Your Greatest Gift

As certified owners of a spoiled dog, we leave the television on when we go out so she has something to “watch.” Last Sunday we went to church and came home to find our dog watching a sermon on TV.

As I was fixing lunch, I overheard the TV preacher telling his congregation (and my dog) that they needed to make lots of money because that’s what God wanted from them. I had my own little table-flipping moment in my heart, shook my head, and promptly turned the TV off.

Later that day, my Bible reading brought me to the familiar passage where Jesus finds the temple turned into a place of profit—what should have been a sacred celebration of Passover distorted into something closer to a noisy zoo. He drove out the livestock and birds, overturned tables, and cleared the mess.

And suddenly, I saw that table-flipping moment in a new light.

In 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 we are told that our bodies are temples:

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

Think about it. The human body is a breathtaking work of art—gifted to us. It has an incredible capacity to heal itself. Physicians don’t actually heal us; they try to support the body’s own healing through food, surgery, exercise, rest, or medicine. It’s so complex that we often see multiple specialists just to understand one issue—and sometimes even they don’t fully know what’s happening.

Our bodies were knit together in our mother’s wombs, survived birth, and grew into fully functioning adults capable of reason, creativity, movement, and survival in extreme circumstances.

There are even fascinating new studies on the microflora within our bodies—the gut biome. Each microorganism carries DNA or RNA that can influence how our bodies function. We’ve only scratched the surface of this knowledge, and as we learn more, it may completely change medicine as we know it. Once again, the body reveals itself as a masterpiece beyond human comprehension.

Which brings me to the heart of this reflection.

Would Jesus flip tables in the way I care for His temple? How do I truly honor God with my body?

Do I protect the gift of this temple? Do I react as Jesus did when filth tries to take up residence? Do I turn off the TV when the message distorts God’s heart? Do I stop myself from going down the rabbit hole of outrage and hate on social media? Do I feed my mind reliable, life-giving information? Do I care for the interior by choosing nourishing food? Do I walk the fine line between too much and too little—rest and movement, feasting and fasting? And do I practice these choices daily, not just occasionally?

How can I honor the temple I was given?

I am accountable for the gifts God has entrusted to me—and my body may be the most sacred of them all.

The Great Adventure

Many of the people I admire most are very concrete and literal in their thinking. They aren’t easily swayed by emotional arguments. They believe what they see with their own eyes rather than what others say. That is such a gift. They are rock solid, not blown about by public opinion, and they think for themselves in a society that constantly tells us what to think and who to trust.

As I get older—or maybe I should say, more experienced—I’ve realized that much of life isn’t concrete at all. In fact, the most important things in life cannot be seen; they can only be felt. Because there is far more than what we can perceive with our five senses, God gave us imagination.

Even the most literal thinkers must acknowledge that there is a vast universe of things we do not yet understand. We imagine a soul, heaven, and the entire spiritual realm. Because so much of life cannot be fully explained right now, we are asked to trust that there are evil forces at work—and also a powerful, loving, and good God who reigns over all.

Psalm 33:4 (NLT)

For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does.

We must be careful not to dismiss what cannot be proven by our senses alone. In the following passage, John recorded the words of Jesus inviting us to trust His promises, even when we cannot see the outcome yet.

John 14:1–2 (AMP)

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.

Anticipating Heaven

We plan vacations, weddings, retirements, Christmas celebrations, and parties. When we imagine them, we begin to live for them. Vacation planning pushes everything else to the background—we become focused and single-minded.

What if we anticipated heaven the same way?

What if we lived with our eyes fixed on our true home with God? Even the heinous evil of this world would begin to lose its grip. Molehills would remain molehills instead of becoming mountains of worry and dread. We would live with the end in mind.

And who would we tell about this great vacation—the vacation to end all vacations—so they could share in the joy of anticipating it too?

After all, we are told our time on earth, with all its brokenness, is only a short trial before we go home to live with our Heavenly Father. Imagine a home designed by the One who created the night sky, mountain showers, and fluffy snowflakes. How breathtaking will that be?

We are told there will be no more pain or suffering—or even the fear of pain. Imagine a world where cancer and mental illness have no power. No hunger. No homelessness. No borders. No speed limits. No addictions, no abuse, and no one looking down on you for any reason.

You will sing. You will dance. You will fly.

And you will never again be separated from those you love.

