Celebrate With Someone

Time to Celebrate! Let us rejoice in the Lord! When? Always! Easier said than done, especially when you are put to the test. But the real test is if you are able to celebrate and rejoice with others when you know something is not happening with you. When someone else is celebrating their victory, can you feel and show great delight for them? What about celebrating someone else’s victory such as an engagement, wedding, child birth, new homeowners, graduation, promotion or other exciting experiences that are cause for celebration. 

What if you feel like your victory is on hold? What about your celebration party? How do you feel when you see all the wonderful photos, incoming text messages and receive phone calls that have nothing to do with your situation. This is precisely the time for you to learn how to respond when you have little or none.

Here are some good sources of scripture for that:

“Rejoice with those who rejoice.” Romans 12:15 NKJV

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again–rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 NLT

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:12 NIV

Eventually we are going to see something happen for us too.  We have to be hopeful, patient and constant in prayer [Romans 12:12] for our situation and for others as well. We should be glad and learn to celebrate with others if they get their answer sooner than ours. It is so unfortunate and unsettling to have that feeling when you are not happy for someone or when you see that they are not even happy for you. That is certainly a heart issue. A matter of the heart that needs to grow more in love for others. When you love someone, only then will you be able to celebrate and rejoice with them no matter what.

I would say that in the heaviest time of testing in my life, I had to learn the art of celebrating. The way that I have learned to practice good behavior is by engaging with them and becoming more involved. I learned to bless others, I learned to give, I learned to appreciate and I also learned what true joy is all about. When you see the genuine smile of someone else, it actually lightens up your mood. I can honestly say that I rejoice even more when I can contribute to their joy. When the opportunity arises for me to participate, I can gladly walk through those doors and provide some support. The best part of this all is when it is genuine. My excitement actually makes them more excited too. That feeling is great! It is an amazing experience! This brings me joy!

Instead of allowing things to infiltrate your mind in a negative way, allow the good news of others to lift you up in a positive way. This is how you grow. So learn to say something nice. Give something away. Help them achieve their goal faster. Buy a present for them. Help decorate the new house. Go with them to buy the wedding supplies. Take them to dinner or cook for them when they get the new job. When you do this you learn the principle of what Jesus did for us. He gave His all for us. We should mirror that as well. Act like this is your new house, your graduation, your new job or your marriage celebration. Learn to rejoice for others and you will see your mood change, your character change and eventually your own outcome for your life will change too.

What you sow into the lives of others you will reap for yourself [Galatians 6:7]. Your time will come. Your victory will come. Your good news is on the way. So celebrate now by celebrating with others. Look at how far you have come along internally. Even when we have to wait for external things, we can learn to appreciate what we have in the interim. There is a common saying, “Until God opens the next door for you, praise [celebrate] Him in the hallway!”