When I ask my 2 year old to clean up his room, I know he cannot perform the task perfectly. He is 2, he can barely enunciate. He still struggles not to spill his glass of milk at the dinner table. The kid still poops his pants, for goodness sake!  I know what I have asked is beyond his abilities. He isn’t strong enough to disassemble the fort he made. The number of toys scattered everywhere are overwhelming to someone his size. He cannot make his bed like Martha Stewart. But I still ask him,  fully prepared to extend grace and mercy by joyfully coming beside him to help, guide and encourage him. Should my little man decide that (because he can’t clean up  well, or maybe because he simply doesn’t feel like it)  he won’t clean up at all— that would be disobedience, right? Maybe he would go through the motions but whine, grumble or slump his way through the chore. A lot of you are parents, you know how this works. What is true obedience? To obey, “Right away, all the way and with a good attitude every day!”

Many of us can laugh at this analogy and see his folly clearly, but how often do we play the part of a rebellious toddler when it comes to being disciples of Christ? God knows full well that we don’t have the ability to proclaim His Glory perfectly, but He still tells us to. How often do we attempt to use that excuse to justify our disobedience or we resolve to praise God quietly, behind closed doors, where no body can hear us. Perhaps we save it up for Sunday morning in church where it is easy to blend in. “When people get to know me,” we tell ourselves, “then they will see God in my life.” But have you ever read Psalm 47? There is nothing quiet and private about it. It says to praise God BIG or go home! There are no footnotes to hint at God’s presence in our life. It is supposed to be obvious and loud! Everyone can see it! Every one can feel it! Everyone knows it! No secret here, folks!

I’ve heard the argument that being bold and audacious would turn away unbelievers.  But that perspective has forgotten that it is God who hardens and softens the hearts of man. We have little to no control over how our message will be received and thankfully, God doesn’t burden us with that. Similarly, I don’t launch into reasoning with my toddler or demand that he goes about it in the most efficient manner.  I merely ask him to start obeying joyfully. My husband is fond of quoting, “If God gave you a beautiful voice, pay Him back by singing. If God gave you a horrible voice, pay Him back with singing.”  Remember that God is not limited by us. He works in mysterious ways. He, as a kind Father, has given us two basic, uncomplicated commands:  love God and love your neighbor. There is no fine print with an embarrassment clause. On the contrary, some of the ways praising God is described in the Bible looks like pure lunacy. Can you imagine what an idiot Joshua must have looked like marching around Jericho and shouting — especially after 7 days in a row?! I think the Bible is pretty clear that obedience to Him will usually look foolish. It will usually look awkward and clumsy. It will often look like you are drunk. There is no reason to be afraid of praising God! Go for it! Be noisy!  Shout! Clap! Dance around! Holler till you lose your voice and then start writing it all over your sidewalk in big, chalk letters! I’m only beginning to learn to count it a success when I am called a Crazy Church lady, but the truth is,  I’d rather be reckoned a nutter for Christ sake then for my own.

Psalm 47

O CLAP your hands, all peoples; SHOUT to God with the voice of joy.

For the Lord Most High is to be feared, A great King over all the earth. He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet. He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom He loves. Selah.

God has ascended with a SHOUT, the Lord, with the sound of a TRUMPET.

SING praises to God, SING praises; SING praises to our King, SING praises.

For God is the King of all the earth; SING praises with a skillful psalm.

God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne.

The princes of the people have assembled themselves as the people of the God of Abraham,

For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted.