An important lesson that I have learned is to make all of my resources available for use in the service of God and man. That doesn’t mean that God will require me to give all of them away, but it does mean that I am ready to let them go if God asks me to. Occasionally God will test our obedience and loyalty to Him by asking us to give away something that means a lot to us. If we are able to obey Him promptly and with joy it is evidence that although we have things, they don’t have us.
Jesus said that people who have wealth and keep on holding it will have difficulty entering the kingdom of God (see Mark 10:23). Having is not a problem, but not being able to let go of what we have is a problem. Be a channel and let what comes to you flow through you.
God Is an Amazing Decorator
Have you ever paid attention to how the temple of God was decorated under the Old Covenant? It was very beautiful and ornate, so God must like pretty things. It was built with the best wood available, and everything—and I do mean everything—was overlaid with gold. God’s house that Solomon built to honor Him was filled with gold, silver, expensive cloth, and every kind of precious jewel known to man. It was built with the best of the best.
What we read about Heaven sounds pretty amazing, too. Streets of gold, a sea of crystal, and a gate made out of one single pearl. As someone who enjoys pretty clothes, I have noticed how the priests in the Old Testament dressed—and they were pretty decked out. My point is that God likes beautiful things, and there is nothing wrong with us liking them, too. Someone who attended one of my conferences sent a letter of complaint about me wearing rhinestone earrings. They thought the earrings were too flashy, and I couldn’t help but wonder how they would feel if they made it to Heaven and saw how God decorates. Was He wasteful when He gave instructions on how the temple was to be decorated? I am sure He could have cut back on some stuff and not been so extravagant. Surely some of that gold could have been given to the poor. I think we need to understand that there are times when God is extravagant, but that doesn’t mean He is being wasteful. Nothing is wasted if it is used for a right purpose, and blessing yourself at times is right and necessary.
Nothing is wasted if it is used for a right purpose, and blessing yourself at times is right and necessary.
Religious people often say that the Apostle Paul said that women should not wear expensive clothes or jewelry and they should not have elaborate hairstyles. Some have added makeup, but I cannot find any reference to makeup in the Bible. Personally, I need mine and would suggest it for a few other people I have seen, too. If God didn’t like color He would not have created it. Let’s look at what Paul actually said.
Let not yours be the [merely] external adorning with [elaborate] interweaving and knotting of the hair, the wearing of jewelry or changes of clothes;
But let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God.
1 Peter 3:3–4
All the Apostle is saying is that women should not merely or only be concerned with how they look and having lots of clothes, but they should first and foremost be concerned with having a right heart attitude. He did not say that women shouldn’t have more than one outfit and that it should be colorless and out of style. He did not say that wearing jewelry was a sin, but he did say that to be overly concerned with those things was wrong. I admit that I have seen some pretty obnoxious excess, but when I have, I have also seen obnoxious attitudes to go along with it. When people have a right heart toward God they do things in balance and are always concerned about representing God in a proper way.
God appears to me to be an awesome decorator. He can choose my wardrobe and decorate my house any time. Just look at the way He has decorated the earth. Thousands upon thousands of species of animals and birds, and trees and flowers exist. How many species of animals exist? The correct answer is that nobody really knows. Over a million have been named, but experts say there are possibly another million waiting to be discovered. There are twenty thousand species of fish, six thousand reptiles, nine thousand birds, and fifteen thousand mammals. Most don’t even want to guess at the number and variety of insects on the earth. There are nearly twenty varieties of penguins—that seems a bit excessive to me, but I guess God likes variety. There are 6,500 varieties of roses, at least 7,500 varieties of apples and 7,500 varieties of tomatoes, but not all are grown commercially.
CNN.com says that research counts seventy sextillion stars within the range of modern telescopes. I am not sure how they counted them, but the point is do we need them all? Is it wasteful or excessive to have so many out there that we cannot even see them? The point I am trying to make is that God not only likes variety, He obviously has lots more of everything than He would have to have. He does exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond what would be required. God delights in amazing us. Take the penguin for example. I love movies and documentaries about penguins. They are funny, cute, and have amazing habits. They look like they are wearing tuxedos and the way they walk is hilarious. I love the movie Happy Feet, which is about a penguin who could not sing like the others, but he had happy feet—he could dance! When I see penguins it makes me happy. I am convinced that God does a lot of what He does just for our enjoyment and to make us happy.
CHAPTER 4
God Likes a Party
A party is a festive occasion and would certainly qualify as a celebration. As a matter of fact many celebrations take the form of a party. We have birthday parties, Christmas parties, office parties, anniversary parties—we can make a party out of anything. The first miracle that Jesus performed that is recorded was done at a party. I think that is interesting to say the least and that it should be noted in our memory banks. Jesus was invited to a wedding and while He was there they ran out of wine so He turned some water into wine so the party could continue as planned. No matter what your particular doctrine is about wine, the fact remains that Jesus made it for the party, so don’t get caught up in the wine and miss the point. Jesus attended the party, He had nothing against the party, and He wanted the people to enjoy the party.
