How to Keep the Joy of Easter Year-Round
It has been some time since we celebrated Easter Sunday, and for some of us, the joy of such a day has already begun to fade. Easter Sunday is an incredible time of rejoicing, but when we return to a normal week and move further and further from that day, it can be hard to maintain that joy. We so desperately want to hold on to the wonder and awe, but when the realities of life hit, how easy it is for us to lose those feelings. So how can we keep the joy of Easter year-round?
Rejoice
There is something that feels extra significant about singing songs that speak to Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday, but such songs aren't reserved for that day alone. In fact, what makes songs of worship significant isn't when we sing them but why we sing them. As we sing worship music, we lift our voices in praise to the Lord, which in turn reorients our hearts to worship the One who has saved us. When we feel as if the joy of Easter is slipping away, being reminded through song of what Christ has done is a simple way to rekindle that joy. It may seem small, but simply stopping to meditate on certain lines of lyrics is often effective. For example, consider these lyrics from the song, "King of Kings":
By His blood and in His name
In His freedom I am free
For the love of Jesus Christ
Who has resurrected me
These lyrics speak to Christ's triumph over sin and death, and they remind us of the life and freedom we are given through Him. We need the reminders in these songs on days when the beauty of the gospel seems to have faded. When we listen to or sing songs that speak to the importance of Jesus's death and resurrection, we will have worshipful hearts year-round. Because of what Jesus has done for us through His death and resurrection, there is always a reason to sing.
Remember
What often causes the joy of Easter to fade is choosing to meditate on the significance of Easter on that day alone. However, the gospel message we joyfully proclaim on Easter is a message to proclaim year-round. We need the gospel every day and not just on the holidays. Even when we walk through hard times in our lives or experience fear and anxiety, remembering the gospel is necessary. In the moments when thoughts of shame and condemnation enter our minds, we must remember that Christ has set us free from the punishment for our sin. In the times when we feel weighed down by the hardships of our world, we must remember that Jesus has triumphed over the sting of death. Meditating on the reality of what Christ bore for us will move us in gratitude for His sacrifice. Reflecting on His resurrection, let us rejoice over the new life we have been given through Him. The message of the gospel should circulate continuously through our minds as our hearts meditate upon it, letting it overflow from our lips. The joy of Easter will remain constant throughout the year when we continue to call to mind the truth of the gospel.
Read & Recite
When we feel the joy of Easter fading, let it encourage us to awaken our hearts through the reading of God's Word, for it is in reading through the Old Testament that we read of the reality of our sin and our need for a Savior. Through the Gospel accounts, we receive an inside perspective of Jesus's obedience and dedication to take on the cross. And through the letters and epistles, we receive an understanding of the eternal implications of Christ's death and resurrection on our lives.
Reciting God's Word is another helpful step that encourages us to remember and meditate on the truth of the gospel. Consider memorizing passages such as Romans 6:8-11 which says, "Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (ESV). Consider also 1 Peter 1:3 which reads, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Choose passages of scripture that speak to the themes of Easter, and jot them down on The Daily Grace Scripture Memory Cards. You can also use additional resources such as The Daily Grace Dwell Scripture Memory Journals or Daily Grace card sets like Verses for Our Identity in Christ to help you memorize gospel truths from scripture.
As we rejoice over the gospel, remember its implications, and read and recite God's Word, we will carry the joy of Easter throughout the year. Even in times when we find our joy once again slipping away, coming back to these three practices will help reignite it. Easter is more than a date on the calendar–it is a reality that shapes our entire lives. So every day, let us treasure what Christ has done for us.
