Do you struggle with worshipping in public? Does who you are sitting next to affect whether you outwardly display praise?
We have all probably struggled with this before. We can care more about what people think about us than giving God heartfelt praise.
But let me tell you, if the person beside you is judging you, they need to check their heart. In my experience, though, I found the opposite is true, the people around me get blessed by my worship, and it becomes contagious.
David Worshipped
One of my favorite verses is 2 Samuel 6:14, and David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. David danced before the Lord with no shame. He didn’t care who was watching. His love for God overwhelmed him and overflowed from him. I admire David’s heart of worship. We must get to a place where we allow our love for God to dictate our worship instead of those around us.
PDA
Worship is a public display of affection. Some of you may struggle with PDA when it comes to your partner. But worshipping God is saying I love God, and I want everyone to know, even if it makes someone uncomfortable.
David had this attitude, so when his wife called him out for what she deemed inappropriate behavior, he did not apologize. Instead, verse 21 says, And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord.
We Worship Because of What He has Done
David worshipped openly because he knew who chose him to lead Israel, he not only knew who chose him, but we see throughout the Psalms that he knew God was his deliverer, shelter, strength, refuge, and much more; David recognized everything God did for him and who God was to him. When we remember all God has done for us, starting with the cross, our hearts should cry out with worship to our God.
It is a Heart Matter
I want to note that just because someone is not lifting their hands does not mean they are not worshipping in their hearts, but if they are not raising their hands because they fear how they look, that is a problem. And just because someone is raising their hands and shouting does not mean they are worshipping the Lord; it is all about the heart. But for those who fear how others will view them, it is time to get out of your head and get into worship.
Why You Should Lift Your Hands
One of the most impactful things my children’s church pastor taught me was that lifting your hands was saying, ‘I love you, God, and I surrender.’ I surrender my fear of how I look, my hold on my life, and my anxieties. We lift our hands to show that there is nothing in them and give everything to God.
Practical Application
Now that you know you should be willing to show PDA toward the Father, how do you get past your fear? Here is one piece of advice; shut your eyes. If you close your eyes, all the people around you disappear. How can they judge you if they aren’t there?
Now maybe you are thinking, but what if I don’t know the words to the song; doesn’t matter. You can keep your eyes open until you get the gist of the song, or you can let the words float over you as you thank him in your heart. Something I also do is pray in tongues during the parts I don’t know; this helps me keep a heart of worship despite not knowing the words. Eventually, the longer the song plays, the more lyrics you will pick up.
Let’s commit today that no matter who is sitting beside us we WILL worship the Lord with abandon. He deserves all the praise, the least we can do is publicly show our love for him.
Referenced Verses:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+6&version=ESV
Working at Walmart says
Thanks for the great article!
carrie says
Thanks for reading!