I was watching a football game recently (not unusual for me) and I got to thinking about celebrations. It occurred to me that participants in at least three sports have joyous celebrations with each score. Football, hockey, and soccer. The pace of football lends itself to more opportunities for celebration. With all three sports, there is a pause in the game after a score so players in these sports engage in group hugs, high fives,and other celebrations. Football players celebrate after a score. But they also have spirited celebrations after a good play. Even if the team is down by 30 points they will celebrate a score or a good play. I had been somewhat put-off by what I felt were empty celebrations.

Then it dawned on me that life should be a celebration. The vast majority of us will never be winners of the Super Bowl, heist Lord Stanley’s Cup, or hold the FIFA World Cup Trophy. We won’t receive a Nobel prize, get elected to a Hall of Fame, or get other notable recognitions. In the view of eternity, those things don’t matter. But, we can, and should celebrate our victories as they are part of who we are while on earth.

Our reasons to celebrate are God-given, so they should be celebrated. Celebration is more than winning. We celebrate what God has done for us. Keep in mind that if we are fully attuned to God in our lives, He will direct us. Proverbs 3:5-6 reads “With all your heart. You must trust the Lord and not your own judgment. Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow (CEV).”

God does direct us. Several years back, I had just completed my doctorate in Accounting. Professors with a terminal degree and a CPA designation were highly coveted in the academic world. In my way of thinking, I searched diligently. Some interviews I immediately rejected. Others, I would have accepted but they weren’t offered. In retrospect, I now see that God was holding me back for the right position – the one He wanted for me.

God is also in the minutiae of life. I remember when my father had died, my wife, Gloria and I were driving to his home, several hundred miles away. We needed to stop and buy something so we pulled into a mall parking lot. For some reason, the place was packed, not a parking place to be found. As we were going down one lane, a lady was walking to her car. She signaled us to follow her so we could have her parking space. Even though I was frustrated and definitely not praying, God was looking out for us.

Jesus celebrated on a number of occasions. In reading the Scriptures, we see that Jesus celebrated the Jewish holidays. Just prior to His crucifixion, He planned a passover meal to share with His disciples. The Feast of First Fruits was observed on the first day after the Sabbath at Passover. He gave new meaning to that day, as He arose from the grave. In 1 Corinthians 15:22-23 (NIV) Paul recognized Christ as the firstfruits “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.”

We know he attended family celebrations, as at the wedding in Cana. In fact, you might say he salvaged the wedding celebration by turning water into wine. We can only imagine the celebration that occurred when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus healed there were certainly joyous celebrations.

The gospels tell us of the angels, shepherds, and wise men celebrating the birth of Jesus. Jesus gave us celebrations of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. When the prodigal son returned, the father ran to greet him. He ran with abandon, as a Middle Eastern man never ran. He risked shame and humiliation. After an embrace, the father ordered his servants to bring the best robe, a ring, and shoes. Then he instructed the servants to prepare a lavish meal of celebration. There are no shortages of celebrations in the Bible.

In His classic book, Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster wrote “Celebration is central to all the Spiritual Disciplines. Without a joyful spirit of festivity the Disciplines become dull, death-breathing tools in the hands of modern Pharisees.” There is no doubt that we were made to be celebratory Christians. Psalms 150 is one of my favorite Psalms. This Psalm tells us when and why we should praise and celebrate. ”

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him with tambourine and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute.
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Everything that has breath shall praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!

Although not classified as Christian music, Kool and the Gang gave us the song “Celebration.” It has become a standard at parties and celebrations of all kinds. We should demonstrate that type of celebration as we have every reason to celebrate the goodness of God. Celebrate our Lord, celebrate what He has done for us. Celebrate His greatness.

All scripture is from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Photo credit to Pete Linforth, Jeff Jacobs, and Geralt on Pixabay.

A few months ago, I wrote an article, Not Everyone Goes to Heaven, in which I discussed the misconception that everyone will go to heaven when they die. In revisiting that article, it occurred to me that there are some specific behaviors/beliefs that individuals may have about how to get into Heaven. Let me emphasize at the start that there is only one way to heaven. That is faith in Jesus Christ.