All the things that delight you on earth come from God, so I believe they will be there too. Mountain climbers will climb. Archaeologists will dig. Naturalists will wander through unspoiled beauty. Readers will read. Shoppers will shop. Pet lovers will delight in their pets. And we will finally know the goodness of God beyond anything we have ever experienced.

So this is me—inviting you to imagine. And to rest assured that heaven is real and will be the adventure of a lifetime.

As Steven Curtis Chapman sings, “Let’s saddle up our horses and follow our Leader into the glorious unknown.”

This is The Great Adventure.

Cars and Jesus

 

I said a sad goodbye to my little blue Jeep Wrangler after ten years of driving her. She had not one bell or whistle but I loved that about her. She had hand-crank roll up windows, and if you wanted to lock her, you reached over to the other side of the Jeep and physically pushed the lock. In her place I got a 2025 Explorer with ALL the bells and whistles. Dora can do so much more than I ever thought about. No, she doesn’t do my taxes, but I unwittingly discovered that she can drive herself. I was driving down I45 to see my daughter in Galveston and set my cruise control. The steering got really stiff and messages popped up on the large display in front of me stating that she was hands-free driving. 

At first I didn’t let go of the wheel. But I gradually loosened my grip noticing that she was staying right between the lines better than I ever could. Then I took the leap. When there were no cars around and a straight road, I let go to grab a piece of gum and unwrapped it. She stayed on track perfectly. I kept experimenting with letting go and each time she was flawlessly driving. A car dodged in front of me and she slowed down and maintained a safe space between us. Eventually when driving home through Houston on a quiet, slow-traffic Sunday morning, I let her drive. Since I absolutely hate driving with a passion, I found Dora’s talent quite freeing. A month later I received a message from Ford saying that my free subscription to hands-free-driving had expired. Lol, it was fun while it lasted. 

This description of driving wasn’t just to brag about my new car, although I obviously did. It was for an illustration. You have probably heard the song by Carrie Underwood, Jesus Take the Wheel. Well this hands-free driving gave me a better taste of what it takes to let go and let God steer me. 

The Bible doesn’t say, God helps those who help themselves. However it says a lot of things about giving total control to Him. The Bible doesn’t say if we reach deep in ourselves we can handle anything life throws at us. It says life is tough and to rely on the Holy Spirit within us. The Bible doesn’t say we are perfect as we are and don’t need help. It says that we are all sinners and are in need of a Savior. 

So here is my simplistic analogy: First I must admit that I cannot steer my own life perfectly, I am tired of the effort, and I need help. Then I must realize that I have been given the help I so badly need in the form of the Holy Spirit within me. Next I must test this out by slowly letting go. I must quit working so hard at making myself do and say the right things, relying on the gift of a greater power inside me. Last, like my hands-free driving experience, I can peacefully relax knowing God loves me and is holding me 24/7. Oh the freedom is liberating! And the subscription? It comes when we love Him. 

Hoarding Toilet Paper and Winning the Lottery

 

Why do people hoard toilet paper and why do we buy lottery tickets? When Covid happened we all went into a hyperdrive of scarcity. People immediately started hoarding for themselves, forgetting that other people were out there who might need what we shoved in one of the many closets of our houses. I believe it all comes from a mindset. There is a mindset of scarcity and there is a mindset of abundance. Here is a link to a reminder of what each looks like. 

https://images.app.goo.gl/hSjcd7nQ8AFEPs548

This scarcity mindset is the same mindset behind wanting to win the lottery. Only it is the flip side. We recognize the chains of scarcity, in fact we are sick of it, and we are trying to resolve this issue by winning the lottery. We think, “If only I had abundant winnings I would be generous, powerful, loved, sought after, respected, and listened to”. This is our solution to end the slavery of scarcity we deal with daily. Imagine if we could shed these chains without winning the lottery. Imagine living in a world where there was abundance. Imagine what Christ followers would look like if we truly believed God would supply ALL of our needs. 

Philippians 4:19 NIV – And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. 

This mindset of abundance is the Kingdom mindset of Christ. Imagine being so confident God will provide what we need that we have no reservations about sharing our time, attention, applause, or wealth. Imagine being able to free ourselves from being a slave to scarcity. Imagine never worrying about getting ahead, about getting enough love and attention, about getting enough worldly goods so that we could freely share. We, as Christ followers, would definitely stand out in this world rather than blending in unrecognizably.

I’ll say it again; this mindset of abundance is the Kingdom mindset of Christ. Imagine being confident that God will provide our every need, even toilet paper! Imagine being able to free ourselves from being a slave to scarcity. Imagine never worrying about getting ahead, about getting enough love and attention, about getting enough worldly goods so that we could freely share. 

