Since life is short, it has been up to us to make it meaningful for ourselves, the people around us, and indeed, the world at large. One way that humanity has been able to add value to existence is through the celebration of significant moments in life which often manifests as anniversaries. Apart from death, wedding, and birthday anniversaries, people have taken to celebrating things like the anniversary of quitting smoking and whatever they deem worthy of commemorating. However, birthdays have remained the most popular as they are celebrated everyday across the globe. The reason for this is not far-fetched: birthdays affords us the chance to celebrate life and the sweet memories we made.
Because of how often people send out birthday wishes, they have come to lack in variety and interest. As such, it is no longer significant for most of the people that receive it, unless it is very unique and relevant to the recipient. It really doesn’t take much to create a unique birthday wish, all one has to do is to understand what the recipient values, the things that are important to them, and keep in mind the events and stories that are peculiar to their lives while creating the wish. For instance, if religion is important to the celebrant, you should think of wishes that would include the sentiments of his or her religion.
Do Christians Celebrate Birthdays?
Yes, Christians celebrate birthdays, so you don’t have to worry about sending religious birthday wishes to your Christian friends and relatives. However, you might have to consider the denomination of the persons involved. While Jehovah’s Witnesses are Christians, they are known for their nontrinitarian beliefs which are distinct and most times, contradict those of mainstream Christianity.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate most of the holidays and events that honor people: from birthdays to Valentine’s Day, Easter, and even Christmas. They believe Christmas has pagan roots and that there is no proof Jesus was born on December 25th. Because of this, a devoted member of Jehovah’s Witnesses might find it offensive if you send them birthday wishes. Also, as the religion (Christianity) has expanded to include many doctrines and denominations, one can hardly tell what is okay and the boundaries to not cross, so, be sure that whoever the recipient is, he or she wouldn’t have a problem with your wishes before sending it.
Mainstream Christians have no problems with celebrating birthdays as there is nothing that prohibits it in their holy book. In fact, they celebrate the birthday of Jesus, whom the religion revolves around every 25th of December. Just as there is nothing that prohibits them from celebrating birthdays in the Bible, nothing in the holy book also requires them to celebrate it. There are stories of people who celebrated their birthdays in the book, like King Herod in Jesus’ time. The bible didn’t specify if it was good or bad of him to do so. In all, mainstream Christians celebrate birthdays and it is okay if they choose not to do so.
Therefore, for anyone that believes Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah whose coming was prophesied in the Hebrew Bible, you can send them any of the religious birthday wishes for Christians listed below, or better still, use them as a guide for creating something unique.
Examples of Religious Birthday Wishes for Christian Friends and Relatives
- Your birthdays will always remind you that you are getting old but it is your faith in Christ Jesus that will make you stay strong. So as you mark your birthday, I pray that your faith in God grows stronger and deeper. Happy birthday!
- Don’t eat too much cake and pray for forgiveness, you were made in God’s image and likeness; just exercise.
- There is no doubt God created you for a great purpose. I pray for the upcoming years of your life to be filled with new discoveries of this purpose, God’s love, and goodness. You’re blessed.
- Don’t forget that celebrating your birthday is a chance to count the many blessings you have in Christ Jesus. Be grateful and thankful for God has truly blessed you a lot, wishing you a blessed birthday.
- You are a gift from God, so today is not only about marking your birthday, but also about celebrating a gift from heaven. Happy birthday and thanks for coming into our lives.
- May you be filled with joy, peace, and laughter all the days of your life. As you go on with your life journey, you will continue to strengthen lives and glorify the name of our God. A big happy birthday to you.
- Whatever you face in life, don’t forget that God is on your side and he has blessed you with friends who are also on your side to celebrate with you on your birthdays. Happy birthday, live long and prosper.
- The love in your soul is what matters to God, he wouldn’t count the candles in your cake but will surely keep blessing and loving you, happy birthday and don’t forget or relent in spreading his love.
- Happy birthday, beloved, God will continue to keep and protect you all the days of your life to the glory of his name.
- I think God loves me so much he made it possible for me to meet a special person like you. Happy birthday and may He continue to bless you every day of your life.