In theory, one could get to heaven if they led a perfect life here on earth. That is what Jesus did. For human beings, that is impossible. The concept of original sin arose when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. By their transgressions, we become like Adam. It is imparted to us. In other words, Adam is our representative. Think of it in terms of a sports metaphor. If an individual on a football team commits a foul, is that individual penalized? Not really, the whole team is penalized for the transgression of one. So we are on Adam’s team and his transgression is upon us.

What are some actions or behaviors that individuals believe will get them into Heaven? There are six of these behaviors that I have identified. There may be more but this will hopefully get you thinking.

First, we do not get into Heaven based on our parentage. Maybe your father was a prominent minister who won many people to Christ and always took you to church on Sunday. His faith does not cover you. Everyone must have their own faith. Paul told us in Phillippians 2:12 to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” The emphasis here is the word “own.” It is your salvation that saves you, not the faith of others.

Second, and somewhat related. Salvation by proxy can be attempted. A living person is baptized on behalf of the physically dead in an attempt to get the deceased into heaven. Nowhere in the Bible is this practice mentioned. The Bible states baptism is for the remission of the sins of the individual. Another aspect of salvation by proxy is to pray for the deceased’s salvation. Again, this is not workable. It denies free moral agency and the individual responsibility God has for each individual.

Third, many individuals think they are a good person. “After all, I’ve made a positive impact on people and I’ve never kicked a dog. God will let me in.” While we think we are good, we cannot measure up by God’s holy standard. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes this abundantly clear. “You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about” (CEV). Our salvation cannot be earned, it is a gift we must accept.

Fourth, “attending church will get me into heaven.” No amount of church attendance or lack of attendance will result in getting or losing salvation. However, when you become a Christian, you are a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (CEV) reads “Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.” If we are a part of the Body of Christ we will have a desire to be in church for instruction and fellowship. After all, we are now a part of God’s Family and we should have a desire to fellowship with our family.

Fifth, I would point out that just because someone professes faith in Jesus Christ and is even baptized does not mean that person has been saved. Knowing about God is not the same as knowing God. James 2:19 reads (CEV) “You surely believe there is only one God. That’s fine. Even demons believe this, and it makes them shake with fear.” Jesus even said “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” Matthew 7:21 (CEV).

Finally, Some apparently think that they can buy themselves into heaven by contributing to a church or other charitable organization. I once had a boss that felt this way. There was no visible evidence that he was a Christian, but I was told that he faithfully sent a tithe into his church. Salvation cannot be bought. It has already been paid when Jesus hung on the cross.

There can be many reasons for a false claim to salvation. Perhaps you were in a church that taught heretical theology. Maybe you were pressured by friends and family to take this step and your profession was to get them off your back. Our faith must be authentic.

A person can be sincere about their faith, but if there is no evidence of that faith, if they are not “new creations” they could be sincerely wrong. We can claim Jesus as Lord, but we must also obey Him.

All scripture unless otherwise noted is from the NASB translation.

Photo credit to Openclipart-vectors, Jeronym Pelikovsky, and Gerd Allman. All on Pixabay

I have always struggled with Phillippians 4:11, which reads “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” I recently realized that my problem with this verse is the word “content.” Other versions use satisfied, but the large majority use my stumbling-block word. The Amplified Bible adds a parenthetical comment “satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted whatever state I am.”  Those parenthetical comments, using the words disturbed or disquieted help us understand what we should seek.

Content. I studied this word and realized that I was not looking at a full definition of the word. One definition in Mirriam-Webster defines the verb as “to limit (oneself) in requirements, desires, or actions.”  The Cambridge Dictionary reads “to make someone feel happy and satisfied.” These definitions exhibit my prior thoughts about this word.  If that’s the way you think of this word, then you probably have some of the same feelings that I have about it in this passage. Using these definitions, we just sit back, be happy, and take whatever comes. I don’t think that’s it al all.

