Happy Birthday to Me (Celebrate)!

It’s my birthday. I’m not saying this to garner any more birthday wishes (I’ve already had plenty, and have spent a good chunk of my day responding to them, lol), but to share a biblical perspective on comments about “age” that most of us often hear, especially where there’s birthday buzz.

I turned 31 today. I’ve always loved celebrating my birthday, but sometime around my late 20s I started noticing that people were getting less excited about this inevitable, universal yearly occurrence. I began hearing comments such as “I’m old”, “we’re old,” “I feel old,” “Do you feel old?” and every other manner of description expressing how “old” the person feels.

Turning 30 last year, I gained even greater “access” to a not-so-underground world of people in their third decade who are very disgruntled with their age. There is nary a time when someone in their thirties has a birthday that there are not eye rolls, requests that the age of the “celebrant” not be mentioned, whines or jokes about being over some kind of hill. And all of this comes from Christians and non-Christians alike. This, my fellow followers of Christ, is a problem. But thankfully, it has a solution (which I will need to address in a short period of time, so that I can continue celebrating my 31st).

First of all, I must note that, objectively speaking, the 30s are not old. According to the United States Census Bureau, the average life expectancy is about 78 years; about 76 for men and 81 for women. In your thirties, you may barely reach half of your life expectancy, at most. Also, even if you will die well before that, most of us have no basis for predicting our deaths. In short, the 30s are hardly a time for most us to believe that we will shortly head to the grave; only God knows if that is the case.

But, more importantly, as followers of Christ we should approach each day being thankful for where God has placed us. Scripture clearly supports this. I will state just a few of my favorite verses that get me excited about approaching each day of my life with anticipation: Psalm 139 says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, so much so that God “knit” us together in our mother’s womb. That means He has a purpose for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God’s plans for us are to give us a hope and a future. First Corinthians 2:9 (quoting Isaiah 64:4) says that we cannot even imagine what God has prepared for those who love Him. In John 10:10, Jesus also said that He came for us to have life, and have it more abundantly, or to the full. That means that, in knowing Him, our lives are not supposed to end because we turn a certain age – they are meant to remain rich with pursing Him and seeing His work in each of us, day by day.

It’s this knowledge – and hope – that God has something for me at every moment of my life that staves off the temptation to be down about some aspect of my life that is not just how I want it and instead embrace now. The Apostle Paul was really good at doing this, and encouraging believers to do the same. In Philippians 1: 3-6, he said this to the church in Phillippi (which also has become one of my favorite prayers, particularly for my closest friends and family):

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Verse six is incredible –Paul could be confident that God, who started something amazing in those believers, would be faithful to finish it. When we know Jesus, we ultimately have a home in heaven. Before then, in this life, we have the opportunity to experience the process of being sanctified as we grow in our relationships with God and He transforms us. That means that He is constantly working on me, no matter what my age – I never get too old for Him to do that! And if His plans for me are excellent, the best, no matter how painful life may get, they are glorious, incomparable to anything a life without Him offers. That’s something to celebrate!

Further, in those moments when we are tempted to feel dissatisfied, Paul also reminds us in 1 Timothy 6:6 that godliness with contentment is great gain. In Philippians 4: 12- 13, he adds, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

The Christian walk is definitely a marathon, requiring endurance. But it’s also an amazing adventure. Whatever your age, thank God for where you are. Brothers and sisters in Christ who are 30-something, those who will one day be 30, or those who have long left the 30s, you are more than the perceived failures that can keep us from embracing even the thought of leaving, or having left, youth: familial status (i.e., lack of being married, lack of children); financial situation; career; education level; the list can expand. At every turn, God has a purpose for your life – He created you and made the universe, and knows just want He’s doing!

With that, I will continue celebrating. And if you have the urge to whine about your age, please let the truth of God’s Word, speaking to this adventure that is life, encourage you not to (and if you do it around me, I will also rebuke you). And oh yeah, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!