How NOT to be cool 101

Top ways to be uncool:
1. Brushing teeth is for cool people, avoid this
2. Every time a person asks a question, don’t answer it, enforce a group hug instead.
3. Find a ‘cool’ person and imitate everything they do exactly (i.e. if they say “I want to go swimming.” repeat it in a super excited tone. Be sure to sit really close to them.)
The list above actually has nothing to do with what I’m going to talk about. What I want to discuss has to do with not being cool in a different regard. Sometimes (and by sometimes I mean all the time) the Christian life is not popular. Sometimes, following God won’t get you voted prom king or queen. Maybe you’ve been a Christian your whole life and you don’t know what I’m talking about. I’ll give you a few examples.
David is a prime example, “David, wearing an ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.” (2 Samuel 6:14) David was wearing very little clothing and dancing around like a mad man, if we have any doubts of this from the above verse, they are quickly erased in the following verses, “Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.” (2 Samuel 6:16) He looked crazy to her, she didn’t understand. Michal and David were married, but clearly he was not winning any “husband points” in her book. In fact, the next time she saw him, she said, “’How the King of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!’”(2 Samuel 6:20) She was mocking him! In essence, she was making fun of his worship to the LORD. But look how he responded, “’It was before the LORD…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.’” (2 Samuel 6:21-22) When is the last time, you did something for God that humiliated you in your own eyes? We all know how Michal felt about David’s worship, but how did God feel? God honored David, he even referred to David as his servant and a man after his own heart. David was genuinely overcome by God in that moment and it demanded a physical response. And David chose to respond.
Let’s look at a female in the Bible who was uncool for God. Joshua had sent spies to Jericho to scope out the land and they stopped by a prostitute’s house, Rahab. Then the King of Jericho found out about the spies and went to Rahab’s house. He asked her to send out the spies. Now Rahab was faced with a choice: give the King what he wants, appear popular to her whole kingdom, possibly be rewarded or hide the spies and betray her kingdom. The decision seems rather obvious to me, but Rahab chose the second option. Why? This is what she says to the spies, “’I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you…for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” She did this for the LORD, she knew what she was doing. She had a fear of the God of Israel. Rahab was not unaware of what she did, she made this choice on purpose. She goes on to say, “Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death.’” (Joshua 2:11-13) Who dies in Jericho? Do you remember the story of the Israelites marching around the city? Well, the city walls fell down and everyone in Jericho was killed. Except Rahab and her family. She lived because she chose God. And choosing God is choosing life. So, sometimes, you have to make the uncool choice if you want life, abundant life.
The New Testament calls us to be, “ a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;” (1Peter 2:9) A peculiar people? That sounds like an old-fashioned way of saying ‘uncool.’ So what are some steps we can take to be an ‘uncool’ people? For one, I would start by looking at the relationships you have with your family members. Do you treat your Mom badly in front of your friends? What about your younger siblings? Are you spending any time with them? Mend the relationships in your family and then go on to love others.
Love on the unlovable. You know what I’m talking about, find that person you cannot stand and ask God to help you learn to love them. Sit with the unpopular kids at school. I have a friend who was really popular in high school. He was the funny kid, and the popular kids always wanted him to sit with them. But one day his friend mentioned an unpopular friend of his, was sitting alone at lunch, wasn’t that sad? So he decided to do something about it. His popular friends didn’t want this kid sitting with them, so my friend went and sat with the loner. Eventually he noticed other students that sat alone. The strange kids; the guy with hair draping to his knees, the guy with gauges so big he could fit his fist through them…the list went on and on. So he invited them to sit with him too, until they filled up four picnic tables. I love that he did that, because that’s exactly what I picture Jesus doing if he went to high school today. Pray for people, share the gospel, have standards…
The world lies to us and tells us that we have to be ‘famous’ or ‘popular’ to be happy. But that’s a lie. The more we chase this unattainable ideal, the less content we become. It becomes a wild goose chase. Why chase a goose when you can chase Jesus? He’ll let you catch him 😉