Birthday thoughts...

Most of us have the wrong idea about our birthday. It should be a challenge to us: a time of reflection to see if we are prepared for the other end. Not just a time to watch our growing reflection off of the wall in the blaze of light. Let us consider what the Bible tells us about birthdays.

 

"...the day of death [is better] than the day of one's birth." (Ecclesiastes 7:1)

We have all endured a physical birth, and we are all going to endure a physical death as well, (unless The Lord returns first.) We celebrate our birthday to commemorate our arrival into this world. The celebration of our birth is really a way of celebrating life.

We should never be so enamored with the celebration of our life that we not prepared for death. Not ours only, because we will answer for whether or not we helped prepared others for their own death as well.

What we should remember is that we had no control over our birth, and we also have no control over our death.

We can, however, control the conditions in which we leave this world. Where we go, who we take with us, and what rewards or penalties we face are all things that make the day of our death much more important than the day of our birth.

As you move toward your own birthday, ask yourself; what condition will I leave this world in?

Will it be a lost condition?
Have you rejected the free gift of pardon that was offered you?  (I John 5:12)

Will it be a lonely condition?
Do you have family and friends that you have never witnessed to? (Acts 1:8)

Will it be a lacking condition?
Will you enter Heaven with nothing to show for your life? (I Corinthians 3:15)

Will it be the least condition?
Have you led a life of sin, and taught others to continue in theirs? (Matthew 5:19)