It seems to me that the mindset of scarcity is earthly and the mindset of abundance is heavenly. Jesus demonstrated this for us. He never was rushed or worried. He didn’t even get riled up when his disciples reported the competition of someone driving out demons in His name. Imagine rejoicing when someone else is getting the applause, the attention, the credit. Imagine giving without worrying if there was enough for ourselves. Imagine welcoming those seeking a safe place to call home. Imagine seeing fellow sinners with the eyes of Christ and no judgement. This would indeed turn my world upside down. Jesus was the author of the upside down world. 

How do I break this vicious thought pattern of scarcity? The first step of change is always the same: to become aware of my need and desire to change it. Do I really want to change? Until my heart is transformed into desire for a Kingdom mindset, I will not change. And transformation comes by seeking Christ in prayer and scripture daily. 

We as Christ followers must choose a hundred times a day which mindset we will use to view our world. Christians are heavenly bound, Spirit filled bodies trapped on a foreign planet of opposition. We were born with that earthly mindset and must remember every moment of our day to see our world through that heavenly mindset of abundance because in Christ, we have won the lottery! So maybe it is time that we live into that reality of a world of infinite abundance. No jealousy, no competition, no hunger, no poverty. We would look out for the other guy because we know that our father, the King of the Universe, provides generously and abundantly for us.

Uniquely Gifted

 

What gift do you bring to the table? God has blessed our lives on earth with many gifts or skills. We need to stop and take some time to appreciate this and realize there is no gift too little or invaluable. So to get folks thinking, I brainstormed the following list. All of them come from what I have seen in my friends and family. I hope this list will give you a few grins. I also hope you will spot some of your gifts and some the gifts of others as you patiently read my list. And I hope you thought of many gifts that I left off of this list. 

• Changing a diaper without gagging
• Navigating new places without GPS
• Making a killer charcuterie board
• Cake decorating
• Writing poems to express your thoughts and emotions
• Prompting people to talk while you listen attentively
• Making friends with total strangers anywhere you go
• Noticing details that everyone else misses
• Maintaining a gorgeous lawn 
• Finding a bargain
• Explaining difficult concepts in a way that is understandable
• Frying an egg over easy without breaking the yolk
• Encouraging the discouraged
• Gift wrapping
• Telling great stories
• Making people laugh
• Having a contagious laugh
• Forgetting grievances
• Finding new ways of doing things
• Discerning lies
• Recognizing manipulation and not giving in to it
• Only making positive social media posts
• Being supportive of positive posts on social media
• Scrolling past negativity on social media
• Making phone calls or texts to check on folks
• Inviting people to join you in fun endeavors
• Catching fish or hunting
• Making a great meal from only the stuff left in the pantry
• Picking good movies
• Reading
• Unhurriedly stopping to listen 
• Praying for others
• Praying for your enemies
• Caring for animals
• Playing board games or card games with friends
• Playing video games
• Driving with ease and confidence 
• Smiling
• Hugging
• Keeping disorganized people organized
• Caring for people who are ill
• Understanding nutrition
• Dog training
• Training little people
• Making learning interesting
• Caring for the elderly
• Understanding and explaining laws
• Finding the good in a bad situation
• Having a naturally sunny disposition
• Knowing when to quit
• Knowing when to get busy
• Loving work
• Loving staying at home
• Loving to travel
• Reading great literature
• Loving to learn
• Fixing technology
• Enthusiasm about exercising
• Loving music
• Being at home in the great outdoors
• Spotting the fingerprints of God in an ordinary day
• Spotting the fingerprints of God during bad days
• Dancing
• Balancing a budget
• Keeping plants alive…green thumb
• Learning then applying that new knowledge to improve
• Accepting others as they are 
• Speaking more than one language
• Cleaning anything to a shine
• Organizing a closet
• Creating great outfits on a budget
• Talking folks off the figurative ledge
• Decorating on a budget
• Following instructions
• Filling in when there is a need
• (Keep this list going in your head)

What can we do with all these gifts? Here are a few take-aways. 

Recognize that we need each other because we can’t be all things and value what you have to give and what others have given you. Appreciate that this list is endless and there is enough for everyone so criticism and jealousy are a scarcity mindset that must be eliminated because we need other folks to do what we can’t. And understand that any gift on this list can be shared to develop the relationships in our life because God works through relationships.