Birthdays Are Over-Rated
This month on April 25th, I turn 50 years old. As I get older, I find myself asking some crazy questions. Why does it take so long to burn 500 calories? Where do these thick hairs in my nose and ears come from? Why do I wake up every morning at 4 a.m. to go to the bathroom even when I don't want to? Why is methodological uniformity such a valued commodity in so many churches today? As Arsenio Hall used to say, "These are things that make you go, hmmmm." But as I approach the half-century mark, here's a question that really rocks my world: HOW MUCH LONGER I HAVE BEFORE I DIE?
The older I get, the more I believe birthdays are over-rated. I’ve also grown to believe a person’s death-day is under-anticipated. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t have a death wish or anything. I'm just no longer scared of the BIG-D word. Death doesn’t intimidate me like it used to. As a matter of fact, I've come to embrace it. Here’s the way Solomon compares birthdays to dying: "A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born." (Ecclesiastes 7:1). In other words, birthdays are nice, but my death-day should be something I can look forward to. So as I quickly approach the “top of the hill," here are the top three reasons my 50th birthday will be over-rated:
The older I get, the more I realize...
I'M A LOT CLOSER TO HEAVEN
Psalm 119:19 reminds me that, "I am just here on earth for a little while." We are all closer to heaven than we were last year...or last minute for that matter. The older I get, the sweeter Heaven becomes. A few years ago when I was preaching a sermon about Heaven, I referred to a book that brought great comfort to my sister as she was dying. I was very clear that my sister didn't need someone else's experience to confirm what she already believed about Heaven, it merely encouraged her. After preaching that sermon, someone expressed their concern that I was placing too much emphasis on an experience. He then proceeded to quote his favorite Bible scholar on the subject of Heaven. After letting him talk, I asked a couple of questions. "Can experiences point us to the Truth? Can a person's experience confirm and support Biblical Truth?" He paused and shrugged his shoulders. He had nothing to say."So...what's the problem?" I asked. A book about someone's 90-minute adventure in Heaven got my sister thinking about something she already believed to be true. A few weeks later, Linda would have her own experience. She smiled on her deathbed as she described what the Scriptures teach concerning Heaven. She was comforted thinking about meeting her Savior. Even though the cancer had blinded her, she told her family with her last words that she heard beautiful music playing in the distance. It was a Heavenly melody that no one else in the room could hear. Sure...she was going to miss her family, but I never noticed any fear. I think everyone who is in Christ Jesus experiences the same type of comfort and confidence. The older we get, the closer we get to death. The closer we get to death, the more we think about Heaven. Here's what I really wanted to tell that guy in the coffee shop. "Dude...Get your head out of your Bible Commentary and grow up. Ditch the deep theological jargon and read your Bible...it tells us 'Heaven is for Real!'" Since he bought my coffee, I let it slide.
The older I get, the more I also realize...
I'VE WASTED FAR TOO MUCH TIME
Have you ever stopped to think about what REALLY matters? I've spent FAR too much time arguing over theology...with people I really love, or reading books...written by Theologians I don't really like. I've spent FAR too much time worrying about what people think, watching stupid TV programs or listening to music that rots my brain. I've spent FAR too much time going to church instead of just simply being the church. The Psalmist said, “LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered–how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” (Psalm 39:4-5) Life is so very short. I guess that why we are encouraged to "number each of our days." (Psalm 90:12) We really don't have that many days...even if we make it to 100. I think when I do finally get to Heaven, I'm going to discover just how much time I've really wasted, but I don't think God wants us to beat ourselves up with guilt. Let TODAY be the start of a NEW DAY. My 50th birthday marks a new beginning in my life. No more wasting time. Let's see what can happen with my remaining time. What about you? What are YOU going to do with your remaining days? I'm also also discovering something else in my old (er) age.
The older I get, the more I realize...
JESUS REALLY IS EVERYTHING
If I reach my 50th birthday in a few days, the ONLY thing that's going to matter in life is how I responded to Jesus Christ. When we come to the end of our life, the ONLY thing that's going to matter is what we did with the generous offer of God’s free grace found only in His Son, Jesus. I believe this, but I haven't always lived it. This truth should revolutionize the way I live my life. If Jesus is everything, then my relationship with Him should impact the way I treat people...ALL people. If Jesus lived a life of sacrificial servitude, then that's how I should live. If Jesus is everything, then I'm going to look at how HE did things, and I'm going to learn from HIS example...and follow it. I'm going to read everything the Bible has to say about HIM. I'm going to explore how the Older Covenant prophesied about Him and how the Newer Covenant describes His obedient journey to the cross as a fulfillment of that prophesy. If I really believe Jesus conquered death, then I will no longer fear death, because I am in Christ Jesus. The older I get, the more I realize JESUS IS EVERYTHING! Nothing else matters! He died for me, I live for Him…it's just that simple.
For Christmas this year, my beautiful wife bought me a bottle of high-dollar cologne. I think it cost $30! Wow! I'm usually satisfied with the $3 knock-off of Polo, but I guess she grew tired of her hubby smelling like a 6th grade boy's locker room. Remember the verse we read earlier? "A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume...” I believe my wife wants something much more valuable than a sweet-smelling hubby. I don't know how many days I have left before I leave this planet, but I know what I want others to be able to say at my funeral when I'm gone. "That David Faile really loved people the way Jesus did...Jesus was everything to him." My friend, birthdays are over-rated, but the day we die will be a REAL celebration. If Jesus is everything to me, I won't have to worry about my death-day. It will take care of itself. Besides that, I'll finally get to be with the One who saved me and means everything to me.
"So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body." (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)
