Unashamed and Unrestrained {Team Journal}
Today’s team journal was written by our Content Director, Jillian Vincent.
I’ve been swallowed in a book this past week, and for once I don’t mean I’m reading a book. This time I mean I am writing a book.
I’ve been afraid to come out and share that I’m writing a book, because I want some sense of my dignity preserved if it comes to nothing. The “what if’s” have been my all-too familiar friend: What if I’m not good enough? What if it fails and then I have to tell people that I failed? The thing is I’m so scared to be bad at something, and I’m especially embarrassed to be bad at that something I’m doing in public. I mean come on, I’ve taken the title of Content Director, have I not? Aren’t I supposed to be leading by example in producing beautiful content? Talk about pressure!
So, in response to this pressure, each day, I’ve prayed that God would help me to be faithful to what He has called me to write, and I understand now more than ever that writing is worship when done unto the Lord. In Colossians 3:23-24, Paul directs us with these words: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Therefore, I’ve asked God to help me write for an audience of one, and not to allow any voices or outcome, real or imagined, keep me from worshipping Him with my writing. So, day by day, God is consecrating my words as worship unto Him and making my writing process a holy one.
David’s public worship started with private worship.
In our DWITW 365 reading plan, we will come to a story about King David and his wife, Michal, recorded in 2 Samuel 6:16-22 and 1 Chronicles 13-15. When the ark of the Lord comes into the city of David, he and “all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets” (1 Chronicles 13:8). The Scriptures record that David specifically was leaping and dancing before the Lord. He holds nothing back, and unashamedly praises God. The Scriptures record that Michal despised David in her heart because of the unabashed nature of his worship. The abundant disdain from Michal’s heart overflowed to her mouth (Luke 6:45), as she scolded her husband, the king of Israel.
What was David’s response to her?
“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. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes.” 2 Samuel 6:21-22b
David basically says: Dignity be damned. The Lord is worthy!
May I lead in just this way! May I be willing to openly, unashamedly worship God in every word and deed because He is worthy to be praised! So yes, I am writing a book! It’s about Jesus and it is my loud, uncensored, unedited, unpracticed, unprofessional, UNDIGNIFIED offering of worship to the Lord!
Scripture gives us the lyrics of the song David sung that day:
“Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.” 1 Chronicles 16:23-29
Whatever form your worship takes, let us lead by example and give the Lord the worship due His name..
May we fear the Lord over our gods of self, our good name, and the good opinion of our friends, family, and yes, even spouses! May we bring Him our offerings of worship! May we ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name in everything He calls us to do today, whether it is writing a book, meeting with your boss, or cleaning your fridge!
It doesn’t matter so much what we do as how we do it. Whatever form your worship takes, let us lead by example and give the Lord the worship due His name. Let’s worship the Lord in broad daylight! I’m trying to learn from David a habit of bold worship and learn from Michal’s mistake not to squelch the worship of others. In my life, I’m my own worst Michal. I squelch my own worship with inward shame, grappling with ugly predictions about what others may think of my bold worship.
So, I will leave you with this word of encouragement if you are feeling more like Michal than David. Has your passion maybe fizzled a bit? Maybe your worship is a little ho-hum or is hiding behind your pride? Just as Michal’s disdain overflowed from her heart, David’s worship overflowed from his. Earlier in his song, David’s lyrics declared “Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (1 Chronicles 16:9-11)
David’s public worship started with private worship. So, sisters, if you are afraid or ashamed to worship God out in the open, start by worshipping and seeking God in your own heart. When you see His glory and His character, you just won’t be able to help yourself. You will have to worship. You won’t be able to contain it, nor will you want to! The veil covering your worship, and God’s glory, will be removed.
“”But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.””
Jillian Vincent loves Jesus. She's a wife, mother of two boys and a Dayton enthusiast. Jillian currently is a stay at home mama and spends nap times writing and discipling other women. She would (almost) die for an avocado, a cup of coffee made by her husband, a novel that makes her cry, and a bouquet of sunflowers.