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I have been in such awe of my friends lately.
Within the natural ebb and flow of life the last few weeks, we’ve all been experiencing some high highs and some low lows. We’ve had hopes fulfilled and hopes dashed. One hug has held a hundred different meanings; from “I’m here for you” to “I’m so happy for you”. Somebody got their long awaited yes the same day another got their dreaded no. But you know how they have been dealing with it all?
Celebration.
I’m in awe because of how they have been celebrating one another’s victories and sitting with one another in their defeats. They truly have been exhibiting Romans 12:15 which says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” They’ve been teaching and reminding me that you can wrestle with your own disappointments and hurts and still celebrate their victories. God is intimately present in both.
Celebration isn’t just about being happy for someone. The reason we can wrestle with disappointment and simultaneously celebrate another is because celebration is about bringing glory to God. It’s never solely about ourselves. Psalm 34:3 says, “O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.” The enemy would like us to think that sharing our victories with one another is bragging or rubbing something in each other’s faces. No! No, no, no! This is just a lie that keeps us from doing what Psalm 34:3 says. MAGNIFY the Lord! EXALT His name TOGETHER! How sad would life be if we chose to remain silent about the beautiful and exciting things the Lord is doing in our lives?
That would be so sad! So don’t be silent! Be loud about the amazing things the Lord is doing, whether it’s in your life or in the lives of your loved ones. Go wild! Abandon dignity, comparison, and apathy. Dance, sing, shout, praise!
Yes, we are promised trials in this world, but the Christian life is a life of victory and rejoicing. Our times of celebration are just as important as our times of trial. It is in both that we must choose if we will seek the Lord, praise Him and love His people.
Over the last few weeks as I’ve seen my friends living this out, I have also learned that celebration is a source of encouragement and strength. I’ve been reminded of Paul in his letters to the churches. During times of arrest, he regularly shares how hearing about their faith, their love, their pursuit of God, encourages him and brings him to rejoicing. It wasn’t through his own circumstances that he gained this encouragement, but from the working of the Holy Spirit in churches hundreds of miles away from him. This is one of the purest forms of celebration. But I also think it shows the power of it. Paul was in chains for the gospel, yet he never let it keep him silent. He went so wild that he wrote thirteen books of the Bible telling all about what Jesus Christ has done and what it means for us. (Eph. 1:15-16, Philemon 1:4-7)
I suppose this entry has been a bit of a rant, but my mind has just been blown by my friends and how my view of celebration has shifted in these last few weeks and I wanted to share. The only other thing I really have to say is rejoice with your friends and praise the Lord for all He is doing together! It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever gotten to witness.