The older I get, the faster birthdays seem to come around. Admittedly, celebrations look much different as an adult than they did during my childhood, yet every trip around the sun is a gift worth commemorating. My life is full of people that I love, colleagues that I appreciate, a calling that invigorates me and blessings borne out of walking with the Lord from an early age. Truly, God’s lines for me have fallen in pleasant places and His mercies overwhelm me (Ps. 16:6).
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‘Numerous treasures’
Though aging can bring with it some less appealing changes (Ecc. 12:1-8), the fruit of longevity also ushers numerous treasures that are typically foreign to youth. While I do not consider myself to be an old man, serving as a middle-aged pastor certainly feels different than when I began in my early 20s. With each passing birthday, God seems to drop new joys into my life.
For instance, the longer we live, the more wisdom we tend to acquire. Obviously, there are exceptions to this principle, but generally, the more mileage we have in the rearview mirror, the more equipped we are to judge our surroundings with insight and discernment (Job 20:29.) While young men tend to glory in their strength, and rightly so, gray hair is just as honorable later in life because of the wisdom that so frequently accompanies it (Prov. 20:29).
Biblical exhortations reinforce these expectations. God commands older men and women to model godly behavior for those who are younger precisely because aging helps Christ followers to mature (Titus 2:1-8).
Good deeds, sound doctrine, reverence, dignity and sensibility are the outcomes of Christian maturity. No wonder Scripture insists that we respect those who are older even when they stumble in the faith (1 Tim. 5:1–2). Granted, adding years does not guarantee spiritual growth (1 Cor. 3:1–3), but it should at least compel us to evaluate our progress in the Lord.
In addition, advancing in age should increase our awareness of and our need for God’s daily provisions and care (Ps. 71:9), furthering our opportunities to praise Him (Ps. 71:18). The promises surrounding eternity also become more precious as our conversation and thoughts turn toward our forever home (Phil. 3:20–21).
These contemplations are not morbid, though, because they bring with them a renewed awareness of each day’s value. By numbering our days, we learn wisdom and godliness with greater urgency (Ps. 90:12). Tucked away in the book of James we discover what I believe is the key to maximizing every day that God gives us. “You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow,” insists James. “You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away (James 4:14).” In other words, the only certainties in life are its unpredictability and its brevity.
‘Needed perspective’
The blindness of life gives us needed perspective. Living into old age helps us to realize how little we can control. Much of our daily reality is the opposite of what we anticipated in previous years.
Our lives are full of many good days, for which we are thankful, but also many difficult days. We anticipate having children, but not miscarriages. We expect golden anniversaries, but not divorces. We look forward to milestones and accomplishments, but we never daydream about funerals.
We hope for laughter, but we don’t foresee all the tears. But the blindness of life is valuable because it compels us to live each day to the fullest. Our ignorance about the future helps us to be more intentional about the present.
The brevity of life gives us clear priorities. Scripture compares our time on earth to a vapor that appears for just a brief time. We are like the morning dew that is gone by noon. Like steam from a stove that disappears in an instant.
One day you’re young; the next day you’re old. One day you start your first job; the next day you’re retiring. No matter how much we try, we cannot slow time down. If we aren’t careful, our best plans will slip away from us and never materialize.
Most of us fall victim to the lie that we have all the time in the world to turn our good intentions into reality. Thus, James 4:16 adds, “As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.” Regarding our relationship with God, these deceptions can be devastating. We often comfort ourselves with time that we may not have.
So, what is the greatest birthday lesson of them all?
The time to know God, love God and serve God is NOW. Any priorities we are putting off until later need to move up on our to-do list.
Every single birthday is a gift that cannot be covered by wrapping paper or topped with candles. We should learn from the past without living in the past (Ecc. 7:10). We should devote each day to the Lord (James 4:15). And we should trust our unknown future to our eternal Savior (Job 23:13-14).
I am thankful for another year of life and all the lessons that arrived with it.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This opinion piece was written by Adam B. Dooley, pastor of Englewood Baptist Church in Jackson, Tennessee.
