A few days ago I attended a special school board meeting where fellow teachers and staff across our district were recognized for twenty or more years of service and for being teachers or support staff of the year at their school sites. It was the first time I have gathered in person with many of these people since the pandemic began. I was encouraged by the enthusiasm, smiling faces, and stories of my colleagues’ dedicated work helping students and families. It’s important to celebrate. Celebration bolsters our well being, helps us stay positive, fosters reflection, inspires us to express gratitude, and builds community. God celebrates, especially those who trust and obey him. Likewise we should celebrate him by thanking him, enjoying him, and serving him.
Thank God
Although I’m sure you experience difficulty and trials at times, you have much to be thankful for. God created you and loves you. He wants to carry you through the tragedies of this fallen world, heal your brokenness, and enable you to have abundant life with him in his kingdom. He wants you to be with him, to be like him, and to do what he does. He makes this possible through Jesus, God the Son who became a man. After showing people what it means to love and live for God Jesus died and rose again to save people from the deadly result of living for themselves. Anyone who trusts and obeys Jesus can know God, receive his life, and experience his blessings now and forever. Apart from himself God has given us many other gifts also. Don’t fall into the trap of focusing on what you want, but don’t have. Instead rejoice that God supplies all you need. He has given you time, talents, treasures, and wisdom. In addition, as you follow him he transforms your character to be more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled (Galatians 5:22-23). In fact, every good and perfect gift ultimately comes from God (James 1:17). Although God doesn’t need your thanks to feel valued, for he is perfect within himself, he is pleased when you recognize and thank him for his awesome nature, divine direction, and devoted providence. Humbly appreciate him each day.
Enjoy God
God has instituted a variety of ways for people to revel in his presence and blessings. He created music, food, dancing, laughter, festivals, feasts, jubilees, ceremonies, offerings, processions, memorials, communion, and baptism. The Bible contains numerous examples of celebrating God. Israelites built Ebenezers to commemorate God’s faithfulness. People praised God after physical and spiritual victories. At the birth of Jesus, the savior of the world, angels, shepherds, wise men, Simeon, Anna, Mary, and Joseph worshipped God (Luke 2:1-40; Matthew 2:1-2). At Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem people rightfully hailed him as king with palm branches and singing. If they hadn’t even the rocks would have cried out in praise (Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19). When someone trusts Jesus as their savior the angels in heaven rejoice at God’s redemptive work (Luke 15:1-32). At the end of this age when Jesus returns to earth to consummate his kingdom there will be a variety of celebrations. Godly celebrations involve breaking from a regular routine, spending time with God, talking and listening to him, thanking God, delighting in his gifts, delving deeper into who he is and how he works, and being open to him changing you. Note that enjoying God doesn’t have to be a formal event. It can be as simple as responding with wonder at a breathtaking sunset, the smell of spring, a walk in the woods, or bees making honey. It can be uniting with others in thankful prayer. It can be finding pleasure with what he’s given you and the people he has put in your life. Take time to enjoy God’s presence and blessings. Learn how he represents himself and desires to teach you through nature, practical gifts, circumstances, and other people. Draw closer to him and let him transform you to be more like Jesus.
Serve God
One of the most impactful ways of celebrating God is to joyfully give of the gifts he has given you to reach others with his love and salvation. Just sharing with others what God has done in your life is a form of celebrating his benevolence and providence. Don’t keep God’s work in you to yourself. You have been blessed to be a blessing to others. Many people misunderstand the goal of life. It is not to glorify and fulfill one’s self. Rather it is to glorify God and become complete in him. Following Jesus is a willing denial of your self in favor of Jesus and others (Luke 9:23-26; 1 John 3:16). Jesus taught his disciples, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man [Jesus] did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). You can take pleasure in giving of what you have been given because it is not an obligation, but an opportunity to express your love for God in a way that benefits others. At times doing so will be an uncomfortable sacrifice, because people will reject, oppose, and even persecute you, just like they did to Jesus. Yet Jesus humbly accepted it as a way of celebrating God and his redemptive work. In the book of Hebrews it says that for the joy set before him Jesus endured the cross and scorned its shame (Hebrews 12:1-4). How could crucifixion be joyful? Because Jesus knew dying and resurrecting would bring God glory and enable anyone who trusts in him to be saved. The same is true for anyone who follows Jesus. Again in Hebrews it says, “Through him [Jesus] then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Hebrews 13:15-16). You can rejoice and celebrate God by utilizing his grace and power to help others find and follow Jesus–even if that involves suffering. Because you know God will use it to refine your character, prepare you for further service, and at the same time draw others into the loving fold of his family.
Jesus taught, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12). Peter and other apostles experienced this. They were arrested and beaten by religious leaders when they healed and taught people in Jesus’ name. But they rejoiced for being counted worthy to be used by God to help others (Acts 5:12-42). Later the apostle Peter exhorted other believers to celebrate God with the gifts he’s given them even when it’s difficult. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you” (1 Peter 4:10-14).
God loves you. Love him back. Celebrate the awesome nature and providence of God by thanking him, enjoying him, and serving him. When times are good or bad, find your greatest pleasure in pleasing God. Realize that nothing can separate him from loving you (Romans 8:31-39). Therefore, release or change anything that separates you from loving him. As you actively await Jesus’ return, let his joy and love overflow from you in service to others so they might come to know God also.