🤔 What would Jesus say about going to parties?

📖 Scripture uses a word that is helpful here: being "sober-minded."

It doesn't mean being a buzzkill or taking yourself too seriously. It's actually about being fully present and aware.

🍷 Think about the wedding at Cana — you know, that famous story where Jesus turned water into wine. And not just any wine — he made the good stuff for people who had already been partying!

⚖️ This shows that Christianity isn't about being joyless or being serious all the time, but it also doesn't mean that nothing matters.

🧭 But Christians are called to be "sober-minded" means staying grounded in reality no matter where you are. (2 Tim. 4:5)

🗺️ It's like having your spiritual GPS always on — knowing where you stand with God (in our baptisms, etc) and how His Word defines us in every situation.

💪 When the Bible talks about Jesus being "meek," it doesn't mean being shy or timid. Instead, it means being confident and composed — someone who isn't easily pushed around because they know exactly who they are and what they're about.

✝️ Christ and his redemption matters so much that you can be confident about everything that you do in your vocation.

💭 The takeaway? Your faith shouldn't make you choose between being super serious all the time or just YOLO-ing through life without caring about consequences.

🎯 Instead, it's about finding that sweet spot where you can genuinely enjoy life's celebrations while staying true to your values and identity.

🎉 You can go to parties and have fun, but do it from a place of awareness and sober mindedness rather than trying to numb yourself or escape reality. You are not free to sin, but free from sin.

✨ It's about being present enough to appreciate the good times when they're happening, while remembering who you are in Christ.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Matt Richard is Pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Minot, ND.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #jesus