It’s been more than twenty years since the David Crowder Band released the song, Undignified. The song references David, ancient Israel’s warrior-poet king, and his activities around bringing the Ark of the Covenant (Yes, the one referred to in one of my favorite movies, Raiders of the Lost Ark.) back into the city of Jerusalem. The author of 2 Samuel described the scene this way.
‘So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart….
When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”
David said to Michal, “…I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”’ (see 2 Samuel 6:12-22 for the entire story).
What a beautiful story of a leader placing the worship and service of God above human opinion; however, we could make the mistake of using this as an excuse for ignoring or diminishing the place of dignity in life and worship.
The word used here for dignity (used in the negative in the text) is the same word Paul uses in Philippians 4:8 for “honorable.” Paul tells his friends that they need to meditate on those things that are honorable (“noble,” “respectful,” “modest,” “honest,” “dignified,” “worthy of respect,” and a few other synonyms found in other translations). Thinking about those things that are worthy of respect is a gateway to an honorable life.
Our thought-life works like our eyes as we walk—meaning, our feet follow the path our eyes set out before us. The same applies to how we think. This is why Paul tells his friends to think on good things—because he knows a fruitful life follows healthy thinking. Also, and more importantly, when we think about these things, we’re acknowledging that the source of everything noble is our Heavenly Father.
Do you find your mind to be in a constant state of turmoil? Is your gut churning [After all, even medical science is now validating the link between the heart (our innermost being) and the mind.]? Are you anxious? Turn off your media-consumption devices. Focus on the source of all goodness, and watch Him quiet your troubled mind.
