RE-birthday and 30/22…

Matthew 16:25 “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”

Fifty two years ago on this day, my Mom dropped my bare butt out of her womb and into the world, and yes Dr. Girouard was there to catch me, swat me on the behind and start the engine for what has been an incredible ride.

Birthdays have never meant much to me.  It is just the way I am.  Even when I was a little kid I never got real excited about my birthday.  I’m assuming I celebrated when I turned 18 and 21 because I was celebrating anything I could find a good excuse to celebrate back in those days.

Facebook is an amazing social network.  Although I try to limit my time on it, it is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family I normally would not be able to stay in touch with.  Anyway, four days ago people started wishing me a happy birthday (God has a sense of humor) and now on the day of my actual birthday I have dozens of posts that have been sent to me wishing me happiness on this day.  In a way, Facebook has helped me get a little excited about a day I’ve never really been excited about and I am thankful for that.

I tell people I am 30/22.  Most think I say that because I refuse to accept the fact I am an old man who has nowhere to go but to get older.  Well that could be part of the reason, but the main reason I look at myself as being 30/22 is because I feel as though I spent my first 30 years trying to find myself and the last 22 years trying to “lose” myself.

I love Jesus’ words above from the book of Matthew.  In essence He is telling us that as soon as we quit living for ourselves and begin living for Him we will find the life He has designed for us.  The problem with alot of religious people, including Christians is that they don’t really understand what it means to “lose your life to Jesus.”  It is more than going to church and ceremoniously serving soup to the less fortunate, or going on a mission trip where you boast to others, “I got more out of the trip than the people I was serving.”   Losing your life for Jesus is part of daily mission work and it begins by turning your life over to Him to begin the day and continue to turn it back over to Him every time you try to take it back. 

Losing your life for Jesus is much more than wearing a “WWJD” wristband, it is striving to BE what the wristband represents.  The best way to find out “WWJD” is to spend time reading the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and study Jesus’ words and his ways.   Eventually you begin serving “soup” all day long without needing any fanfare.

It was somewhere in my late 20’s where I realized my life was not about me and it was about something greater.  By the time I was 30 I started to search for that greater thing and today I know it is Jesus.  It has been a long drawn out process of celebrating my RE- birthday a day at a time by dying to myself and my selfish ambitions, and turning my life over to God.  I’m still not where I want to be, but I’m a whole lot better than I used to be and this attitude helps me look forward with excitement, as I grow older in flesh and closer to Him.

Thanks to all my friends on Facebook for reminding me that this is a special day.

…my goal is that in 8 years (if I’m still sucking air from the world) I will have spent equal time losing my life for Jesus, with the years spent trying to find it…30/30 will be one worth celebrating…with non-alcoholic beverages of course 🙂

Wishing you all Happy RE-Birthdays, one day at a time.

P.E.A.C.E.

jay@eaglelaunch.com