Today is a special day for me. My birthday has arrived and as I have reflected on all that has happened throughout the years, my mind became fixated upon the number of this birthday. I am thirty-three years old today, the same age that Christ was when He went to the cross. All of the celebration of the birthday seemed to dissipate for a moment as I thought about where I am in life and where He was at the same time in His life. I can see the glaring differences.
At this point in life, there are times where I am still meandering about, unfocused on what is important and still valuing the things that are of little eternal value. At this point in Christ’s life and ministry, He was focused on Jerusalem, knowing what lay ahead and what would be the result of the pain and suffering that He would have to endure. He was unwavering in His purpose and there was no obstacle too great to keep Him from accomplishing that which His Father had sent Him to do. He was prepared to sacrifice His life for the sake of the world, so that we could receive salvation through His blood.
Most of my days are spent understanding what God has called me to do, but too fearful to step into it because of finances and other obstacles. At twenty-four, I believed I could lead the world to Christ, but at thirty-three, I can only see a handful that I have impacted. Most of that is because I was focused on me and my will rather than God’s will for my life, only doing that which was convenient. Could I have done more with these thirty-three years of life? More could have been done if only God had been in control of my life throughout that time.
The most incredible thing about God is that He opens our eyes and helps us to see where we should be going. In Luke 9:51, the Bible says, “When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem.” It was the turning point for Jesus. Today, God has given me the chance to have a turning point in my life and in the ministry that He has given me, where I can stop looking at the temporal and begin focusing on the eternal. Today, I am making that turn in my life, with the help of the Holy Spirit. It is the most exciting time of my life.
As I turn thirty-three, I thank you for reading the pieces that I have written for Prodigal Magazine over the last four years. Today, I ask one thing of you. Will you make the same turn in your life? Will you investigate your life today to see if Christ is truly the Lord of your life or is He simply there when it is convenient? These wasted days of self-indulgence cannot be replaced and will one day leave us feeling empty. As I turn thirty-three, I am turning my gaze to heaven and my heart is set on taking everyone I can with me to spend eternity with Christ. Will you come with me? I want you to be there too.
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