To Dance or Not to Dance

As Christians and followers of Jesus Christ, we must always have an answer for those who ask us questions about our faith (Colossians 4:6; I Peter 3:15). We must not only know what we believe, but also why we believe it. As the question, Should Christians dance? is asked, what should we respond? We know that God commands us in the Bible to do all things (word or deed) in the Name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17), but is it possible to dance and still be glorifying and honoring to our Savior? The first thing we should do is to think of Biblical examples that teach us a specific truth related to that topic. What are some stories/teachings in the Bible about dancing? There will be opinions and convictions, so each person must individually decide for themselves what they believe. There are two types of dancing: that which glorifies God, and that which does not glorify God. In 2 Samuel 6:14-21 David dances before the Lord to celebrate the Ark of the Covenant being brought back to Jerusalem. It was a natural expression of his great joy and exultation of mind, doing it with all of his might. David dances to show his devotion to the One who had blessed him, but his wife, Michal, was displeased with David s dancing. David tells his wife, It was before the Lord David s dancing was neither self-gratifying nor lustful, but was intended to honor the Lord. So, in fact, there is a type of dancing that is not sinful. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3 that there is a season to everything. There is an appropriate (and by implication an inappropriate) time to dance (verse 4). When is it the time to dance? One of the purest and most God-glorifying example displayed on earth of dancing was that of which Richard Wurmbrand (a converted Jew and missionary in Communist Romania) participated. During his imprisonment he suffered tremendous mental and physical torture for the cause of Christ. He was alienated from his wife and son for many years, four of his vertebrae were crushed, he was cut, endured beatings and burns, and was subjected to hard labor. Wurmbrand testifies, "Alone in my cell, cold, hungry, and in rags, I danced for joy every night." He continued to share his faith in Christ and led some of his guards to the saving knowledge of Him. How could this not be honoring to God? His devotion to his Father is incomprehensible to those who are without the grace of God. In Psalms 149:3, David writes, being inspired of God, Let them praise His Name in the dance: let them sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp. Again, in the next chapter, he mentions praising Him with the timbrel and dance (Psalm 150:4). The Bible does acknowledge that there is a dance that does not tempt others, does not tempt ourselves, and brings glory to God. We must always remember that our body is the temple of God (I Corinthians 6:19). The very being that created us chose to reside in His creation. Just as there are examples of God-honoring dancing, there are also examples of the opposite. Exodus 32:6, 19 speaks of the children of Israel worshipping the golden calf and dancing around the idol. This action was obviously sinful and ended up becoming out of control. When we participate in one sin, it often leads to another, and to another, and ultimately to judgment and destruction. Israel s first sin was the call for a god (Exodus 32:1). The second was giving offerings and sacrificing (Exodus 32:6). Lastly,

Israel began to worship the idol by singing and dancing (Exodus 32:18-19). They were judged by God for their shameful actions. The last Biblical example of dancing that is displeasing to the Lord is that which took place on Herod s birthday. Matthew Henry states (relating to this very story), Times of carnal mirth and jollity are convenient times for carrying on bad designs against God's people. Herodias s daughter danced before the king, and caused him to make a promise that was swift and foolish. Henry further goes on to say, speaking of Herod, A vain and graceless heart is apt to be greatly in love with the lusts of the flesh and of the eye, and when it is so, it is entering into further temptation; for by that Satan gets and keeps possession. When we aren t careful, pleasures, not just dancing, can cause a man to stumble. This is the same reason Christian girls should not wear body-hugging apparel. If it causes a weaker brother to stumble, we will be accountable for those actions. If fill in the blank may not necessarily be a sin, but could cause fellow brethren to stumble, should we not refrain? If in doubt, remember the proverbial verse, Abstain from all appearance of evil. God tells us that even if it looks sinful, stay away. Does that mean we can t drink root bear out of a beer-shaped bottle? Perhaps. Does that mean we can t attend a movie theater? Possibly. Does that mean we should not dance? Maybe. Study the Word of God, and discover for yourself what God says. Form your own convictions based off of your study, and ask for the Holy Spirit to give you discernment.