What Not To Wear

We have 2 more Monday nights to enjoy “Drawing Near to the Heart of God” together. Come and see for yourself what the Bible teaches about praise and worship. I will be teaching “Making Praise Personal, Part 2.” I hope to see you there!

WHAT NOT TO WEAR

Watching The Learning Channel program What Not To Wear (WNTW) was a favorite mother-daughter activity when my daughter was a teen. The show has a great philosophy. The idea is to help people find the garments that best benefit them in achieving their personal goals. They don’t condone becoming slaves to fashion. Instead, they teach principles and offer guidance for making wise wardrobe choices that complement their bodies and their lifestyles.
 
It occurred to me, after watching countless episodes (some repeatedly), that What Not To Wear’s ideas on building a wardrobe were helpful to me as I sought to follow the biblical exhortation to put on “garments of praise” (Isaiah 61:3).
 
The consultants on WNTW strive to personalize the wardrobes of their charges. In a similar way, our challenge is to praise God in ways that are personal and authentic. For all of us that means taking a good, honest look at how we approach our God in worship. My goal is to know Him without focusing on what others are wearing or what is most comfortable for me.
 
I must be willing to have my present ideas about worship challenged. Having a makeover on WNTW requires turning your current wardrobe over to the experts. Consultants Stacy and Clinton ask you to follow their guidelines in finding new ways to dress. Likewise, every part of a believer’s relationship with God needs to be decided by what God’s Word says. Praise and worship are no exception.
 
On What Not To Wear, ill-fitting garments are sent to the Discard Pile. Similarly, I have had to trash plenty of my mindsets about worship. Some of the hardest to let go of were my preferences in the areas of formality and music style.
 
The truth is that we are most comfortable with the familiar. But holding onto tradition has its dangers. Who wants to arrive at the high school reunion sporting their hairstyle from 10 or 20 years ago? We shudder at the thought! Are we equally willing to shed our traditions when it comes to worship? In Matthew 15:3 Jesus asks, “Why do you…transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?”
 
Many WNTW participants are nudged out of their comfort zones, but emerge from the process feeling empowered to be more of themselves. This has certainly been my testimony as I have begun practicing biblically based praise principles.
 
As I draw near to God with my praises, I have found my best-dressed self, the me that God originally intended. I come away from these times of communion with Him certain that the garments of praise aren’t uncomfortable or awkward, but are what I wear when I am most fully alive and free.
 

God is sheer being itself – Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.

John 4:24 MSG