Celebrate Alone and With Others
I wonder if you'll agree that the best type of celebration is when you celebrate with others.
There's something a little bit sad about a person having a celebration by themselves, isn't there? I picture the person celebrating their birthday with a hat and a streamer, but nobody else around. It makes the celebration a bit less special if there's nobody to celebrate with you.
Why Church Matters
This is why, I believe, church is important. Many of us think that our religion is just between God and us. But I think we miss out, if we don't connect with other Christians and celebrate together!
The person alone trying to celebrate by themselves often gives up celebrating and starts getting downcast. When we can celebrate alongside others though, we fuel each other's joy.
Think about your Christian life today. You have this great opportunity to celebrate what God has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. Certainly, when you spend time alone with Him in prayer and Scripture reading today, you should celebrate these things with joy.
But don't neglect going to your church on Sunday, and celebrating these same things with other Christians! When we see celebration in the Bible, it is usually a communal thing. God calls His people to gather, that they may celebrate as one.
One Body, One Celebration
For me there's nothing more meaningful than gathering with my church family, and celebrating Jesus together. There's nothing more powerful than when we all lift up our voices in praise together. There's nothing more inspiring than knowing that these are my people, and that together we are setting our faces toward God and celebrating Him here.
This is why the old hymn doesn't say "When I've been there 10 000 years, bright shining as the sun, I've no less days to sing God's praise than when I first begun". It is always "we", when it comes to worship and celebration.
My prayer for you is that church becomes a non-negotiable for you. Sure, if you're sick or unable to get there, that's fine. But make church a priority! See Sunday as your day of celebrating with the saints every week!
Spend Monday to Saturday celebrating in your own space. But don't leave out the one time a week that you can stand alongside your church family and celebrate with them.
A celebration is always better with others.
Christian celebration was never meant to be a solo activity - gathering with God's people to worship together is one of the great privileges of the faith. Make church a non-negotiable this Sunday and come ready to celebrate with your family of believers.