Celebrate Christ!
n our day and age, we love celebrating birthdays, promotions, graduations, and many other exiting events. We celebrate these events by doing honor to those whom we love. What happens when we think about celebrating is we think “parties, friends, family and fun.” Although, when we think about celebrating Christ, it seems to be somewhat more difficult. We think “Hard work that we are continually working on.” What I want most is to encourage us all to celebrate Christ on a daily basis.
You might know exactly where to take your friend for their birthday because you know them so well. In celebrating Christ, wouldn’t we have to know him just as well? We can’t assume, “if I do this for Him my way, it’ll be okay.” There is only one way; God’s way. In order to celebrate Christ in a manner that will please him, we must know God’s word, study it, and keep it close to our hearts. There is not a way that we can celebrate Him with our own ways; only through studying God’s word. John 7:17-18 says “If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself…” And 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to “Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth.” And the Psalmist said “Thy word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Psalms 119:11
There are many examples where people claim to be doing God’s will. But throughout time, people tend to change to the will of man, which displeased God. One such example is Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10: 1- 2. “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire therein, and laid incense thereon, and offered strange fire before Jehovah, which he had not commanded them. And there came forth fire from before Jehovah, and devoured them, and they died before Jehovah.” They did not honor God’s command and therefore paid the consequences of their sin. We have to follow God’s word exactly as it requires us to do. We can’t change it in a way that will better please us. A way that we perceive as easier to please Christ. All we have to do is follow it. 2 Timothy 1:13 encourages us to “Hold the pattern of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” And 1 Corinthians 4:6 further warns us that we should not add to God’s word : “Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes: that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written.”
Celebration is about being excited. When I found out that I was going to have a baby, I told everyone I came in contact with. The same when I found out I was going to be a grandmother. I was excited and full of joy and enthusiasm. The thing is we all need that feeling of enthusiasm when it comes to thinking about Christ and what He has done for us in our lives. We should not be afraid to show the world our commitment, but instead we should expand it enthusiastically. We want our friends to be able to see how committed we are from the lives we live and the love we have for the Lord. We want to show them how devoted we are. What we need is continuous spiritual fuel to celebrate Christ to the absolute fullest. You may ask how you might get this fuel, or if it’s hard to obtain. We get this fuel through fellowship with others who are just as enthusiastic about Christ. Fellowship is exampled for us in Acts 2:42 “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.” And we are encouraged to be unitifed in fellowship in Philippians 2:2 “Make full my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;” Our enthusiasm of celebrating Christ needs to be contagious. We need the help of our brothers and sisters to help spread the word. By working together we can show the world how much we have to celebrate. Hebrews 10:24 says “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works.” And Hebrews 3:13 tells us to exhort one another day by day…..”
We are so blessed and should celebrate to the fullest extent that Christ is in our lives. We may think we are ordinary people, but we are just the opposite. We are extraordinary because we have Christ in our lives. No, we are not perfect. Yes, we do fall down. Yet Christ has never failed to pick us up, brush us off, and press us forward. We get our strength from Him and His word. He provides us with spiritual fuel. How can we do anything but celebrate Christ and all he did for us.
By Janie Reed and Alex Reed
Printed in the Summer 2012 issue N5V3