Birthday Inventory
I’ve come up on another birthday, and it’s time to take inventory. I think back at things I wanted to accomplish as a teenager going into college. I can’t remember much. I do, however, remember a few goals. I wanted to make a lot of money. I wanted an exciting career. I wanted a big house, a mansion, in fact. It’s been about 23 years since I graduated high school. Did I accomplish any of my goals? Well, I make good money, not a lot. I have a career that can be exciting sometimes, and I live in a modest house.
So, I accomplished 1 out 3…..if we stretch it a bit. I think many other people also have birthdays and take inventories. However, when their accomplishments don’t match up to their goals, they get depressed. I haven’t reached all of the goals I made when I was younger, but it hasn’t depressed me. I simply learned that my goals were misplaced.
The Bible says in Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. Let’s face it. These verses are easier said than done. Nevertheless, living into them adds an immeasurable amount of peace to one’s life. I found that if I try to store up “earthly” treasures, I’ll never make enough money, my 401k will never have a big enough balance, and my house will never have enough square feet.
Now, I’m not saying that I live completely and whole heartedly by Mathew 6:19-21. However, each small step I make towards living into those verses, adds more and more peace to my life. So this year, instead of taking an inventory of my earthly treasures OR instead of taking an inventory of the misplaced goals I’ve reached….or failed to reach, I’m going to take a birthday inventory of my blessings: Jesus, church, family, friends, peace, health, contentment,……….and the list goes on.
I’m ending all my posts with an invitation to accept Jesus. If you would like to accept Jesus, simply pray the following prayer or one like it: “Dear Lord, I’m a sinner. I acknowledge that You sent Your son, Jesus, to die for my sins. I humbly accept Your son, Jesus, and I now further acknowledge that I am forgiven of my past sins, my present sins, and my future sins.” If you prayed that simple prayer, you are saved. Now, you need to follow Jesus. Start reading your Bible. I would suggest starting with Matthew, reading all of the New Testament, then reading the Old Testament. Also, find a good church. Christianity was never meant to be done alone. You need to be in community with other believers.
It’s almost cliché. Everyone says that you can’t live in the past. Don Henley in the “Boys of Summer” said, “A little voice inside my head said never look back. You can never look back.” Joe Dee Messina in her song, “Bye Bye” said, “I got my rear view mirror torn off, and I ain’t never looking back. And that’s a fact.” God also wants us to not live in past. An overriding theme of the Bible is that Jesus died for our past mistakes. Therefore, we are not condemned, but we are free from the guilt and shame associated with our former selves. It can be summed up in the following verse: