One day in ninth grade, our pastor announced that he would be preaching on “What’s wrong with the dance?”  He had been asked so many times about it that he decided to address the issue once and for all. I listened to his exposition from the Scriptures and felt the Lord was telling me not to dance anymore.  This was difficult for me because I loved to dance.  I remember one day at school we had a sock hop (dance) in the gym.  A good friend of mine from both church and school, asked me to dance with him.  And I began to dance.  Immediately, the Holy Spirit convicted me reminding me of my promise not to dance.  I told James I was sorry and left the floor.  I never again attempted to dance during m school years.  God also showed me the principle that “Others may, you cannot.”  I never felt that I had missed out on anything.  God always fills us with His joy and encouragement when we obey Him.  

A few years later in my freshman year at college, I was tested in this area again. The college was having a Sadie Hawkins Dance at Valentines. (That is when the girls were permitted to ask the man of their choice to a dance. I know this is foreign to today’s youth but it was that way then.) I was dating a young man that I really liked and thought about asking him to the dance. On the final day before the dance, he was walking me home from the BSU and I debated all the way, to ask or not. I knew he had a friend from his high school that he would go with if I kept quiet and I didn’t want that! We reached my dorm and as I turned to him, I said “See you later.” He left, and going into the door of my dorm, I was so filled with joy by the Holy Spirit that I knew I had done the right thing. I had obeyed God and kept my promise to Him. Never have I regretted that decision. When we obey God, even going against our own desires, He always fills us with His peace and joy. It is so worth it to do His bidding, because of His love for us.

“If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself (give up all right to himself), take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23 (J.B. Phillips’ version)