Spiritual Disciplines
Day 14: Celebration
We live in a world where criticism reigns. We have people who are professional critics of the entertainment and food industry. Adding to that, we have the internet, which gives people the freedom to be critical of anything and everything they come across, even if they have no affiliation with what they are criticizing.
Criticism is also incredibly contagious; there is a fleshly desire for us to feel better about ourselves. One of the easy but cowardly ways to accomplish that goal is to make others feel lesser than yourself. Your kids might have even experienced immature criticism, which we call bullying in today’s culture.
The opposite of criticism is celebration. Celebrating one another is just as contagious. It’s slightly more challenging for us to celebrate others when it seems like no one else is interested in celebrating. But like everything else in our faith, God often calls us to be counter-cultural, even if that means being alone for a season.
We see throughout scripture that celebration is a key part of following God. The Israelites celebrated when God did miracles for them in the wilderness. The Jewish people celebrate to remember how good God had been to them. The angels celebrated when Jesus was born. Jesus celebrated at a wedding and attended the Jewish celebrations. Mary Magdalene celebrated the empty tomb. The heavens celebrate when one surrenders their life to Christ.
Though each of these celebrations were for different reasons and held differently, they all have one thing in common. They are all centered around the goodness of God.
Celebration is a recognition of God’s faithfulness in our life.
Celebration is crucial in a world full of criticism. What we spend time thinking about and talking about will dictate the posture of our heart. So when we choose to be critical, our hearts will have a posture of criticism. But when we spend time celebrating, our hearts will have a posture of celebration.
Having a heart of celebration is good for our soul. It encourages us to keep moving in the right direction. When someone speaks negativity into my life, it makes me want to stop in my tracks and stop doing whatever I was doing. But when someone celebrates me and my hard work, it gives me hope and encouragement to go further faster.
When we celebrate God’s faithfulness often, for ourselves and with others, it is the ultimate encouragement to our souls to keep chasing after Gods heart.
So, let’s celebrate. Let’s celebrate more than we criticize. It will not only give us a more abundant life on earth, but it will also prepare us for heaven, where we will spend eternity celebrating God’s glory.
Scripture of the Day
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24
Examples of how to celebrate:
*Take some time in the mornings and give thanks to God for His goodness. Celebrate how faithful he has been and remember His good works in your life.
*At the end of the day, share with your family and friends the great things that happened in your day, even if that great thing is that you are alive and healthy.
*Spend some time in worship. Whether that is in a church service, your car, or at home in your living room. Proclaim the words of celebration over your life.