know the song Undignified? "I will dance, I will sing, to be mad for my King. Nothing Lord is hindering this passion in my soul! And I'll become even more undignified than this!" Or how about the song Unashamed Love? "You are worthy- of a childlike faith and of my honest praise and of my unashamed love." And then there's the song Sing Sing Sing. "We will sing, sing, sing, grateful that you hear us when we SHOUT YOUR PRAISE, life high the name of Jesus!"
See any connection here? A pattern maybe? Dancing, singing, passionate, unashamed, shouting! Is this the kind of behavior we expect from Christians? Especially Christians OUTSIDE of church and church events? What would you do if you saw someone walking down the street, singing and dancing and praising God? Would YOU ever be seen praising God in public- among unbelievers?
I loved learning about the Second Great Awakening in US History this year, especially the revival meetings. How cool would it be to have lived in the 19th Century and gone to one of those? To see people shouting and feeling the Holy Spirit move them, then leaving the meetings and being so full of joy and hope that you just had to go out and tell others about it! Of course, my public school curriculum kind of portrayed revival meetings as places where evangelists took advantage of people's emotions and status, but I'm hoping there was more to it than that. I know God can fill people's lives in a very dramatic, visible way.
The other side of this point that I feel I should quickly explain, is that we're not supposed to act like a Christian just so other people will see how "good" we are or how strong our faith is. Personally I would consider that statement to apply mostly in a church setting, where everyone shares your beliefs and would compare themselves to you. In a public setting, like downtown or at school, I would focus more on not being ashamed than on not being show-offy (basically, NEVER be show-offy!)
So hey, let's stop oppressing ourselves, shall we? Let's stop hindering the advancement of the Kingdom due to our own fear of rejection. John 15:18 says "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." We have to be consistent, not hypocrites and NOT ASHAMED! It's hard, I know. At first maybe get together with some friends and plan to pass out little notecards with bible verses on them or something. Or during the summer, play Christian music in your car with the windows down! Give the world a glimpse of your heart. Allow God to shine through you, not only in a subtle, "morally christian" way, but in a big, "I'M SO FULL OF JOY I CAN'T STOP PRAISING MY GOD!" kind of way.
Here's the video:
O Praise Him
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEezCFSPuH0
