05/26/2025
Birthdays are awkward for me, a conundrum that has persisted as I’ve gotten older. While I don’t mind aging—in fact, I look forward to many aspects of growing older (perhaps not the aches and pains)—birthdays still trouble me. It might sound odd, so let me explain.
One of my earliest memories is of “ruining” my birthday party when I was just three or four years old. My parents had invited friends and family to celebrate, and being an impatient child, I tried to sneak a peek at what was happening inside. In that particular house, there was a large picture window that looked into the living room. Instead of playing in the front yard, I decided to spy. When the partygoers saw me, they all shouted, “No!”—not out of anger or frustration, but more from shock. Realizing I had done something wrong, I burst into tears. This moment became a formative and lasting memory.
Since then, I have experienced a lot of emotions surrounding birthdays—both my own and those of others. My wife can attest to the fact that my mood shifts on these days. I desperately want to avoid ruining the celebration; the ironic problem is that my moodiness often leads me to ruin it anyway. More than once, this has become a self-fulfilling prophecy that has no real grounding in reality.
Recently, we discussed how sin brings shame into our lives. The Bible is clear that I should only feel shame when I have violated the character and glory of God. Yet from personal experiences, I know we can feel shame that isn’t grounded in that truth. This kind of shame comes from our Accuser. Our Enemy whispers words like, “Not good enough,” “mistake,” or “worthless.” David wrestled with this same concept throughout his life. Whether influenced by how his brothers treated him or some other issue, we see in the Psalms that David often pleaded with God to free him from shame.
David recognized that there are moments when we feel shame unjustly, carrying burdens that don’t apply to us. Through the Holy Spirit, he encourages us to find our identity by trusting in God. He also calls for the silencing of those who attack us—be they internal thoughts, spiritual accusers, or actual enemies. David asserts that God will silence them and bring them to ruin.
Psalm 31:14-17 ESV “But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ 15 My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! 16 Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! 17 O LORD, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol.”
This is my prayer for all of you: May God deal with your shame. He can do this in two ways. Like David, He can silence those who oppose you, leading them quietly to their end. As we learned, God has also chosen to glorify those who cling to Him, transferring His glory to those who become like His Son.
Romans 8:29-30 NLT “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.”
For me, birthdays can be awkward, but that is a personal challenge I need to work through. However, like you, I can be confident that God has elevated me beyond this struggle. I should also ask Him to dispose of those other attacks against me physical, emotional or spiritual. He heals us from all of our shame. He is our Rock and our Deliverer—even from birthdays.
**This has nothing to do with the birthdays associated with May 26 
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