Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
Psalm 34:3 ESV
You’ve just stepped into a bright room full of multicolored balloons—so many that you cannot see the ceiling above. You smell the sweet aroma of birthday cake and vanilla ice cream, and around the room are several loved ones gathered, catching up with smiles across their faces—some bobbing their heads to “We are Family” in the background.
Don’t you just feel it? That feeling of celebration?
This month we have been highlighting the art of celebration, but other than these special occasions that we celebrate (birthdays, weddings, holidays), how do we celebrate on the daily? Further, how do we celebrate when we feel downcast, or perhaps, we feel numb, when we feel there is nothing to celebrate? What does it look like to cultivate celebration in this broken world?
Don’t you just feel more joyful when you are celebrating? I know no matter how sad I might be, taking time to celebrate with karaoke and Just Dance always uplifts my spirit. Why? Because we were made to celebrate! But not just celebrate anything—we were made to celebrate our Creator. Think about the first question of the Westminster Catechism: What is the chief end of mankind? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Ergo, we celebrate God! Now think about all the celebrations God’s people were called to throughout the Bible—Feast of Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of the Harvest, etc. The Lord desires for His people to look at what He’s done and celebrate. No matter how they may be feeling, they shall celebrate—as should we.
However, this doesn’t mean that we sweep difficult things under the rug and put on a happy face. I think celebration might be quite different if we fought to celebrate God’s goodness in life’s hardest, lowest, or most mundane moments. Elaine A. Heath writes in The Healing Practice of Celebration,
The Christian discipline of celebration focuses on God’s deliverance from evil, liberation from bondage, healing from wounds, and forgiveness of sin. Thus, celebration is always linked to situations of suffering, oppression, and brokenness in ourselves and the world…The cup of life is a cup of celebration not because we have an easy life, not because we are problem free, but because God loves us. We celebrate because God is with us and for us. God is absolutely committed to making all things new, and the wondrous thing is we get to be a part of that process with one another.
Celebration is often linked to brokenness. We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, but we can’t separate that resurrection from death. There had to be death and penalty of sin for there to be a resurrection—a reason to celebrate. Thus, the brokenness of this world should not give us reason for forgoing celebration. Sometimes celebration is that much sweeter when done from a crushed, defeated, and worn-out spirit. Have you ever walked alongside someone who is journeying through something intensely difficult, but they have joy in the Lord because of how near He feels, and how intimate their walk with Him has become? The power in their celebration is a beauty to behold.
Maybe a human anecdote to flesh this out a little bit. What comes to mind is how powerful it is to watch someone who is grieving or dying praise the Lord because of how the Lord draws near to the brokenhearted. Or how much joy a new baby brings after a miscarriage, or some other suffering/celebration you can think of/ have witnessed.
The Lord is good and mighty to be praised…even when we simply don’t feel like praising. We don’t always celebrate because we suddenly sense a wave of overflowing joy (although, isn’t that just the best!). We celebrate because we are called to do so—not because we feel like it but because it’s deserved. It’s not about the feeling; it’s about the calling. Celebration is for God’s glory.
You need to celebrate because it’s what you’re made for. Sometimes (yes, even on those days) you just have to click the Spotify app on your phone, listen to others celebrating the wonder-working God, and pray that you can feel that sense of praise deep in your heart. God deserves our celebration, and we deserve the joy that is reaped when celebrating His good work (John 4:34-38). God delights in our celebration; our celebration attracts His very presence. When we celebrate, we look up (like looking up to that balloon-filled ceiling). We look up and behold the Lord for who He is and what He’s done. When we celebrate, we are dress rehearsing for eternity and declaring that God’s victory reigns. No matter what is going on, give yourself a moment with Jesus and celebrate His work. Celebrate the fact that you get to dwell in His marvelous presence forevermore.
Join the daily discipline of celebration with me, sistas!!
There’s a party goin’ on right here
A celebration to last throughout the years
So bring your good times, and your laughter too
We gonna celebrate your party with you
Come on now
Celebration
Let’s all celebrate and have a good time
Celebration
We gonna celebrate and have a good time
It’s time to come together
It’s up to you, what’s your pleasure
Everyone around the world
Come on!(Song: Celebration, by Kool & The Gang)
So what are some ways we could celebrate?
Well, how do we normally celebrate? We eat, gather with others, write notes to one another, dance, sing…
We can spend time visualizing heaven when we are eternally celebrating the Lord’s victory.
We can show our gratitude for all of God’s blessings. Gratitude kills fear and anxiety.
Studying His Word is a wonderful way to celebrate. His Word reveals who He is and all He’s done!
We can spread His name and share with others the wonderful news of the gospel.
We can write love notes and thank you notes to God.
One of my favorites—we can take Jesus on a celebratory “date.”
