How will you celebrate this week?
The spiritual practice of celebration is not about denying our pain and heartache of ignoring the atrocities of this world but about focusing on God’s goodness, the gifts He’s put in each of us, the milestones He’s helped us achieve, and even the miracle of nature like the opening of a lily.
Celebration is enjoying joyfully in God, His character, His creation, and His people! Celebrating during such tumultuous and tenuous times can almost feel risky or inappropriate. But it’s precisely in these times when we must reorient our focus on God and reclaim the Joy of the Lord.
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were imprisoned, yet they sang hymns to God in celebration! In Lamentations 3:20-24, Jeremiah acknowledges his downcast heart yet ends with “for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning.”
Celebration is a path to joy!
What do we celebrate?
God has given us many gifts to celebrate. The obvious ones are birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, new jobs, and promotions. But what are some other reasons to celebrate?
- The last day of school
- Reaching a goal
- Completing a project
- A new season in life
- A friendship
- It’s Friday night
Do we even need an excuse to revel in God’s goodness?
How do we celebrate?
There are as many ways to celebrate as there are reasons, but here are a few ideas:
- Enjoy live music or an arts festival
- Host friends in the backyard
- Pack a picnic and spend time in nature
- Throw a party!
- Have an impromptu dance party in your living room
- Attend to people who bring you joy. How might you celebrate them?
- Go out to dinner
In 2 Samuel 6:21-22, after King David’s wife rebuked him for his public celebration, he responded, “I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.”
May you joyfully engage in a liberating celebration of God, for His glory!
Resources
Consider these resources to help you in your journey:
Books:
Bread and Wine, a Love Letter to Life Around the Table
by Shauna Niequist
Every Moment Holy
by Douglas Kaine McKelvey