As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart...David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord who chose me...he appointed me ruler over the Lord's people Israel--I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes (2 Samuel 6:16, 21-22a NIV).

We live in a world that evaluates us on how we look and we carry ourselves. Consequently there's a strong temptation within each of us to avoid situations and actions where we may lose prestige or stature in another's' eyes. We live in a society that at its best is ambivalent to the gosepl and thus any step towards devotion or zeal for the Lord is likely to be deemed as a sign of weakness, a waste of time or simply foolishness. Sadly, this isn't a new challenge for followers of God's ways. Thousands of years ago, David faced these same criticisms as he strove to love God with all he had.

For years David had endured great hardship with an unwavering trust and dependence on the Lord. Yet as David looked back on his life he was reminded that God was faithful to His promises and that His care extended broadly to the nation of Israel but also very specifically to him personally, the shepherd boy turned king. As the symbol of the very presence of God moved into his town, David was overjoyed at the visual reminder of the strength, love and compassion that the Father had shown him over the years. David was so thankful and exuberant that he forgot about the crowds and simply celebrated the might of his God.

Yet unfortunately, not everyone approved of his celebration of the Lord. In this case his own wife despised him because of his "undignified" actions. Have you ever had a friend, co-worker or loved one belittle you because you were trying to live passionately for Christ? Sadly, I imagine your answer is "yes"--it's often the people who are closest to us who can most effectively undermine our zeal for the Lord.

The challenge that we face daily is to choose to celebrate who God is and what He has done in our lives even if others see it as undignified or beneath us. In this instance David's celebration was dancing--but what's the unique way you can celebrate who God is and how He has moved in your life? Maybe it's dancing or some other form of demonstrative worship--or maybe it's through humbly serving a neighbor or investing in a difficult co-worker. However you choose to celebrate God's goodness, be assured some just won't get it and you know what...that's okay. We live a life of celebration not for those who watch but for the King who is worthy to be celebrated and for our own souls so we don't forget how much we have to be thankful for.

-Danny Orrick