Holidays are great… until they are over. I adore Christmas, but the pain of saying goodbye to the season and to my family is, at times, excruciating. Just because a specific day on the calendar has passed does not mean we have to stop celebrating! The birth of Christ is something we can observe year-round! Our Savior coming to earth in the form of a helpless baby is worth acknowledging more than a few days a year. March 3rd! Praise God for Jesus’ birth! July 17! Praise God for Jesus’ Birth! September 22nd! Praise God for Jesus’ birth!
And, if His birth is worthy of an ongoing party, I dare say His death, burial, and resurrection is worth celebrating every day of our lives! He is alive! He has won!
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” – 1 Corinthians 15:55
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
Keep the Party Going!
Now that Easter Sunday has passed, you may think it strange to have a Resurrection party, but I say go for it anyway! You can call it a post-Resurrection extravaganza! Jesus stayed on the earth for forty days after his resurrection, so why should we stop celebrating already?
Maybe you and your sweetie can come up with some way to keep the celebration going consistently for forty days. If you use your imagination, I’m sure you both can find ways to keep the fire burning (e.g., Christ-centered meals, Scripture memorization dealing with the resurrection, street witnessing, adopting a Compassion child, writing to someone new each day encouraging them with Scripture, etc.).
Celebrate All Year
Celebrating for a day is easy. Celebrating for forty days is somewhat challenging. But, celebrating Christ’s resurrection all year takes considerable determination.
Consider Resurrection Sunday. Many people file into church and sing exciting, inspirational, emotional songs about Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. People worship with raised hands and they are reminded of the horrors Christ suffered so that we could be reconciled with God. It is a day of celebration. He is risen! He’s alive! Heaven’s gates are opened wide!
Fast-forward a few months. Many of the same people are still filing into church, but is the excitement and fervor the same? Maybe for some; yet, not for others. We can celebrate Christ’s resurrection all year if we keep Him at the center of our lives all year. Reading the Bible regularly (studying, not just keeping up with a chore), praying continuously (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and fellowshipping with other believers – not neglecting these practices will keep our minds constantly focused on Him. From one Easter Sunday to the next, we can regularly sing His praises, rejoice for what He has done, and look forward to His appearing (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:2
Don’t Allow Yourself to Forget
Daily Bible study and prayer time is important, but most of us are not able to read the Bible from dawn till dusk. I’m not so sure that the Lord would be pleased with that anyway. If we are always reading His Word and not actually doing what it says, are we truly walking in obedience? Staying locked up with our Bibles (unless we are seeking hard after God on an issue and need to completely shut ourselves away for a time), keeps us from reaching other people. Jesus spent time with His father early in the day and then ministered to others throughout the day.
One way we can keep our minds on Christ throughout the day is to have reminders set up around our homes, places of business, and even our vehicles. Have scriptures displayed in locations you frequent such as the bathroom mirror, the refrigerator, the dashboard of your car, your computer screen, your cubicle wall, and the inside of your wallet. I knew a lady who actually built her home on scripture – literally. Scriptures were placed at the foundation, and the house was built on top of them. The word of God is living and active, even when buried under someone’s home! ~smile~ (Hebrews 4:12)
Go through each room of your home and think of ways you can symbolically remind yourself to stay focused on Christ. Pictures, special candles, objects (e.g., a lion figurine, praying Willow Tree angel, etc.) – all of these can be placed in our path so that we remember to celebrate Jesus every day of our lives. He has conquered the grave!
The main goal we should all strive for between now and the next Resurrection Sunday is to have a greater connection with Jesus Christ and to be more like Him (i.e., holier) a year from now than we are today.
How will you remember to celebrate Christ’s resurrection year round?