Ok, so i have NEVER heard a Justin Bieber song in my life, but i have seen children's reactions to him. I worked in a classroom where a girl wrote I HEART Justin Bieber on the top of EVERY paper. Rachel showed us a video (copy &paste to your browser http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTCm8tdHkfI) over spring break of how much a little 3 year old loved this guy...errr...kid. I still didn't really think it was all that widespread of an epidemic until my amazingly awesome and incredible friends kidnapped me and took me to Chuck E Cheese for my birthday. We were sitting there eating our pizza and getting ready to go dominate in skee ball, so we could win lots of tickets, when Justin Bieber appeared on the television screens. There had been a girl about 6 or 7 years old who had been acting a little crazy near the stage, but this is when she got loud. She started screaming at the top of her lungs "JUSTIN BIEBER!! IT'S JUSTIN BIEBER!!!!!!" This went on for about...well the entire time he was visible on the screen (so even with a song playing over the speakers, I've still never heard one of his songs).
So what is it about these kids that makes them go nuts? It's worship. It's praise. They are worshipping and praising this new adolescent pop star. Right now im reading Desiring God by John Piper. AMAZING book so far (im a chapter in), but the first chapter is on how God's sovereignty allows us to have peace, happiness, and joy in Him. We aren't going to come to our Father and find Him in a mood that makes us want to escape His gloom or avoid Him. If we're avoiding God it's not because He is unstable, but because we are sinners. (sry that all has NOTHING to do with this post). The second thing He talks about it how by adoring, desiring, and loving our God, we best glorify Him, and that is shown through our praise. We are constantly praising something. Whether it's the Lakers for their big win tonight, our abilities in academics or sports, or our boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, or kids. We aren't constantly praising. You may say you don't, but think about what you say. "The Lakers are awesome!" "I have the most AMAZING (husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, plumber, exterminator) on the planet!" There is another thing that Piper points out...when we're praising, we want people to agree with us. We want to share the beauty of our adoration. How often do we say "Look at this!" "Did you see how incredible that was?!"
So why aren't we like that with God? Because its not on the inside. All that praise for those other things. It just spills out. It's not a conscious effort. It's not our duty. I'm not trying to cheapen God by comparing Him to Justin Bieber, but why are we exalting all these things in our own lives to His place? Pastor said last night that praise looks good on Christians. The Bible says in Psalm 33:1 (ESV) "Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright." So two questions, "Are you putting on praise today?" and "If you put on praise, does it match the rest of your wardrobe (or would someone look at you like a 40 year old man praising Justin Bieber? cuz thats just unnatural)?"
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