Questions For Myself On My 40th BD

Today feels just like yesterday.

40 feels like 39. So, I presume that 41 will feel like 40.

A friend reminded me recently that age is relative. Other than the continual decay of our bodies, he is right. Age can be a measuring stick or a focal point of your maturation for things like getting a driver’s license or collecting Social Security, but usually going from one year to the next doesn’t matter a whole lot and doesn’t feel very different.

But, as of 9:35pm tonight, I will have been on this earth for 40 years. 40 years!

Here are some of the questions I have thinking and asking myself this week as I have been reflecting on 40 years of life?

• Do I love Andrea more today than I did in 2000 when I met here?

• Do my kids revere me?

• Has God been pleased with my shepherding of His flock?

• When I interpret Scripture, am I accurate more often than not?

• When I preach, is God being glorified?

• How many times have I read through the Bible?

• How many books have I read in general?

• What areas of my spiritual life have I seen the most growth in over the years?

• What areas of my spiritual life need the most attention now?

• Have I been faithful to make disciples?

• Is everyone in my sphere of influence aware that I am a Christian?

• Is there anyone in my life that I neglect too often?

• Why has God given my 40 years? Will He give me another 40 years?

• Who has influenced me the most in my fathering, husbanding, preaching, shepherding, etc.?

• What advice would I give the 18-year old me I could?

• Do I work hard enough? Am I resting often enough?

As I wrote to my congregation yesterday, change is a good thing. The Christian life is all about changing to be like Christ and I want my life to reflect that. I don’t want the 39-year old me to be the same as the 40-year old me. I don’t want to be stagnant, apathetic or lukewarm.

So today, I am praying that in my 40^th year, I will grow “leaps and bounds.” I am praying I will proclaim the Gospel more this year than ever before. I am praying that I will improve the way I teaching my children and sacrifice for my wife.

If you want to get me a birthday present, you can – pray that my love would overflow more and more, that I would grow to know God, be more discerning, live blamelessly and produce spiritual fruit (Philippian 1:9-10).