“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. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.’”
We all wear costumes. I don't mean the kind you wear to a fancy dress party. I mean the invisible costumes we put on every morning to impress people or to protect ourselves. Mark Batterson, in his book Soulprint, calls these our "Royal Robes".
Think about King David for a moment. He was the ruler of Israel. He had defeated giants and armies. When the time came to bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, it was a massive national event. It was a ticker-tape parade. The protocol demanded that the King look like a King. He should have been wearing his heavy velvet robes, his crown, and his jewels. He should have been waving politely from a distance.
But David did something shocking. He took off his royal robes.
He stripped down to a linen ephod, which was essentially a simple undergarment, and he danced before the Lord with all his might. He didn't care about the protocol. He didn't care about his dignity. In that moment, he wasn't David the King; he was just David, a child of God.
His wife, Michal, was watching from a window, and she was furious. She despised him because he looked "undignified" and "vulgar". She wanted him to keep the robes on because those robes represented status, power, and security.
I wonder if you and I are more like Michal than we care to admit. We are terrified of looking undignified. We cling to our own "Royal Robes" because they make us feel safe and important.
What are your Royal Robes today?
For some of you, your robe is your job title. You have worked hard to become a manager or a director, and you feel that if you let your guard down, people won't respect you. For others, your robe is your intellect or your university degree. You are terrified of asking a simple question because you don't want to look foolish. Perhaps your robe is your reputation as a "perfect" parent or a "strong" Christian who never struggles.
Batterson reminds us that these robes are heavy. They are exhausting to wear. When we wrap ourselves in our status or our success, we are actually hiding our true selves. We are finding our identity in what we do rather than whose we are.
David understood a secret that we need to learn: You cannot find your soulprint—your true identity—until you have the courage to disrobe. You have to strip away the things you find your security in.
It feels risky. It feels awkward. When you admit you don't have it all together, or when you worship God with abandon, you might feel humiliated in your own eyes, just as David did. But that is exactly where freedom is found.
God isn't impressed by your title, your bank account, or your awards. He gave you those gifts, to be sure, but He doesn't want you to hide behind them. He wants the real you. He wants the naked humility of a heart that says, "God, I am nothing without You."
So today, I want to encourage you to take off the heavy robes. Stop trying to prove yourself to people. Stop trying to maintain a perfect image. It is a house of cards that will eventually fall. Instead, find your security in the only status symbol that matters: the Cross. When you are secure in Christ, you don't need to be dignified. You are free to be a child again.
Prayer of the Day:
Father God, I confess that I often hide behind my achievements and my reputation. I am afraid of being seen as weak or foolish. But today, I want to take off these heavy "Royal Robes." I want to find my identity solely in being Your child. Give me the courage to be humble and the freedom to worship You with all my heart, even if it looks undignified to the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.