Clarence L. Haynes, Jr., whom I consider to be a very insightful Christian author and teacher, states regarding being content “This does not mean you don’t push to be better, do more, or to advance. It means you don’t use that as the measure of your satisfaction. As Christians, this is necessary because the opposite of contentment is disappointment, dissatisfaction, and unhappiness. If you search for contentment in the wrong places, it can lead to making harmful choices.” In other words, Haynes is not telling us that the content Christian should not strive for improvement. Sounds good, but what does that mean? How do we exhibit Christian contentment?

The difference is our focus. We should look to God for our contentment. Philippians 4;13 reads “can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Notice that Paul did not say he (or we) could do all things, He said “ I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me.” 

Things to Avoid. If we are to be content there are some things to avoid. First, we should not look to humans for our contentment. Psalm 146:3 (CEV) reads “You can’t depend on anyone,  not even a great leader.”  Jeremiah 17:5 is a little more forceful “This is what the Lord says: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength.” Finally, I would give you Psalm 118:8-9 (CEV) “It is better to trust the Lord for protection than to trust anyone else, including strong leaders.”  Don’t look to others to make you content. Man will fail you. God never fails.

Second, don’t focus on possessions. Matthew 24:35 reads “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” Everything you’ve accumulated over your lifetime will be gone. I was recently cleaning out my house in anticipation of a move and I realized much of what I had accumulated was things that had memories for me. They stirred up pleasant thoughts, but my kids didn’t want many of those things. They were my possessions that meant little to them. I gained a new insight into possessions.

Third, Don’t make promotions in your work or growth of your business your source of contentment. If your identity is in your work, you lose that identity when you lose your job – either from being fired, or from retirement. Having retired twice, as a professor and as a CPA, I can attest that there is a dislocation. But God had more for me. I am more than a teacher and a bean-counter.

Fourth, don’t pursue personal achievements to become content. There is nothing wrong with personal achievements. I used to run and participated in many road races, including two marathons. I was thrilled to finish the first one under my goal time. But I immediately started looking to the next one and was hoping to shave thirty minutes off that time. I didn’t achieve that goal. Personal achievements can be fulfilling to pursue, but don’t wrap your identity in those achievements. In road races, as in many other aspects of life, there is only one first place. If we set realistic goals for ourselves, we can “win” when we meet those goals. The only trophy I ever got in running was for 12th place in the Senior Division. But I achieved my goal and I felt like a winner.

Fifth. Don’t set prosperity as your goal. Larry Burkett, who founded Christian Financial Concepts, now Crown Financial Ministries, once responded to the question “How much is enough?” His response? “Just a little more.”

Sixth, earthly pleasures will not make you content. That bucket-list vacation you took? It ended. Your dream car you finally bought? It wore out. Your new house that tops the Jones’ house just got upstaged by a newer, bigger house down the street. I am not saying there is anything wrong with these, but they do not bring a lifetime of contentment. You’ll always want more.

How to be content. Now that we have seen what will not make us content, what do we need to achieve contentment from a Christian perspective. First, do focus on eternal life. In  2 Peter 3:13, the apostle wrote “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” Think of that – “a place where righteousness dwells” – that’s where I want to spend all my days. Eternity is a difficult concept. Here on earth, time often enslaves us as we attempt to accomplish more on earth. I think I am fairly safe in saying that Heaven has no clocks. Our eternal life will be unhurried, with everything in its “time.”

Second, do focus on things above. In Colossians 3:2, Paul, who was taken up to see heaven before his death, writes “Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.” Paul had seen heaven and earth. Obviously, heaven was the better choice, as he relates. In his recent book What Comes Next?, Max Lucado writes that your best day on earth will pale in comparison to our experience in heaven. 

