Do You Have His Attention? Pt. 2

You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And cannot look on wickedness.
Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,
And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he? ~ Hab. 1:13 (NKJV)

     In Part 1 of our discussion, we talked about Cain's offering and why it was unacceptable to God, because of the condition of his heart. We also learned that just as it was with Cain, it's possible for God to hate what we do for Him, if we have sin in our hearts. In these times when worship arts sometimes become more focused on the presentation than the message, how do we stay focused on the Lord, and keep His attention on us? How do stay out of the many traps and snares that the enemy has planned for us?

     The first and most important way to stay free from the enemy's traps is through prayer. Prayer is our first line of communication line with God, and without a prayer life, we have no ministry. Through prayer, we can find out what the enemy's next move is, and get His guidance on how to handle, stop, or navigate around it. Another way is to be mindful of what we say. Sometimes, we casually say things that can be misunderstood, or we speak to the wrong people about things that are going on. Also be careful of competition, and trying to outdo others. God is not judging whose praise is the best, He receives all praise that comes from pure hearts! If the band changes the music or switches songs, keep it moving and don't complain about how "they messed us up".  Speak kindly to others in your group, respect them at all times. Remember, what you have to say is never more important than the person you are speaking to; that goes for members as well as leaders. Don't look down on those who are less skilled than you are, instead, look for ways to befriend them, and offer to share your knowledge. If others have more abilities than you, introduce yourself and find out how you can learn from them.

...But the Lord said to Samuel, "Don't look at how handsome Eliab is or how tall he is, because I have not chosen him. God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart"~I Samuel 16:7 (NCV)

     This is God's work, and we're all on the same team! There is no place for striving in the Kingdom. If we are worshiping and sharing the Good News of Christ through our gifts and talents, we can all have God's attention, at the same time.

Please enjoy this group of dancers from different ministries who worked together to present a beautiful worship piece:

The Heart of a Dancer

Come show me your mercy,
as you do for all who love Your Name.

Guide my steps by your word,

so I will not be overcome with evil.

Ransom me from the oppression of evil people;

then I can obey your commandments.~ Psalm 119:132-134 (NLT)

     There are many in-depth discussions everywhere about how dancers should dress, how they should move, how many classes and conferences they should attend, whether or not technique is important, and what kind of music they should dance to. All these things matter, but has anyone considered the most important element of sacred dance, which is...the heart?  How many beautiful dancers have we seen with impeccable garments and flawless skills, only to later overhear their conversations, seen their actions, experienced their un-Christlike attitudes or read some of their social networking posts that reveal their true heart towards others? Although we are in no position to judge the condition of anyone's relationship with God, the Word does tell us that we will know people by the their fruit, which is what we see and hear (and then pray for them):

A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. ~ Matt. 7: 17-20 (NLT)

    

     So, the question is, what does the heart of a sacred dancer look like, and if a dancer doesn't yet have the the heart of Christ, how do they receive it? Here are some things to seek after...

The Heart of a Sacred Dancer is:*

Diligent ~ Proverbs 4:23-27

God- Fearing ~ Psalm 128:1; Hebrews 12: 1-12

Forgiving ~ Matthew 18: 21-35; Luke 6: 35-37

Filled with the Fruit of the Spirit ~ Galatians 5: 22-26

Humble ~ Phillipians 2

Living by Faith ~ 1 Timothy 6: 11-16

Loving ~ John: 13-34

 Passionate for Souls ~ 2 Timothy 1: 7-14; Hebrews 13:16; Romans 10: 13-15

Submitted to Authority ~ Hebrews 13:17

Teachable ~ Romans 15:14

Thankful ~ Psalm 117: 28-29; Psalm 136: 1-3

Unselfish ~ Psalm 119: 36

   

     All of these qualities make up the heart of a sacred dancer...we can study these and make sure that before we put on our beautiful garments and present that polished routine, that our hearts are completely dressed in God's character. Time-out for outward beauty without an inward witness from the Holy Spirit! When we have the true heart of a dancer, people will see Christ in us, and join us in real worship.

Blessings...and keep dancing for Christ!



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*The Heart of a Dancer - Written and compiled by Sekettia Brantley for Dancers Array "N" Christian Evangelism Dance Company Ministries

Thanks to Jeneen Harris, Director of Great Jubilee Dance Company and Ministries in San Antonio TX for providing us with this beautiful photograph that radiates the heart of a sacred dancer.
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