Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me!
Is your birthday this month like mine is? If so, I hope it has been a fantastic one!
Did you know that birthdays are not optional? Really! Some people say that they no longer celebrate birthdays, but the more birthdays you have, the longer you live!
The Psalmist David said it this way, “teach us to number our days carefully, so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts. Lord—how long? Turn and have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your faithful love so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days. Make us rejoice for as many days as you have humbled us, for as many years as we have seen adversity. Let your work be seen by your servants, and your splendor by their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish for us the work of our hands— establish the work of our hands! Psalm 90:12-17
In celebrating my birthday, I’m not growing older! Instead, I’m growing in faith, in grace, in life experiences. Instead of saying I am 68 YEARS old, I can now say that I am at LEVEL 68!
I have more levels to climb, more to do, more to learn. I am in the right place, at the right time of my life. I am thankful to be living in beautiful Craig County, Virginia! What a blessing!
Now, I may not climb as far, nor as fast, but I am still climbing. As we grow older, birthdays are not just a reminder that time is passing, it’s an indicaon that God is not done with you yet. When God is done with you, you will be dead.
Our purpose before God is continuing and ongoing. It’s up to each of us to find our purpose and serve God and our neighbors, whom God instructs us to love. If you quit before the end of your life, you will have to answer to God when he says, Why??
For now, birthdays are a celebration of life! Life is a gift from God to remind us of His great love for us. Each year is a testament to His ongoing love and grace for us, and His ever ready mercy. Every Life is precious, this is why we should fight so hard to overcome societies trends to “throw away unwanted babies”.
Did you know that the Commonwealth of VA is introducing a bill to make abortion rights a part of our state constitution? Did you know that Over 40 children each week in Roanoke are killed by abortion! We need to pray— and if God leads you — to get involved. One good organization you can work with is called LOVELIFE.org at 2216 Peters Creek Road in Roanoke.
In Psalm 139: 13-16, it says this… “For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.”
Are you growing in the things of God?
Birthdays are a time to reflect on our growth and changes. Each year marks a year of growth, experiences, and lessons learned. It’s a time to reflect on how far we have come. If you depend on 1 hour on Sunday morning it would be equal to you only eating one meal a week. You will eventually starve to death. As a pastor, I have to constantly read and study in order to stay fresh in God’s word. Even though I am filled with God’s spirit, I leak, and you leak, and we need to be refilled every day. Because of this, if we are not moving forward, we are not growing in the things of God, we are actually moving backwards. This is one reason why it’s so important to help each other stay involved and in church.
Do you keep a spiritual journal? Do you write down the answers to your prayers? It’s the best way to recall and thank God for His many blessings! Stay focused on what is important.
We celebrate birthdays with the giving of our cards, appreciations, and gifts. Cards and Gifts are a way to say to a person, “you are special to me”. Gifts given out of obligation are not gifts. Gifts should be expressions of our thankfulness and love for each other.
I send a birthday card to each active member of our church – and a small gift to let you know them know they are important to us.
We should celebrate our spiritual birthdays too! I just celebrated my 54th year in Christ!
2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” We should always thank God for His ultimate gift – the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. We don’t have to wait unl Christmas to do this. Each me you pick up a gift for a shoebox, you can give it to God with thanks for His gift of His Holy son.
Birthdays are not just private or personal celebrations: they are an opportunity to share joy with one another, to express our friendships and love for one another as Christ taught us to.
They are also a time to reflect on life, express our gratitude and set our plans for the future as we serve God. Go sit under a tree and reflect on where you have been in life, where you are now, what God wants of you in the future.
Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” You may be old but your life is not over unl God says its over! Remember – God has a purpose for you being here today, and today is the first day of the rest of your life.
If you are not fulfilling His purpose for your life, you are actually OUT OF GOD’s WILL. When we are out of God’s will, we are away from GOD’s Blessings too! God’s blessings always follow God’s will!
Birthdays are expressions of Joy John 16:21 says, 21 When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her me has come. But when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world.
Birthdays are a Celebration of Friendships and Relationships too! In 1 Thessalonians 5:11: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.” Birthdays often serve as a time for friends and family to come together, encouraging and uplifting one another, which aligns with biblical principles of community and support. This is why we like to recognize and celebrate birthdays and anniversaries.
Remember that every day is a gift from God, and with each passing year, we have the opportunity to grow closer to Him and reflect His love and grace to the world. Let your birthday be a celebration not only of your life — but of the One who gave you life and continues to sustain you each day.
Keep a copy of this and read it at your next birthday, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Our FOOD PANTRY is available to everyone – there is no financial pre-qualification. Come by the church office on Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 9-12 for a free bag of food!
Craig Valley Baptist Church, next to Bibo’s at 171 Salem Ave in New Castle, welcomes you to visit and share in the love of God we have experienced. We meet Sundays at 11AM, with an upbeat service of music, sharing and preaching. You don’t need to dress up, and you won’t be asked to speak, so just come and hang out and meet new and old friends! Questions? Call 540-864-5667 or email pastor@cv-bc.com.
-Pastor Scott Gabrielson
