He who observes the day observes it for the Lord, and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and the one who does not eat, in honor of the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. Romans 14:6
A few years ago, my wife took a deep dive into everything we celebrate here in South Africa, researching every public and religious holiday's origin and traditions. She was convicted to really consider why and how we celebrate special events. Christmas is coming up soon, but what about Workers Day, Freedom Day, and Valentine’s Day?
Should we have a Christmas tree? Regardless of the origins of the symbol, pine trees or equivalent are not indigenous to Africa. Fake snow on the door wreath? We celebrate Christmas during the summer. How can we make celebrating special events more meaningful and relevant without compromising our Biblical standards and Christian testimony?
Romans 14:6 talks about observing the Sabbath or other religious feasts or days of remembrance, so by application, this is a good passage to guide us as we decide which special events to celebrate as Christians. Ultimately it says we have liberty. We have the Christian freedom to remember and celebrate civil holidays such as Mother’s Day, Heritage Day, and Birthdays.
Liberty to celebrate...or not
The verse just before this one says each person must be "assured in their own mind". To celebrate, or not to celebrate, must be determined by the family’s preferences as it aligns with the liberty they have in the Lord. For this reason, my family and I have decided against celebrating certain public holidays, not out of conviction but because we feel it doesn't apply to us.
Thankfulness in celebrating special events
When a person observes a special day they need to do so "unto the Lord", and since we as humans rarely celebrate without food "in eating" we must remember to give thanks. Every celebration, whether Christmas or an Anniversary, we should give thanks to God. Christmas is easy, as well as Easter, but on Birthdays are we grateful to God for the life we are celebrating? Heritage Day, for example, can be an opportunity to give thanks for our cultures, yes, but also for our identity and heritage in Christ (See Ephesians 1:11 among others).
Don't get distracted
We can get very focused on making the day perfect. We cook and bake and cut and paste ourselves into forgetting about the only One Worthy of that kind of intense dedication. I am saying this because it seems to be a particular problem during Christmas time.
Make sure this Christmas that you have your priorities straight. Not just for celebrating our Saviour's birth, but for all the other celebrations you want to celebrate. Make sure your attitude throughout preparations as well as the actual day is God-centred.
Blessed Christmas to one and all!
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