Life knows no greater joy than to watch her dance.

The little girl stood in the middle of the room with her arms stretched out as far as they could reach. Standing on the tips of her toes, she began slowly to turn. Resting in the arms of her invisible love, she swayed back and forth to the beat of an inaudible melody.

It was in this moment I noticed my niece. She was in the middle of the living room while her parents, my wife, and I talked about the many happenings in our lives since the last time we had seen each other. She paid no attention to the adults, but instead gave herself completely to the joy of dancing. She was in her own world and she was completely content to stay there as long as she could.

In moments like these I am reminded of King David as he danced before the Lord without any reservations. And I see why Jesus said that to enter the kingdom of Heaven we need to be like children—wide-eyed and in awe of everything that surrounds us.

This led me to think about my life and the lives of Christians around the world. Far too often we get caught up in materialism and timely demands of the world around us. We forget we are sons and daughters of God and this world can never be a home for us. We are meant for more than this world could ever offer, but somehow we lose sight of that.

We could take a lesson from the little dancing girl in the middle of the room. Completely separated from anything of any monetary value, she held no worries about the world around her. These are the moments we should look for—moments to let everything slip from our minds and take complete comfort in the arms of our Lord. In these moments we forget about our surroundings and surrender before our maker. These are moments of beauty—the moments we shine with the love our Father lavishes upon us.

These are essential times for a successful Christian life. Not success that can be measured in money or possessions, but success that can be seen in selflessness and a desire to serve those around us. A desire to dance before the Lord and enjoy a wonderful relationship with him will start a fire in our souls that cannot easily be quenched. This fire is a burning passion not only to be with the Lord, but also to become like him in every way. A passion to see the world as it is and not as Satan would have us see it.

This dance could take on many forms, but all include a time in which we slow down and allow ourselves to be alone with our Father. Like a daughter dancing on her father’s feet, these are the most intimate times for us to be with him. These are the times we feel his touch and support. These are the times when he can whisper his love song over us. We are his people and in us he takes great pride.

The world doesn’t notice those who simply go along with the flow of society, but rather those who stop in the middle of the current and make a decision to go the other way. The world responds in different ways to this sudden change of pace, and some of those responses are negative. But we are not dancing for the benefit of the world; we are dancing for the triune God who is watching our every step with great anticipation and satisfaction.

Strive first to see the world from the standpoint of a child, then cling to your Father and let him protect and lead you in this dance of life. Allow your will to melt and mix with the will of God the Father until his desires become your desires. In this way you can become like him.

If you get the chance, dance with all your heart. Don’t give the world the satisfaction of knowing it has silenced you. Let yourself be free like King David in the Old Testament, and dance before your Lord God. We are dancing for an audience of one, and this audience will swell with pride and be the first to stand in a great ovation when the dance is done. Then he will take us home and ask us to dance again with him for eternity. |L

OTHER COLUMNS:
November 15, 2009 - Bringing Christ to French Guiana
November 1, 2009 - Walking the edge
October 18, 2009 - Watch what you say
October 4, 2009 - Proposing a new proverb
September 20, 2009 - Fear and trembling
September 6, 2009 - Elwyn
August 23, 2009 - Where did the Bible go?
August 9, 2009 - The public school: a local mission field
July 26, 2009 - Astonishing the judges
July 12, 2009 - Letting the past go
June 28, 2009 - Line up
June 14, 2009 - The path to spiritual growth
May 31, 2009 - A tribute to one of my heroes
May 17, 2009 - Silent soldier
April 19, 2009 - Operation Resensitization
April 5, 2009 - The temptations of ministers
March 8, 2009 - Conversation over shoes
February 22, 2009 - By their plurals you shall know them
February 8, 2009 - What is missing from your retirement plans?
January 25, 2009 - Turn the page
December 28, 2008 - Abba, Father
December 14, 2008 - Elementary truths
November 30, 2008 - The illusion
October 19, 2008 - Acting like a toddler
October 5, 2008 - Don’t miss this
September 21, 2008 - Foolish schemes
September 7, 2008 - God’s hand is everywhere
August 10, 2008 - Strange land
July 27, 2008 - God’s amazing grace
July 13, 2008 - A best seller
June 29, 2008 - My grandfather’s clock and worship
June 1, 2008 - Reclaiming the name
May 4, 2008 - God is not our fairy godmother
April 6, 2008 - Success: what is it and who can measure up?
March 9, 2008 - Need to know
February 10, 2008 - The top three myths of singleness
January 13, 2008 - By invitation only
December 5, 2007 - Yes, Abbie, there is a Jesus
November 18, 2007 - 10 Ways to be a good Christmas customer
October 21, 2007 - The dividing line
September 23, 2007 - What do you fear?
September 9, 2007 - A life well lived
August 26, 2007 - To murmur, or not to murmur
July 29, 2007 - The cross and the Christian
July 15, 2007 - Turning the other cheek: still a valuable biblical principle
July 1, 2007 - Why the tie?
June 3, 2007 - The death of a son
May 6, 2007 - A prayer for the dying
April 8, 2007 - The omnipresent God
March 11, 2007 - Do the Amish have superheroes?
February 11, 2007 - What’s your black history?
January 14, 2007 - The split branch
December 31, 2006 - The house of regret
December 10, 2006 - The redemption of the innkeeper
November 26, 2006 - Too many choices
November 12, 2006 - Break the bashing habit: Learning to love the unsaved like Christ does: November 12, 2006
October 15, 2006 - Be ‘salt and light’ this Christmas!: October 15, 2006
September 17, 2006 - Who is a legalist?: September 17, 2006 Issue 38
July 23, 2006 - God speaks through our brokenness: July 23, 2006 Issue 38
June 25, 2006 - 'What I am looking for in my church leaders'