I want this Christmas to be a Christmas I remember. So my theme for myself, my family, and for Living Hope is "celebrate."
A good working definition for celebrating is "to honor with gladness."
Here are 10 guidelines that will enable us to celebrate during this Christmas season.
1. Celebrate when you recover or receive something that was missing.
-David celebrated when he received the ark of God back to Jerusalem. It had been missing, so when he recovered it he celebrated. If we receive back our joy, sanity, health, marriage, etc, remember to celebrate the recovery. We have received Jesus and he has recovered us from our depths of sin, so we celebrate His name.
2. Celebrate when you overcome a difficulty.
-David overcame his difficulty of moving the ark of God. The first time he tried to recover the ark his life hit a pothole. Uzzah died and David was discouraged. The 2nd time he moved the ark of God he made it. I am glad I am not what I use to be. God has helped me overcome many habits, attitudes, and sins, with more still to come. So I celebrate.
3. Celebrators will celebrate with those that are celebrating.
-David was not jealous of Obed-Edom because he new the God that helped Obed-Edom was big enough to help him as well. Rejoice with those that rejoice Romans 12:5 tells us. Jealousy is a decease that crushes our soul. But being glad for others is a medicine that brings us life.
4. Celebrators do not concentrate on themselves.
-David was dancing before the Lord. He danced with total abandon of self. He went a little overboard with his celebration, and that is ok because it was not "me" focused. When we celebrate someone's birthday we ask ourselves how can we make that person feel special with the gifts, the food, the decorations. Well it's Jesus' birthday, so let's go a little overboard making Jesus feel special this year.
5. Celebrating is a form of worship.
-All of Israel knew who David worshipped, because they saw his celebration. People will know if we worship God or ourselves by how they watch us celebrate. You can not hide who you worship, your celebration gives you away.
6. You must plan to celebrate.
-David took off his kingly robes and wore his lite linen ephod so he could dance a little better before God. He planned on celebrating and he got ready to do so. This Christmas let's make plans to celebrate, then follow through.
7. Celebrators are givers and givers are celebrators.
-David gave away food to all of Israel. He wanted everyone to be able to celebrate. When we give we are thankful and when we are thankful we celebrate. Then when we celebrate we give and when we give we are thankful. And around around the circle of celebrating, giving, being thankful goes.
8. Celebrators bless others.
-David blessed Israel and his home. He spoke life to his country and his family. Do we desire others to receive good things and show it by our words and actions.
9. Non-celebrators become angry at celebrators.
-Michal, David's wife, had become bitter by life. She was angry that her husband was not acting dignified. She despised him in her heart. She was scornful towards her husband. Not just towards his actions, but towards him. Be careful when we despise people, it usually means that we have a problem that the Holy Spirit needs to heal. Scorn and contempt should be a red light we need to correct an issue we are facing.
10. Not celebrating will leave us lifeless.
Michal was barren the rest of her life. Non-celebrators are dead on the inside. They are boring, no fresh ideas, don't laugh, don't smile, have dry spirits, and their relationships are flat. The answer is connecting to Jesus because he is the life. Allow him to heal that non celebrating spirit.
I love you guys.
In Jesus' Service,
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