I am making a big deal out of this because I believe that many religious people could not have a good time at a party if their lives depended on it. They would probably find something wrong with the music, the way people dressed and, of course, the wine. They would think the money spent to have the party could have been used for a more important purpose. Religious people just do not seem to know how to have a really good time, but people who have a genuine relationship with Jesus can somehow enjoy everything. The religious person tends to avoid almost everything that could be considered fun in an effort not to sin, but the person who has close fellowship with God and is led by the Holy Spirit can do all things in moderation.
During my first few years as a Christian I went to church and tried to be good to a point, but was definitely a middle-of-the-road, compromising Christian. Then I came to a place in life where I wanted more of God than I had, and I got really serious about my relationship with Him. I got so serious that all I did was go to church, prayer meeting, and Bible studies. I did not go to parties! I was much too serious-minded about God to waste my time on frivolous things like that. I stopped playing volleyball, I stopped bowling, I stopped playing golf with Dave—as a matter of fact I stopped everything that was fun and became dangerously close to being one of the Pharisees that Jesus had disdain for (see Matt. 23). I finally got spiritual burnout, and my life was so out of balance and boring that I began to search the Scriptures for myself about joy and the enjoyment of life. I discovered that God likes parties, a playful attitude, laughter, celebration, and festivals. He also likes holiness, and the good news is we can be holy and enjoy a party. Jesus actually said that He came so we could have and enjoy life and have it in abundance until it overflows. I sure didn’t have that, so I decided I was going to learn to really enjoy life. I was d
efinitely one of the people that I am writing this book for. I needed to give myself permission to lighten up!
I know some of the more religious-minded people are thinking right now, “Well Joyce, the Bible does say to be serious-minded, sober, disciplined, prudent, and diligent.” They are correct and we need to be all of those things, but we also need to celebrate, and if we don’t we will be missing the spice in life. Everything, including us, will be tasteless and boring.
Join My Party
When Jesus invited people to become His disciples and follow Him, He asked them if they wanted to join His party. I realize He was talking about His group, but I like to think that traveling with Jesus was probably a lot of fun as well as a lot of hard work. He told the rich young ruler that we read about in Luke 18 to lay aside his selfish lifestyle and join His party. The rich young ruler had money, but it controlled him, and Jesus wanted him to learn that real joy was not found in what we own, but living for the right purpose. Repeatedly throughout the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) we see Jesus invited people to leave their lifestyles and side with His party, and He is still issuing that invitation today.
Living for God, serving Him and others, can be a blast if we look at it with the mind of Christ. I am working all day today and I can either look at it as w-o-r-k, or I can decide I am going to have a party (fun) while I do my work. It comes down to a-t-t-i-t-u-d-e! What will my attitude be? The mission that Jesus had could not have been any more serious and yet I am positive that He laughed with His disciples, made jokes about their goofy ways, enjoyed food, rested, and somehow managed to turn the mission into something that was enjoyable. When we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and decide we want to be a Christian and live a Christian lifestyle we are not going to a solemn assembly or a funeral, we are joining His party! My favorite image of Jesus is one I have seen of Him laughing.
Jesus can even make dying to self, which means being delivered from selfish, self-centered living, an interesting journey if we look at it properly. I speak a lot on spiritual maturity, dying to selfishness, taking up our cross and living holy lives, and I am continually amazed at how much people laugh while I do it. Somehow the Holy Spirit brings the teaching out of me in a way that makes people laugh while they are being corrected. God is amazing! People tell me all the time how funny I am and yet I speak a very straightforward, hard-hitting message that is quite serious. I have joined Jesus’ party!
You Are Invited to the Party
One of the most well known and loved Bible stories is about a young man who left his father’s house to go out into the world and live life his own way. He wasted all of his inheritance in undisciplined living and finally ended up with a job feeding hogs and eating what they ate. He made the brilliant decision to return home to his father’s house realizing that he would have a better life as a servant with his father than living the way he was living in the world. His father saw him coming as he looked into the distance and immediately planned a party. The exact words he spoke were, “Let us revel and feast and be happy and make merry” (Luke 15:23). He got his son new clothes, a special ring, and new shoes, and he prepared an amazing feast. He was extremely happy that his son had come to his right mind and had returned home. Everyone was enjoying the party, the music was loud, and the older son who was returning from working in the field heard it. He asked what was going on and when he heard the news he became indignant and angry and refused to go to the party. His father pleaded with him, but he preferred to sulk, feel sorry for himself, and make accusations toward his brother and father. None of his bad attitude prompted his father to stop the party, but it did keep him from entering in.
