on receiving praise and applause

[HelenaZF]

As performers, worship artists often encounter the dilemma of receiving the praise of others while struggling to remaining humble and in right relationship with the Lord about it all.



It is a natural thing for people to express their appreciation and enjoyment of a song well-sung, a dance well-danced, or any presentation that moves them. People haven't had much instruction on this in the church, so what do they do? They fall back on the cultural patterns: clapping, shouts & whistles, effusive praise to the performer.



Those are all the sorts of things that feed the soul & ego, and while we are thrilled that our offering to the Lord has been appreciated by those around us, and they have been "touched" somehow....it can be an uncomfortable position unless you know how to direct the praise and compliments. We want God to receive the glory, not us. But how do we do that without correcting or insulting the people offering their heartfelt expressions?



Telling people NOT to applaud is not the answer. They will forget, or if they don't, they will feel awkward about it. Training a group of people to say "thank you Lord! or Amen!" rather than applaud can take years. A proper response for the worship artist, when the crowd breaks out into applause is to acknowledge the applause, and then turn and offer it up to the Lord their own overhead clapping that obviously is sending the applause to God or in the direction of the altar. That allows people to respond, and still directs the praise appropriately.



Years ago, we heard a teaching from a great old lady of the worship movement, Fuschia Pickett. She was a trail-blazer in much of the worship theology most of us walk in today. She told this story that has never left me. She said,

"I had spoken a message that day that hit home with many of the hearers, and one after one, several dozen of them came up to me and expressed how wonderful they thought I was and how what I had said meant to them.  Afterward, I heard the Lord speak to me and say, Fuschia, you know all those beautiful bouquets that were graciously given to you today?  You have a choice and whichever you choose is fine.  You can either enjoy them yourself, or you can plant them in My heavenly garden, and you and I will enjoy them together throughout eternity.



That night, while I was offering my evening sacrifice, I gave each one of those bouquets to the Lord---He was they One they were meant for anyway, to be planted in His heavenly garden.



I realized also that what the Lord was saying to me was that I was never to demean or trivialize someone's praise by saying "No, don't thank me...it was ALL the Lord!" or "no, no, it was NOTHING....".  And that when I had made those responses in the past, it was like I had trampled that beautiful bouquet that that person was so eager to give me. I was never to do that again, but to receive the praise, and then later return it to the Lord."

It was such a good word. It showed me that God wants us to be genuine authentic people, honestly appreciative of each other and preserving each other's dignity. He and we can settle our accounts privately. Isn't that a great solution to the "false modesty" dilemma?