Is Dignity your Downfall?

Is Dignity your Downfall?

Sam. 6:16 " Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart."

Vs. 20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”

Vs. 21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord." 

Vs. 22 "And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight."

Worship in the majority of Christendom, has become staid and robotic.   We are presented by a list of songs chosen by the worship team and accompanied by skilled musicians and singers.  Great sounding worship, but I have often looked back across the audience to find stoic faces looking forward, with mouths hardly moving.  

What's wrong with this picture?   It is a lack of audience participation.  Having led worship for the past 44 years, I absolutely know you cannot force people to worship.  I have seen worship leaders berate the audience and even insult them in an attempt to get them to worship.

The problem is worship is something that has to come from the heart.  It is a desire to worship God and can only come from someone who has personally met the Master and had a relationship with God on the inside.    Worship is an expression of how we feel about God. " God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [[a]who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]." 1 Cor.2:9 Amp.    "We love Him because He first loved us."  1 John 4:19   

The sad reality is that there are probably many Christians who love God and have had a personal relationship with Him, but are holding back because of their concept of "dignity"    Religion has taught them that they need to be dignified before the Lord.   The dictionary meaning of dignity is ... . the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect. -   a composed or serious manner or style.

With the dignified mindset, worship becomes composed and serious, rather than joyful and expressive.   Expressive worship is a wonderful thing and can lead to tremendous breakthrough in our demeanor.   Isa. 61:3  "To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion—to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit ... "  Amp.

The question remains ...  Is Dignity your Downfall?  Are you missing out on a heavenly blessing because you are locked in the human restraints of dignity.  

Over the many years of revival meetings, the greatest breakthroughs we have witnessed in the lives of people, was when they abandoned their dignity and allowed the Holy Spirit to fill them to the point that in the natural it looked silly.   Some were like that for days, but the outcome was amazing.  

I believe that dignity and pride go hand in hand. The word of God says "be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble" 1 Pet. 5:5    When we humble ourselves before the Lord, and allow His awesome glory to fill us, dignity will depart and victory will come.  

We call it ... getting lost in His glory ... Soaking in His presence  ... becoming saturated with His anointing.     The most profound breakthroughs in my life have not come from serious moments in God's presence, but powerful encounters with the Spirit of God that left me empty of self and full of Him.  

The Apostle Paul prayed for the Church daily ... Eph. 3:16 "May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].   That is not some dignified experience but one amazing encounter.  

I am not saying we have to get silly in the presence of the Lord. But dignity will cause you to despise the lack of dignity in others, just like Saul's daughter Michal.   Victory does not come from a physical act but from a yielded heart. Dignity is a state of mind, but a yielded heart leads to a free spirit at which point dignity is abandoned and God's blessing flows.  

Let me encourage you to allow God to fill you to overflowing, and change you radically on the inside.   WE ALL NEED IT OFTEN.

Listen to this audio clip.  
God's richest blessing

Gil Howard-Browne
www.revivaltimes.com
www.podcast.revivaltimes.com
www.encourageme.tv