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PROGRAM D-8138
Is your life full of celebration? Did you ever realize that Jesus was always ready to celebrate? I think that is one reason he was a great leader and people loved to be with him. His first miracle was to turn water into wine at a wedding celebration, thereby putting his stamp of approval on a big wedding celebration—what some might call a frivolous waste of time and money. Furthermore, we see that he often went to people’s homes for dinner. He was never too busy to take time for these personal times of celebration.
He didn’t want the crowds who came to hear him speak to leave with an empty stomach, so he turned a boy’s lunch into food for thousands—a regular party. Two of his most famous parables are about celebrations: a king who arranged a banquet and got angry when nobody came, and a father throwing a lavish party when his wayward son returned home.
How much and how often do you celebrate in your own life—on your job and in your home? We should look for reasons to celebrate. We can get so serious and so focused that we forget to say, “Hey, you’ve done a great job; let’s bring in pizza this afternoon and celebrate.” Or “You’ve been working so hard, you deserve a treat; the ice cream is on me; let’s go celebrate.”
From small to big events, we can add so much vitality and joy to our and others’ lives by taking time to celebrate. Look for excuses to celebrate for yourself and for your coworkers or staff, as well as your family and friends.
You may think this doesn’t sound terribly important or spiritual but, really, celebrating should be a part of our daily routines! It encourages and motivates people; it lightens their loads; it focuses on positive rather than negative things. There are lots of good, spiritual reasons to be a celebrating type of person. Jesus was.
So today, as you’re going through your day, look for a reason to celebrate. Maybe your child gets a good grade at school—celebrate it! Perhaps your coworker gets a promotion—celebrate it! Did a staff member complete a difficult assignment with excellence? Celebrate it! If today is a friend’s birthday—celebrate it!
Celebrations don’t have to cost a great deal of money—or any money at all. A celebration can be anything from something as simple as complimentary words spoken, to a card or a note in the mail, to cake and cookies, to a full-blown party. There are so many creative ways to celebrate, and Jesus was always ready to do so because he knew the value of celebrations.