Experiencing God: Celebrate

Celebration is essential to kingdom-living. God invites His people to celebrate because He is a God of celebration. And what better time to experience God than by celebrating the birth of Jesus?
   Biblical celebration at its core is dwelling on the goodness of God. We engage in celebration when we place our confidence in God’s goodness. Enjoying our lives, our world, and our God is the essence of celebration. Experiencing God’s good gifts and rejoicing in them is the best gift we can give to the Lord.
   The Bible speaks often of celebration and instructs us to make celebration a part of the regular rhythm of our lives. The shepherds, wise men, and angels celebrated the birth of Jesus with gifts, songs, gatherings and prayer. God gave Israel many celebrations in the Old Testament, and He has given us the Lord’s Supper and baptism in the New Testament.
   It is clear from Scripture that celebration is a spiritual discipline that God desires for us to practice. He doesn’t want us to live dry, boring lives and that is why we see celebrations both commanded and practiced throughout the Bible.
   Scripture says that Christ came so that we may have life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). This abundant life includes celebration.

In December, we celebrate.