A dear brother asked me to give a short exhortation during a recent celebration of his mum’s 70th birthday. Three scores and ten, as the Bible describes it, is no mean achievement. Not many live to be that old, and even when they do, not all have the physical health to go with it. Therefore, from all indications, this woman, who is healthy and robust, seems to have a pretty good reason to celebrate her birthday.
However, the first question that came to mind as I prepared my exhortation was, why are birthdays so special, and why do we celebrate them anyway? Does this 70-year-old woman have a valid ground to celebrate her birthday? The verse that came to mind was Psalm 139:14, where David says, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
The fact that we are fearfully and wonderfully made means our lives are of titanic significance. God is too purposeful to create any human beings that have no value. According to the Bible, God created each of us in his own image and likeness for a purpose (Genesis 1:26-27). Each of us is a masterful workmanship of God created for something bigger than we can ever imagine. But the question is, what is this magnificent purpose for which we are created? We find the answer in 1 Corinthians 10:31, where Paul admonished his readers, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
For the Christian, the stakes are even higher because the Apostle Paul, picking up on the same theme in his letter to the saints in Ephesus, wrote, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
The chief end of our lives, whether Christian or non-Christian, is so that God might be glorified. When people see us, they are supposed to see the good, kind, gracious and merciful God so that they will give praise and glory to him. When that happens, we can conclude that a person’s life has achieved its purpose. And that’s when celebration kicks in.
As I thought about celebrations, the picture that came to mind was the NASA scientists, and I’m sure most of us have seen those scenes on TV. For years these scientists work to build a rocket. Then, on the D-day of the launch, they gather in the command centre with nail-biting anticipation to see what would happen as they release the launch codes. Their years of work can only be considered successful if the rocket breaks through the Earth’s stratosphere and makes it into space. Whenever that happens, you see them clapping, jumping and hugging one another with a huge sense of satisfaction and excitement.
Why do these scientists celebrate the way they do? It’s because the rocket has achieved its purpose of launching into space. These scientists would not celebrate if the launch had failed and the rocket exploded into flames.
It is the same with us as humans. If we succeed in bringing glory to God, we have every reason to celebrate, just like the NASA scientists, but if our lives have not achieved that purpose, on what grounds do we throw a birthday party?
Maybe you will soon turn 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 or 60 or even 70. My question to you is, do you think you have a reason to celebrate that milestone birthday when it comes? It’s not about what you’ve achieved professionally or the mere fact that you’ve lived to be 30 or 50, or 70. Instead, it is about whether your life has achieved the purpose for which God created you, to bring him glory?
If not, do not worry; you can do something about it before your next birthday. As we read in Ephesians 2:10, “We are the workmanship of God created in Christ Jesus for good works.” This means your life finds its true meaning and purpose only when it is connected to Christ. You may have lived all these years for yourself and not God, but you have a golden opportunity to change that by returning to living true to the purpose you were created by repenting and putting your trust in Christ.
Coming to Christ doesn’t guarantee that you will have a smooth sailing in life. There will be many hard days and disappointments since we still live in a fallen world; however, through the twists and turns, the highs and lows, the ups and downs, God has promised to equip you with his Spirit to help you through your journey, until he finally brings you home to himself, before the presence of his glory with great joy (John 16:33; Jude 1:24-25).
As I prepared to speak at the birthday party, I quickly sent a message to this brother to be double sure if his mother is a faithful Christian. He responded with a lengthy message of twists and turns, joys and sorrows, and his mother’s mountain top and valley experiences. He ended on this note: “She still holds that Christ is her Saviour and believes in repentance and faith alone for salvation. She has been baptised as an adult through immersion. She longs to disciple young women and encourage them in their walk.”
There and then, I knew that this woman had every reason to celebrate this milestone birthday. At 70, her life is like a diamond with a beauty that can be seen from different angles. The grandchildren see a different beauty, her sons and daughters-in-law see a different side of that same beauty, and many of us who were there as friends of her children also see a distinct beauty. All to the glory of God!
As you approach your own milestone birthday, I invite you to examine yourself to see if you truly have a genuine reason for wanting to celebrate. If you do, my prayer for you is, “The LORD bless and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
May the years ahead be more purposeful than the years gone by, and may the Lord satisfy you with his goodness for the rest of your days.
Happy birthday!
