A
disciplined heart and mind bring joy. Celebration begins with Him and completes
within.
June’s Awakening, Day 22
Joy is the serious business of heaven.
—C. S. Lewis
Every
happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art
of life is to get the message.
—Malcolm
Muggeridge
Nehemiah
said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who
have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy
of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 NIV
I
have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be
complete. John 15:11 NIV
Celebration.
The spiritual discipline of celebration is our final discipline to discuss,
and like many of the others, is both an inward and corporate expression.
Celebration is displayed as Christ’s joy in the life of the believer. Joy can
sometimes be elusive, but is essential for a strong and effective Christian
walk. It must be cultivated and developed throughout all our life experiences,
no matter how difficult or tragic those experiences may be.
The pathway to true joy may seem
odd, but our joy comes from obedience to Christ. Without obedience, joy is
superficial and hollow. When obedience works itself irremovably from the fabric
of our lives, that is when we will find Christ’s joy within us and our joy will
be complete. The responsibility is ours. The choices in life are ours. The
formula for success and joy is simple—obedience brings success with joy and
rebellion brings disaster with chaos. You must put self aside and devote your
life to something greater—it’s Christ’s joy you want, not fleeting happiness
from the world. The whole of the spiritual disciplines is to discipline your
heart and mind to view life from Christ’s perspective and a Scriptural
perspective. We must trust God, rely on God, and seek our rest in Him. Joyful
celebration is a consciously chosen way of thinking and living each of our days
in the light and love of Jesus Christ. Make that your choice today.
The Spiritual Disciplines
Worship
(Inward,
Outward, and Corporate)
Inward
Disciplines Outward Disciplines Corporate Disciplines
Prayer Servanthood Confession
Fasting Submission Guidance
Study Simplicity Celebration
Meditation/Reflection Secrecy
A
Well-Ordered Heart Solitude
Suffering
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