How to Send Christian Birthday Wishes
There are no special ways to say happy birthday to a Christian unless you want to include sentiments of their faith in the wishes. If not, you can say happy birthday to a Christian the same way you would wish anyone a happy birthday without minding what religion they belong to.
For obvious reasons, it is only ideal for one to introduce the doctrines of Christianity while wishing a Christian a happy birthday if the person is also a Christian. If you don’t believe in God, that Jesus is the Son of God, or in Trinity, then you don’t have any business referencing any of those. Doing so is not only mischievous but also an indication that you are not being sincere with your wishes. It could also be interpreted as a mockery of what the person believes in. You don’t want to be in that situation.
Having said that, one can create religious birthday wishes for Christian friends and relatives by referencing the Bible. It is the holy book of the Christian faith and thus, a good place to cull religious birthday wishes for Christians.
Bible Verses for Birthdays Blessing
- Genesis 12:3 – “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
- Isaiah 46:4 – “Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.”
- Numbers 6:24-26 – “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”
- Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
- Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
- Philippians 4:7 – “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
- Isaiah 65:22 – “They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.”
- Deuteronomy 28:3 – “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.”
- Psalm 41:2 – “The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.”
- Corinthians 9:8 – “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
If you choose to use any of these bible verses or others that are similar, be sure to personalize it. For instance, you can attach the last Bible verse on the list to a message that says: “Happy birthday, may you always be aware of God’s unlimited grace in your life and constantly trust He would perfect His good works in your life”.
Writing Christian Birthday Wishes for Sending God’s Blessings
From the foregoing, one can tell it is okay to wish a Christian God’s blessing as they mark their birthdays. Like other religions, Christianity dwells a lot on the blessings of God and Christians believe in it a great deal. For them, God is the source of all blessings, and to bless someone means to ask for the person to be favored by God.
The faith also teaches that one attracts God’s blessing by living a good life, loving the people around them, and not being self-centered. When one goes against living the good life, it is believed that he or she would attract cruses from God which would make life hard for them and ultimately, lead them to hell when they pass on.
In all, the concept of blessing in Christianity boils down to wishing someone all the good things of life with the belief that God would grant the wishes. You have to be a Christian or at least believe that there is God to wish your Christian friends and relatives God’s blessings as they celebrate their birthday. At least we can agree that there is something very insincere about an atheist asking for God’s blessing on someone.
Examples of Christian Birthday Wishes For Sending God’s Blessings
- I pray to God that he blesses you today and always with the strength to have positive thoughts and the will to be a blessing to others, happy birthday to you my friend.
- Celebrate your life and celebrate happiness too. May God favor you in all your endeavors and continue to bless you with so many wonderful things in life. Have a blast.
- Today and throughout every season, may God’s grace be upon you and shower you with blessings, blessings that give you reasons to always smile, enjoy, and celebrate.
- You must celebrate today and for the rest of your life because I have asked God to bless you abundantly. You have a great life to live ahead, happy birthday.
- May you be highly favored in everything you do and always be aware of the benefits of God in your life, remain blessed.
- I prayed for your health and well-being, May God keep you strong and alive for a long time to enjoy all the fruits of your hard labor. Happy birthday to you.
- The blessing of the LORD makes one rich and He adds no sorrow to it. This is your inheritance in Christ Jesus and so shall it be for the time you will live, happy birthday!
Is Birthday Blessing the Same as a Birthday Wish?
For a Christian, birthday wishes mean asking for God’s favor in someone’s life. As we know, wishes are expressions of a desire or hope for something to happen, and people usually wish those celebrating their birthdays’ good things. So, a Christian would regard birthday blessing as a birthday wish because they believe in God, and that He is the only one that can direct good fortunes towards their path.
On the contrary, birthday blessings and birthday wishes shouldn’t mean the same thing for someone who does not believe in the existence of God. For such people, the concept of blessing in religion ought to be a fallacy. So, when an atheist wishes you well on your birthday, he or she is only expressing hope for things to be good for you and it ends at that. If you don’t believe in the existence of God, would you believe in divine favor?
