Do the Pajama Dance

The scandal of a half-naked king must have given the pundits and bloggers something to criticize. If they had news networks, they all would have shown up to give this disgrace some prime-time coverage. We may not be able to say exactly why David took off his kingly robes to dance before the presence of the Lord, but we can follow his example. My guess is that David only knew how to worship God as David, not as a national official (II Samuel 6:14). He did not learn to play a harp at church. He learned it all alone on a grassy hillside as he worked out his unique abilities to exalt the Almighty. How much we could learn from his example.

Do you dance in your pajamas?

If David got excited about his God who lived in a box (the ark of the covenant) how much more we should get excited about our God who lives in our hearts! Is your relationship with God cold and formal? Get real with Him. Read His word and fall in love with Him in truth. When His Spirit fills you, you should feel like shouting, jumping, running, and maybe even cutting the rug.

If we are going to get excited about the Lord Jesus at church, however, we should first dance at home, in our pajamas. Wearing the Sunday dress or brand new suit should not be our only time to get crazy about Jesus, as if to put on a show. If we are going to shout for God, it should begin when we are alone with Him in the prayer closet. God needs to see my actions as worship to Him before anyone else does. Too many times the people who jump on Sunday droop through the rest of the week. The soprano in the choir could sound like an angel on the weekend but gripe like the devil all week. What good is it to shout for Jesus at church if I shout at my wife and kids at home? Our homes and prayer closets must build the foundation of our walk with God (Matthew 6:6).

Get more vile than this

King David did not care if people thought he was common. He loved God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. He did not have a public worship face and a private alternative. He only knew how to worship God with everything within him. He did not know how to sing without his homemade harp. He could not fight a battle with borrowed armor, just the weapon he had perfected alone with God’s help. He did not know how to jump, run, and spin in the presence of the Lord in those bulky robes. He only knew how to dance in his pajamas and he did it with all his might.

When his wife criticized him, he shrugged it off. He said, “I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight” (II Samuel 6:22). In other words, “Honey, you haven’t seen anything yet!” Before you make a scene at church again—in fact, even before you are seen at church again, get real before God. Let Him hear your voice alone. Worship him with all your heart where no one can see. Then, when you feel the urge in public, it will not be a drama, but a reality show.