Third, do focus on His decrees. In Psalm 119:112, the Psalmist writes “I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes. Forever, even to the end.” God has set his laws, his instructions to us. We should focus on what God has told us to do. In the 1990’s a popular phrase in the Jesus movement was “WWJD.” What Would Jesus Do? I was surprised to discover that this phrase grew out of the Biblical concept of “Imitatio Christi” or “Imitation of Christ” in the 1400’s. In 1890 Reverend Charles Sheldon introduced this phrase to a wider audience and preached a series of sermons to address the question of how to imitate Christ in modern society. He ended each sermon with the question “What would Jesus do?” From the positive response to his sermons, he wrote the best seller In His Steps, which became a Christian classic. Interestingly the book became widely published by 70 publishers due to a defective copyright. (God works in mysterious ways).

Fourth, do focus on Jesus. Heb 3:1 reads (CEV) “My friends, God has chosen you to be his holy people. So think about Jesus, the one we call our apostle and high priest!” But the writer doesn’t stop there. In the following verses, he explains why we should think about Jesus. He was faithful to the appointment God gave Him. He emphasizes that man may build things, but the reality is that God is the builder of everything.

In Hebrews 12:1-2, the point is made stronger as the author states “let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, (my emphasis) the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

To focus is to concentrate, to direct our attention on something. If I am watching a closely played sporting event, I am going to be laser-focused on that game. At that point, nothing else matters. We should have that same focus on Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:18, Paul (as usual) doesn’t mince words “He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”

We live in a fallen world. Keeping our focus on Jesus doesn’t just happen. We need to be diligent in our Christian disciplines, especially prayer and Bible study. My wife and I were just talking about another aspect of focusing. We need to surround ourselves with Christian friends. We become like those we associate with. Spending time with fellow Christians can help us maintain proper focus.

Fifth, we should focus on grace. Merriam Webster defines grace in relation to God as “a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine assistance.” I grew up in a church named Grace Baptist. It was frequently uttered that GRACE is an acronym for “God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense. Christ made God’s riches available to us for the asking.

I Peter 1:13 (CEV) tells us to “Be alert and think straight. Put all your hope in how God will treat you with undeserved grace when Jesus Christ appears.” There is much to ponder in this short passage, but I want to focus on three things. One, we are to be alert and straight-thinking. We just need to watch people and see that this is not common today. Two, we need to put our hope in how God will treat us. If we live for Him, he will treat us with undeserved grace. Third, this will happen when Christ appears – He IS coming back. 

Sixth, we should focus on others with compassion and mercy. Jesus was a compassionate person when he walked on this earth. In the feeding of the 5,000 (plus women and children) Matthew relates that “When He came ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.” (14:14). In the same instance, it was past dinner time and the disciples came to Him, suggesting He send them away to find food for themselves. Jesus would have none of that, he had a miracle in mind. He took five loaves and two fish and made enough to feed everybody with food left over.

Again in Matthew, the disciple relates the parable of the unforgiving slave. The master had forgiven the slave a large debt, but the slave did not have mercy on his fellow slave for not forgiving a much smaller debt. The master handed him over to be punished. Jesus commanded mercy on our part, saying “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” (18:35). The Golden Rule from Matthew 7:12 (CEV) should be our standard operating procedure. “Treat others as you want them to treat you. This is what the Law and the Prophets are all about.”

Be content with what is missing. VJ Dunn is a favorite author who writes relatable Christian fiction (her words, not mine). She recently sent an email that expresses that she is thankful for what’s missing in her life. I’ve summarized her list slightly:

1. I don’t have an illness, other than old  age aches and pains.
2. I don’t have a desire for more, better, faster. I am a very content person.
3. I don’t have debilitating addictions. My real addiction is reading.
4. Best of all, I don’t have the fear of death any longer, thanks to my Savior who defeated death on that cross?

VJ has learned to be content in her circumstances. As the scriptures tell us repeatedly, Christ is enough. Why not make Christ enough in your life? Be content.

Scripture is from the NASB unless otherwise stated.

Photo credits from Pixabay – Vilius Icvlsanauskas, Mani Samva, Igor, Pobobriy, Vicki Hamilton.