Do you? No, you’re not perfect – that’s a process. Do you feel that if you were to celebrate you, it flies in the face of who we are supposed to be as Christians? Prideless? Unprideful? Don’t think prideless or unprideful are words? According to …? Granted we are not to esteem ourselves higher that others (Romans 12:3), but that’s not what celebrating you is all about.
Luke 15 relates two parables over the joy when something lost is found – a coin is found, a lost sheep is found but the significant point is :
“I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” [v. 7]
When you accepted Jesus as your Lord, there was rejoicing in heaven that you had repented! This is cause for celebration and I bet that it had to be some celebration! Accepting the Lordship of Jesus is no little thing! Besides, you’re one of a kind. The Father doesn’t do duplicates… even with twins. We are each unique, special. And that should be celebrated. Yes it’s our similarities, commonalities that bring us together but it is our differences that bring out our uniqueness. All should be celebrated.
In that vein, since we are talking about ourselves, do you make, take time … for you? This is a question I often ask some of my friends. Mostly they just shrug it off, that it really isn’t all that important. Wrong! Having, or more precisely taking, time for self is critical. If it weren’t, why did Jesus go off by Himself? To be refreshed, to bring petitions to the Father are 2 reasons. Not so much about the what you do in that time as it is taking that time. (Now to seemingly contradict that last statement) for many who ‘think’ they are taking time, is it filled with things to do, people to see, places to go rather than that time just to reacquaint yourself with… you. And, more importantly – spend quality time with the Lord and in developing this relationship.
The ‘I’m too busy’ for that luxury is not a valid or viable argument. I’ve discovered that often it’s in those me-times that creativity seems to flourish, uninhibited by the restraints of ‘to do’s’. I’ve discovered more about who I am in the place that I am, what I can be or do, get refreshed in order to be or do. And all of that is part of my building blocks of me. If I don’t take the time to know, to understand me then I am building on an unknown and on shifting sands. Not particularly a solid foundation.
In both cases – celebrating and taking time – are important components in your life, in your day. When we don’t take time to acknowledge who we are that can be celebrated, then what’s our knowledge foundation? And if we don’t take time to assess, reassess, refine who we are then are we only half conscious of what we do and how we do it? How can we grow? How can we improve? How can we become the best we can if we don’t first take time? I would strongly suggest, we don’t.
If you are placing yourself above others… you know this and you can control it. But if your heart is to be pleasing to the Lord then you need to take time to discover how you do this. Never buy into the lie that says you can never accept a compliment… if you don’t, how can you accept a correction? You think I’m mistaken? If so, how do you explain Matthew 10:29-31, 1 John 4:19 and especially… how do you explain what Jesus said is the second commandment:
“This is the second: ‘You shall [unselfishly] love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” [Mark 12:31, AMP]
See… it starts with you. If you don’t love and celebrate you, are you really loving and celebration others?
