“Michal the daughter of Saul looked down through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she was contemptuous of him in her heart.”
David and his wife Michal had a disagreement about how David should worship God in public. Michal took a condescending tone, that I sometimes hear in myself. Am I at times contemptuous of those who worship differently than I do?
Worship must focus on the Lord, not the worshiper. There are “ministers” who teach self-empowerment instead of worship, and those are non-scriptural, false teachers who must be resisted.
The Bible contains clear guidelines for approaching God. But there are areas of worship that the Bible does not specifically address, and it seems today, that we look for reasons to divide instead of reasons to come together.
Some people raise their hands, and some don’t… some dress differently than others… some say “amen” during the church service, while others sit quietly … Shouldn’t my default reaction to all of these be to see sincerity? Shouldn’t I remember that they didn’t come to church seeking my approval, and that God clearly sees their heart…and mine?
When I see someone who worships more enthusiastically than I do …do I doubt their motive? Do I delve into my self-perceived spiritual knowledge and judge them?
As the chapter ends, we learn that Michal’s punishment for her arrogance was that she had no children – she could not reproduce. … Am I in danger of the same punishment? Does my exclusiveness and egotism deter me from loving others and creating disciples?
If my child were to give me a rudimentary drawing as a gift, and you mocked them for what you perceived as their lack of artistic ability…Your problem would be with me, not my child. I think God sees my judgement of those who worship differently than I do in much the same way.
On Sunday morning, I need to concentrate on my own offering…I must keep my own worship pure. Scripture says, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”…If I worship like that - It sounds to me like there shouldn’t be much energy left over after church for me to judge my neighbor.
“When you judge someone, it doesn't define them. It defines you.”
– Anonymous.
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