Party Hearty

I generally think of an inebriated group  of merrymakers or even a drunken brawl when I hear the phrase, party hearty. It’s not necessarily true, however, if you look at all the possibilities. In essence , I think “party hearty” means to enjoy yourself wholeheartedly. I can remember family get-togethers when the funny stories flowed freely and we laughed until the tears rolled--and the strongest stimulant was iced tea. (Part of the tears may have come from the pain of having eaten too much and the extreme pressure of laughter on the expanded waistline.) But those were “party hearty” times.

The Christmas season seems to be an appropriate time to think of partying heartily because of the unique happening that occurred 2000 some odd years ago—and made all the difference in the world. The baby conceived and born in such a wondrous fashion came to bring joy and peace to the world. In fact, He created joy—check out Galatians 5:22 and we see that joy is one of the fruits (characteristics) of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus must have given his mother and Joseph many moments of joy and His joyful personality probably led to His enjoyment of parties. Look at the wedding party at Cana. In fact, I would say Jesus has a tender heart toward weddings judging by scripture ranging from Genesis 2 and ending with the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19. And the awesome thing about that Revelation “party” is that we believers are an integral part of that wedding party that will outdo all parties.

The great thing about parties or celebrations centering around Christ is that we can have all this fun and not have to deal with a hangover the next day or a guilty conscience afterwards. To quote Beth Moore, “…celebrations around Christ’s presence are so wonderful because they are intended to be sparkling refreshment to a world-worn soul.”

In the Old Testament God commanded His people to celebrate His goodness and providence during festivals several times a year. Unless we’re Jewish, we don’t follow those same commands today, but His wishes for His adopted children are no less. “Celebrate My goodness. Have a party(and remember Who makes it possible)!” 

Our life situations  may not make us feel like celebrating for all sorts of reasons, but we really DO have a reason to party hearty –and His name is Jesus.