“It’s not your birthday. It’s not your children’s birthday. It’s not your relatives’ or friends’ birthdays. Christmas is Jesus’ birthday.” That’s how the sermon began.

The minister said, and I am paraphrasing now, that we treat Jesus’ birthday – Christmas – like it is everyone’s birthday except Jesus’. We give gifts to everyone except Jesus. But it’s not everyone’s birthday; it’s Jesus’ birthday.

The minister continued, “Jesus wants a birthday present. However, all Jesus wants is you. He wants your faithfulness, your commitment, your service. All Jesus wants for His birthday is you. That’s so little to ask, but we act like it is so much.

When you give Jesus the birthday gift He wants, you give yourself the greatest human gift – peace. With four children and a fifth on the way, peace is a challenge every day and every hour for me. Still, I find peace in the midst of turmoil since I have given myself to Jesus. All Jesus wants for his birthday is you. And you will receive peace.

Our birthday walk with Jesus is a lifetime walk. It is not a Christmas walk. It is not a Sunday-only walk. It’s an everyday, every year walk. What age are you in your birthday walk with Jesus?

Are you at the age of 12 in your walk with Jesus? You recall that Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph, took Him to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover at 12 years of age. On the way back from Jerusalem, they could not find Jesus and looked for Him for two days. Every one of us has an assigned ministry. We each must find our ministry. Have you asked God what is your ministry? Have you sought your ministry in earnest prayer? If not, it’s never too late. What age are you in your walk with Jesus the Christ?

Are you at the age of 33 years? That’s the age Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to be crucified. That’s when He stopped in the Garden of Gethsemane and earnestly prayed to God, “Father, if it be Your will, take this bitter cup from Me.” All of us have bitter cups in life. No matter how well we live or no matter how well we serve, we still have bitter cups at times. We all want our bitter cups taken from us. We want our cups to run over with goodness and mercy. Have you been able to truly say, “God, not my will but Your will?” All Jesus wants for His birthday is for you to walk with Him. Take your next step with Him from wherever you are.

What age are you in your walk with Jesus? This was the trial sermon of my firstborn, Malika Sanders Fortier, delivered at the Beloved Community Church at the foot of the world-famous Edmund Pettus Bridge on Sunday, December 18, 2011. It was so special I wanted to share a brief summary with you. I wish you could have heard all of it for yourself. It was that powerful.