This week we come to a discipline that some might not see as something that we need to be disciplined about. It is the discipline of celebration. When we talk about celebration, we are talking about the fact that we celebrate all that God has done for us and in us. As we do this, we recognize that our lives should be full of joy. Time and time again we read in scripture about joy. Do a quick bible reference search to find out how many times it is referenced. The Psalms are full of joy. Paul’s letters are full of joy. As Christians we are called to be full of joy, joyful!
So how is this a discipline? Well, as I was researching and working on my sermon this week, there were a couple of songs that were stuck in my head, and I would encourage you to listen to them. Both of them are by a group called Rend Collective. The first song is titled “Joy.” Here are the first two sections of that song:
We're choosing celebration
Breaking into freedom
You're the song
You're the song
Of our hearts
We cast aside our shadows
Trust You with our sorrows
You're the song
You're the song
Of our hearts
The other song is called “Joy of the Lord”, here is the first part of that song:
Though tears may fall
My song will rise, my song will rise to You
Though my heart may fail
My song will rise, my song will rise to You
While there’s breath in my lungs
I will praise You, Lord
In the dead of night
I’ll lift my eyes, I’ll lift my eyes to You
When the waters rise
I’ll lift my eyes, I’ll lift my eyes to You
While there’s hope in my heart
I will praise You, Lord
The joy of the Lord is my strength
The joy of the Lord is my strength
In the darkness I’ll dance
In the shadows I’ll sing
The joy of the Lord is my strength
Notice that in both of these songs it doesn’t cover over the fact that we are not always “happy”, but that we are faced with challenges, yet in the face of challenges we “choose celebration.” And in the face of discouragement “The Joy of the Lord is my strength.”
Life comes at us in a number of different ways, and there are many who have gone through some extreme difficulties in life. They can attest how even in those tough times, they may not have been happy, they may have in fact been angry, yet, they had the discipline of choosing joy and choosing to celebrate. They were not celebrating the challenges, they were celebrating that God who is God over all had them in the palm of his hands. They can celebrate that God loves them and watches over them. They can celebrate even in the face of death because of the promises that we have from God in Jesus Christ. We believe that if you put your faith in Jesus as your Lord and savior, you have the promise of eternal life. If you can confess this with your whole heart, it leads to joy! It is a discipline to remind ourselves to completely trust in him for everything. God is in control, he has already won the battle, all we have to do is accept this with a believing heart and our lives will be full of joy!
