By Jessica Brodie
How do you feel about birthdays? I’m like a little kid—I get excited about them! I don’t care so much about presents or parties, but for me, it’s a day to reflect on life, how I got to where I am, how God’s hand orchestrated so many seemingly disconnected and unrelated pieces to put together the whole of where I am today and who I’ve become.
That last part—who I’ve become—is what’s on my heart today as I celebrate my birthday.
See, all of us are beautiful creations of God. At our core, we’re perfectly handcrafted, beloved, and pure. But the messy world gets in the way of that, and even the seemingly best of us go astray. Even as innocent children, we veer from God’s way and God’s wishes, becoming corrupted by the world and its tendencies toward the self over all.
It takes Jesus to bring us back to what God intended. Jesus—who paid the price with his own life—is the only one who can mend what’s broken and heal what hurts.
So as much as I enjoy my birthday and the chance to reflect on the years gone by and the beautiful ways the Lord has blessed and transformed me, the experiences I’ve gained and the people I’ve loved, what’s even more important is my true birthday. I’m speaking of the day I became born anew, the day I fully surrendered to the Lord.
The Bible tells us about a heartfelt conversation Jesus shared with Nicodemus. As they talked, Jesus explained to the religious leader:
“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:5-8 NIV).
When we truly believe in Jesus Christ, we experience this. We become born again. The Holy Spirit enters our hearts, and we become what the apostle Paul later called a “new creation in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17). As Paul elaborated, “The old has gone, the new is here!”
It’s true—the “me” I was before I became fully born anew in the Lord is quite different from the old me. Even though I grew up a Christian believer, I distinctly remember the day I made the intentional decision to allow Jesus Christ to be Lord of my life. To me, that meant far more than mere belief—it was a conscious decision to stop living the old way and start allowing Christ full and unfettered access to every corner of my existence.
So today, as I blow out candles and celebrate another year lived, I rejoice—not only over the love and laughter of today but over the true joy I hold in being God’s beloved daughter, born anew in the Spirit and resting in the security of eternal life.
Rejoice with me, friends. You are beloved and wanted by the Lord of the Universe. Thanks be to God!If you know someone who would benefit from reading this blog, please share this with them:
Are you a reader? I write Christian contemporary fiction that addresses the authentic, real-life faith issues many of us struggle with—forgiveness, mental health, and how to embrace new life in Christ after years of sin and wandering. (They’re also both Amazon bestsellers!) I hope you’ll check them out. Available in paperback, ebook, or audiobook. Click here.
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