The older brother reminded his father that he had served and worked for him many years and never caused any trouble, and not once had anyone given him a party. His father replied that he could have had a party anytime he wanted one, because everything the father had was always his. To me, this is a most amazing lesson and one that we cannot afford to miss seeing. God loves us, and all that He has is ours as long as we belong to Him. He appreciates our work and effort to please Him, but if we refuse to enjoy the benefits of being a child of God that is our fault, not His. We can have a party any time we want one. Every day can be a party if we learn the art of celebration.
Every day can be a party if we learn the art of celebration.
Jesus said that the kingdom of Heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son, and he sent his servants to summons those who had been invited but they refused to come. He sent other servants and tried once again to get them to come to the banquet (party) but they treated it with contempt and each went away to his farm or business (see Matt. 22:2–5). It is very sad to me that so many people live a life of stress and pressure because they simply don’t know the art and value of enjoying the journey.
Feasts and Festivals
When I study the Old Testament and the lifestyle of the Israelites, who were God’s chosen people, I see that it was filled with parties. The first celebration we see recorded in biblical history is the Sabbath, which was a celebration of creation. God worked six days, and on the seventh day He rested from His labors and took time to enjoy what He had accomplished. He commanded that the seventh day of each week be celebrated as a day holy to the Lord. The Sabbath was a day when people would remember and celebrate all that He had done for them, and what He had created (see Exod. 20:8–11). It was a time of reflection, restoration, and celebration.
The Passover feast and celebration was instituted for people to always remember how God had protected and delivered them from the angel of death that passed through Egypt, killing all of the firstborn animals and people (see Lev. 23:5). The slaying of the firstborn was a judgment on Pharoah who had refused to obey God and let the Israelites go from their slavery in Egypt.
This night was a night to remember, and it deserved a yearly celebration. God wants us to remember what He has done for us. If you are not Jewish you probably don’t celebrate Passover, but we should keep the spirit of that feast by celebrating similar things that God has done for us. We should call them to mind, discuss them with friends and family, and never stop celebrating the goodness of God in our lives.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread began immediately following the Passover feast and lasted seven days. It was instituted to remind people of their exodus from Egypt and that they had left the old life behind and were entering a new way of living. Just imagine—they had one party right after another (see Lev. 23:6–8).
The Feast of Firstfruits came next. It was a celebration at the time of the barley harvest to remind the people how God had provided for them (see Lev. 23:9–14). This feast lasted one day.
The Feast of Pentecost came at the end of barley harvest and the beginning of wheat harvest and showed joy and thanksgiving over the bountiful harvest. This feast also lasted one day.
The Feast of Trumpets was next, and it was a one-day feast expressing joy and thanksgiving to God. Part of this celebration was the blowing of trumpets (see Lev. 23:23–25).
The Day of Atonement was a big day (see Lev. 23:26–32), a day when sin was removed from the people and the nation and fellowship was restored with God. It was a day when the people were required to afflict themselves with fasting, penitence, and humility. I am glad as New Covenant Christians we can have this celebration continually rather than once a year. I am also glad that Jesus humbled and afflicted Himself on our behalf and we can celebrate what He has done.
If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] (emphasis mine) cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].
1 John 1:9
The Feast of Tabernacles lasted seven days and was a celebration of God’s protection and guidance in the desert as the Israelites traveled from Egypt to the Promised Land. It renewed Israel’s
commitment to God as well as their trust in His guidance and protection (see Lev. 23:33–43).
The Israelites also had a habit of celebrating after a job well done. In Ezra 6:14–16 we see that the people celebrated the finishing and dedication of the house they had built for God. They celebrated weddings and probably birthdays and anniversaries. They had a party when their children came of age called bar mitzvah. Truthfully, it seems to me that they used any excuse they could to celebrate and that the celebrations were not only sanctioned by God, they were ordered and ordained by Him.
Are you beginning to catch my drift? God definitely likes a party!
CHAPTER 5
Celebrate Your Progress
Our youngest grandson recently stood alone for the first time. We were out of town on this joyous occasion, but we received a phone call telling us the great news. I vividly remember that there were four adults in the car when we received the news and three of us acted fairly ridiculously about the event. I actually clapped my hands together. Dave grinned from ear to ear and in a very surprised tone said, “REALLY!” A good friend was also in the car and she got excited. I heard questions like, “How long did he stand there?” and “Has he done it more than once?” Nobody asked if he sat down again, although we all knew that he did. We were even aware that he could have fallen down, but we did not care about anything other than his progress. We had a similar scene at our house when he smiled for the first time, ate his first solid food, crawled, and said “mama” and “da-da.” We get really excited about any little progress that he makes and we all express it to him to encourage him. Dave and I just spent several days with the baby, and, to be honest, we probably encouraged him hundreds of times during those few days. I don’t remember even one time that we chastised him for what he could not do yet.