Birthday Thoughts

The older you get, the less it seems most of us think about birthdays. But some years are certainly milestones, and I'd say a good portion of us take notice of those. Ten (double digits), Thirteen (finally a teenager), Eighteen (adulthood), and Twenty-one (actual adulthood) are some of those years. But after that not too many stand out. But, in my opinion, forty is another one of those years. I can't believe I'm admitting my age on here.

I think for a lot of guys (and I could be wrong, I didn't take a poll or anything), forty is a year of reflection. I know that's the case for me leading up to today.

What missed opportunities, what regrets, what failings, what do I have to show as I reach this number?

If I weren't a pessimist I'd ask the questions: what successes, what achievements, and what joys do I look back on?

But as I sit here trying to think of what to write, the thing that hits me is that what I ought to focus on is the God who has brought me here.

What has He given me? What work has He given me to do? What people has He given me to care for? What talents and abilities has He given me to minister to others? And more so, what work has He done in me? And, what people has He given to care for me? How has He ministered to me? Just a few things to ponder, I suppose.

The biggest thing of course is the salvation that He has given me in Christ. Regardless of all of the other things, He has demonstrated His love for me in that while I was yet a sinner, Christ had died for me. And even more, The Holy Spirit lives within me as a believer.

So, what will forty bring? I don't know, I hope for many things of course, but ultimately it's in His hands.

But I do look back and hope that in some small way, He has used my life to bring Him glory. And, I am thankful for the immeasurable gifts He has given to me, and where He has brought me.

Maybe this all seems a bit pious, but the reality is, I know myself just well enough to know my failings. I sure hope God has made His power known in my life; I believe He has. And so, this post is not meant to point to me at all, but to the one true God. I hope that if you have not, you would repent and believe the gospel today; Come to Christ.