Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright. PS 33.1
I’m not a particularly emotional person. At football games I’ve never shouted and high-fived. I never danced or moshed or sang along or held up my lighter at concerts. And I was raised in a church in which the most expressive thing we did in worship was exchange the sign of peace with our neighbor – my brother and I would give each other a sideways glance and a smirk, then give each other the peace sign.
When Jesus saved me, I became convinced from preaching and the Word that God desires expressive worship. But for me to raise my hands or shout to God or sing with gusto was like telling me to do an Irish step dance at an opera.
But I wanted to become more expressive in my worship. I only had to overcome my fear of man.
I read about a man who conquered his self-consciousness by going out in the woods and shouting praises to the Lord. So I decided to try this. I lived on a farm at the time, so I tramped across a cow pasture to a stand of woods where I knew no one would hear me.
I looked around, raised my hands, and shouted, somewhat meekly, “Halleluiah!” I did it again, a little bit louder. I felt weird. What if someone heard me or saw me? Looking around, I shouted again, “Halleluiah!” I kept shouting over and over again, until I began to get used to it. I did this for about 15 or 20 minutes, then trudged back through the field to my apartment over the garage on the farm.
The next time I worshiped with the church, when the leader exhorted us to raise our hands and shout to the Lord, with the Lord’s help, I overcame my fear of what others thought of me and shouted my praises to Jesus.
30 years later, I still battle the fear of man at times during worship. But whenever it’s appropriate during our times of corporate worship, I love to shout my praise to the Lord. It feels good.
It feels good, because praise befits the upright.
photo by matglas photog
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks Mark. This helps me at a time when I think the Lord has been causing me to come across these passages in His Word about how He desires to be worshiped with expression. My default mode during singing is “hands in pockets”, though I don’t feel that way inside. It doesn’t come natural to express emotion, but who is more worthy to receive our affections than God?
Hey Mark,
Thanks for sharing this today. I struggle with this even still today somewhat, our team talks about it regularly. Just the “what will other people think” question.
I heard a guy speak on this a while back, he said that he started with his hands in his pockets palms up, he then slowly got to the point where he understood more clearly the reason we raise our hands and become more expressive in our worship to God. I think that the more we understand who God is and what He has done for us through Christ and also just as we study worship and why we do what we do every Sunday morning, it will definitely affect us and the fear of man will become less and less.
Great post today, I’m going to pass this along to our team.
Blessings
Ron Reffett
Thank you for this post. Sometimes in worship at church, I WANT to raise my hands or kneel or sing loudly, but “fear of man” keeps my still and quiet. By God’s grace, I hope to change so that I have the freedom to worship without thought of other’s opinions.
Hey Bob,
I don’t think worshiping with expressiveness is natural to very many people….you are so right, our Lord is totally worthy of our hearty praise! Thanks for your comment.
Hi Ron,
I think most of us have to overcome the fear of man when it comes to worship, but you are right, the more we can learn of the excellencies of Christ and focus on him, the less concerned we are with ourselves. I’ve heard similar stories of folks who could only lift their hands an inch, then a foot, etc. I’m sure the Lord is pleased with any steps we take in expressing our love to him. Thanks again!
Hi Stephanie,
I am sure that by God’s grace you will grow, even as I have. It’s still a temptation for me at times to be concerned what others will think of me in worship, but with the Lord’s help, its far less frequently a temptation than it was years ago. Keep pressing on! Thanks for commenting.
Mark,
Thanks for this post! I can totally relate. Sometimes, in my mind, during worship, I picture myself as a little girl wearing a white dress, in field full of beautiful flowers on a warm, sunny day. My arms are outstretched. I dance and skip through the meadow. There are no holes, bugs, thistles, etc. as I pour my heart out to God.
In reality, I can’t dance and I’d get dizzy if I twirled the way I do in my mind’s eye. Not to mention how distracting it would be to others attempting to worship (or is that just the excuse for a heart that fears man?). I look forward to the day when we will skip and dance, uninhibited before the throne of our King! What a joyful day that will be!!!!!
Hey Elizabeth,
Won’t that be a wonderful day, singing and dancing before the Lamb on the Throne, without the slightest bit of the fear of man! Thanks for a great reminder!
Is it possible that “fear of man” works the other way, too? In other words, in congregations that promote loud emotive behavior in worship, do some people shout or raise their hands, etc., because they are afraid they’d look like a dork if they DIDN’T do it?
Hi Marie,
Sure, I think that’s possible. Worship is primarily a heart issue, and one can worship wholeheartedly without shouting, raising hands, etc. Man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart. No one should do anything from the fear of man; all we do should be from love of Jesus. I like what John Piper says – worship begins in the heart, but shouldn’t stay there. It should be expressed in some biblically appropriate way.
The main thing is that we do all to the glory of God….whether we are quiet and contemplative or shouting and lifting hands. Thank you for your thoughtful questions!