Sunday, September 14, 2008

Like No One is Watching


I completely stole this from Bo Chancey's blog, a pastor at Compass Christian Church in Texas where I worked...I copied and pasted portions of it because it is lengthy. Listen, enjoy.


Have you ever noticed somebody singing in their car when they thought that nobody was watching? I love watching them rock out to their favorite song as they dance and sing with all their might. Many times I have been caught staring at a neighboring driver and each time the person immediately stopped and looked embarrassed.
It always makes me sad when that happens, because I kind of feel like I have ruined their fun. They were one way when they thought that no one was watching, but when their private sanctuary was violated they immediately shut it down and returned to the land of the "proper".
Now I've been caught as well. There I was jamming in my car when all of the sudden I realized that I was being watched. Off course, I am just like everybody else. Whenever this would happen, I would stop my singing and begin to sheepishly stare straight ahead.
Recently though, I have adopted a new strategy. Now when I realize that someone is watching, I stare right back at them and sing even harder. I have evoked smiles, laughter, and even the occasional applause. More importantly though, is that I no longer allow the stares of another to ruin my fun. It is unbelievably freeing to say the least. You should try it.
Seriously, you should try it. Not just in your car though, but in church. Wouldn't it be wonderful to become so caught up in worship that you became oblivious to everyone else around you? What if your focus was so completely fixed on God that nothing else in this world mattered? That would be an incredible worship experience.
Worship is what we are here for. We were created to worship and when we allow our worship to be limited or constrained because of concern about what others might think, we are not living life to the fullest. This can and must change for us to truly bring God the glory He so richly deserves.
We must allow ourselves to worship like no one is watching both in corporate worship and in our daily lives. Both are vital, but I will argue that if we cannot worship with complete freedom and utter abandon in a Sunday morning worship gathering then there is no way that we can do it during the rest of our week.
Yes, this is the place to start. Think about it. Sunday mornings represent a time and place where like minded Christians gather together for the expressed purpose of worship. If we cannot find freedom to fully lose ourselves in worship during that time, then what would make us think that it would happen at other times? That is the one moment each week when the worldly distractions are most limited. We must get over ourselves and begin to worship with all of our might, especially when others are watching.
The Sunday worship gathering should be filled with Christians who are eager to sing, dance, clap, and give. When churches are filled with stoic, "reverent" corpses little to no fruit will ever be produced.
What happens on Sunday morning is a mere reflection of a week spent either in intense daily worship or mediocre Christian existing. If we were truly experiencing the victory of living daily with Christ then our worship services would take on a dramatically different feel. They would have energy, passion, and congregational involvement from start to finish. Worship would not have to be drummed up or created. Instead it would be the natural consequence of Christians gathering together. Yawns would turn to shouts. Irritated glances at clocks would turn to wide eyed gazes to the heavens. Crossed arms and stern frowns would be replaced with raised hands and jubilant faces.
Deep down don't you want to be that way? You want to worship God in complete freedom like no one is watching, don't you? You want to sing, raise hands, shout, and dance without caring about what others would think. Of course you do. That is what happens when God becomes the epicenter of your life. He is your focus and nothing has the power to limit your worship of Him. That kind of heart pleases God.

Your Heavenly Father is watching. He is always watching. He watches because He adores you. You are the apple of God's eye. You are His most prized creation. Do not let anything or anyone (including yourself) hinder your worship of Him. Sing for Him. Dance for Him. Reach out for Him. Lose yourself in God's presence as you live everyday in surrendered worship to Him.

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