Unhindered

In English figures of speech are so common that we don’t even think about how they sound to non-native speakers. For example, we say someone is crying or laughing their head off, talking your ear off, freezing their fingers off, or working their butt off. In all these examples, the idea is that some action is so extreme that it creates an extreme reaction. Sometimes when I’m exercising, I feel like I’m sweating my butt off, but in actuality, nothing is really happening. Wouldn’t it be it great if we could really have our butts fall off from exercising? That would make me exceedingly happy! It would mean my extreme effort was paying off big!
In 2 Samuel Chapter 6, we see David and his men finally bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to the City of David after an earlier misstep that landed the Ark in the household of Obed of Edom. David was so overjoyed to be reclaiming the Ark and bringing it to its rightful place in the city that he “danced before the Lord with all his might.” His dancing was so extreme that he “danced his clothes off!” Now that’s unhindered! No one seemed to have a problem with it except his wife, Michal, the daughter of Saul. She “despised him in her heart” because she was embarrassed that he got down to his tunic in front of the people, and especially in plain sight of common slave girls. She considered his behavior vulgar and undignified. I love David’s response!

21 David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. 22 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."

Isn’t that the way it usually goes. We do something extravagant out of love for God and someone close to us has to give us grief. We worry about what others might say about our “out there” displays of love or faith. David on the other hand could’ve cared less about what his wife thought, because his focus was in the right place. He was celebrating before the Lord. Everything else in his mind and in his world disappeared. He was dancing his butt off, unhindered and unashamed...and promising to be even more undignified in his worship than he had already been! That’s the way I want to be! It’s been a long time since I danced my butt off before the Lord, undignified, unhindered and unashamedly giving Him praise for the great life I have. Maybe it’s time I did that. Why don’t you join me? Here’s a link to Youtube for a song from the band Unhindered, The song is called “I am Free.” Come on! Let’s dance!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znMzgnR4oZE&feature=related