obedient to the point of stupidity...

After Revolution last week, this was a phrase that was on my heart. I’ve had a few people wonder what it meant exactly. I would wager the opinion that it involves a surrender to God and His work in your life in such a complete way, that you would pretty much be willing to do anything He asked in your life – no matter how stupid it would make you look or feel. It involves nailing ones pride and flesh to a cross, and stepping out because the One calling you is worth the sacrifice. This, by the way, is complete foolishness to a world that cycles on reason and logic. God’s wisdom is in exact opposite to human wisdom…I think it was made this way so that when one obeys something that doesn’t make sense in their brain, whatever results from it can only be accounted to God and bring Him the glory. It is very Biblical to lean NOT on your own understanding...

sidebar... I thought it was interesting that the word "stupid" actually is derived from the word "stupere" which means to "be amazed or stunned"

Imagine what would happen if Christians actually started being obedient to the point of looking stupid. How does that work itself out practically, one might ask…to Mr. Genor, it was handing out pamphlets on George Street and posing salvations question to complete strangers, (George Street Story), to George Muller it was sitting his 200+ orphans down to pray for a meal when there was no food in the kitchen (they never missed a meal BTW)... it could be as simple as a physical response (ie. kneeling, raising your hands etc) in worship, picking someone up on the side of the road, taking the “wrong” way home, shouting something out randomly, starting a convo with a stranger... anything to get us out of our comfort zones and stepping in obedience to whatever the Spirit is leading you to,
Last nite it was leading worship.
That may not seem so extreme to some people - but it goes deeper than just singing a song. Tonite God did something awesome in my heart... and it started with obedience. I had reached a point of desperation. I needed more of God. I wanted more of God. It was pressing on my heart without release. I wanted to live completely abandoned. Completely in love... without hesitation or regret. With my whole heart, soul, life, body.
Last week during worship God told me to lead in singing. Ya right! There’s a worship team up there for a reason! I’m not a confident singer by any stretch of the imagination, and getting up infront of people is COMPLETELY outside my comfort zone. Let me hide out in the background vocals sections! I countered by singing “louder” from my little corner in the back. It was okay... just as good I figured.
Maybe not...
This week @ Rev we had a different start to worship: silence. No music. No leaders. No crutches. We were being called to worship a holy God with our hearts. The picture God gave me was a soul walking through a desert - leaning not on formality, familiarity, tradition... desperately seeking their love. And in this desert was an oasis. A paradise. The reward for persistance and obedience. Little did I know that this was the place God was leading me to.
We started singing and God was impressing my heart to go and lead worship. ACK! What the heck! I thought we went thru that last week! But tonite there was that restlessness that knew obedience was the only option. There was no back corner worship allowed tonite. (One thing about God pursuing your heart... He doesn’t give up very easily!) It was nailing my flesh... my pride... and stepping out and worshipping God with my guts because He is worthy of praise.
He is worth going out on a limb. He’s worth being humbled over. He is worthy of our praise - no matter what it sounds like! He is worthy of my obedience at all costs... to the point of making a fool of myself. It reminded me of King David being willing to become “more undignified than this” beause of His love for God. And so I sang... past my pride. Past my fears. Past the doubts and into the presence of my God. My obedience - a love song to my Saviour King. (sidebar again... God had already told Paul, the worship leader, that someone else would be leading worship... just so you don't think I'm the only one out in left field!)
Who am I to lead worship to the Most High God? I am no one. And yet I am one who loves Him. Who seeks after Him. Who desires to know Him more. I am one He delights in. He loves it when we praise Him without boundary in obedience, and with the motivation of bringing HIM the praise! It wasn't about physically leading worship... it was about the willingness to lead a life of worship, stepping outside myself because I love God more than my self.
I cannot begin to describe the freedom that washed over me in that time... the more I worshipped, the less hold my struggles, my obsessions, my lusts of the flesh held over my heart and gripped my thoughts, and the more He filled me with Himself. When the singing was over, I could barely crawl up the stairs to pray - humbled before Him and completely amazed at His love. I found Him in the wilderness as He had promsied I would. I came out of the desert leaning upon Him.
But it took a step of obedience. Abandonment. And my heart can’t stop singing...