Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. -1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭(NASB‬‬)

The steep drop was up ahead. I stretched myself so thin that I if I didn’t change course, I would crater.

I was running nonstop at work…at home…not eating right or sleeping enough. I was over-promising and under-delivering on all fronts, spinning too many plates at the same time. Some were falling and breaking.

In Scripture, God often uses people and situations as instruments to communicate His will. In my case, I saw Him do the same through a teenage cousin.

My cousin very unexpectedly gave me his old handheld video game system, a Nintendo 3DS XL, one I’ve wanted for years but never had the time to use. Years ago, I received Mario Kart 7, a kart racing game named after Nintendo’s iconic Italian plumber, but never bought a 3DS to play it. And now I had one in my hands.

What happened next was miraculous.

Instead of working through lunch while eating at my desk, I went outside and ate my lunch out under the shade of a tree, then turned on Mario Kart 7.

As I played, my focus was on negotiating twists and jumps and opponents, and for a few minutes, I forgot about the neverending conveyor belt of obligations. I could feel little bits of stress melting off me. This machine in my hands was like therapy through electronic escapism!

I came back to my desk thinking, “I see what you did there, God.” Just before the point of breaking, He gave me relief, and showed me where I could better steward the gifts He bestowed to me: time and talent.

The truth was that I never had time to play because I never made the time to play…to burn off some stress. Some time just for me to recharge my batteries. Me time. I wasn’t defining or exercising any boundaries between work and personal areas of my life, and something was bound to give.

God made us in His image, but we are also in physical bodies that require care…and can only run so long without proper maintenance. And I’m slowly learning that to take care of myself means I can do far more for others as His instrument.

Thank You, Lord, for using all things and people for the good of those You have called…and please continue to guide us to do the best work for you, not just the most in our own strength!

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. -Colossians 3:17 (ESV)
If you’ve ever owned and driven an old car for an extended period of time, there are stark differences between it and all those newer cars on the road.

It seems like every other car is bigger, faster, shinier, more comfy, and problem-free. The temptation to trade up to a newer model eggs you on, and you might start thinking that a new car would make your life all better. But what if you looked at your old car through the lens God wants you to look through?

Maybe God wants you to learn something with the car you have. Be grateful for it. Take care of it as if it were the only car you would ever have. Don’t neglect it. Grow in patience and perseverance as you care for it, rather than enviously eyeing new prospects.

And so it is with relationships, isn’t it? My pastor likened old car ownership to marriage (treat your old car as if it were the only one you’d have your whole life), but it also applies to any relationship–especially those difficult people. Find and nurture the blessings right under your nose with the “old car” you have before you.

When you do that–and no one does it perfectly…I should know!–God is honored and made known. You’re trying your best for Him. If the old car falls apart, then you know you’ve done all you can to make it work. Or, if it’s in His will, God could miraculously make that old car run forever…and all you have to do is your part with regular TLC and maintenance.

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

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. -Matthew 6:19 (NIV)

In the cafeteria where I work, a strange song came over the speakers. It was called “4 Carats,” a playful song by former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson asking Santa for a gemstone ring of that weight. One stanza of the lyrics go:

I won’t tell (I wont’t tell anyone)
Anyone
I’ve been good all year long
Oh Santa make my Christmas Eve
4 Carats please

I got that it was a playful song, something like Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby,” but it so heavily smacked of worldliness and materialism that I felt bothered by it. It’s reminded me of what Jesus spoke about in Matthew 6:19 above.

Being a dad, wordplay always comes to mind, so my mind then thought of four carrots…something far more precious than four carats of gemstones, if you were starving!

God supplies all we need, which isn’t always the same as what we want. But the more we aspire to align our hearts with His, the more closely our wants will match His wants for us. When we do that, our attitude changes from “I want more” to “Thank You for what You provide.”

Gratitude turns life into a meaningful gift, rather than trying to piece together a meaningful life with material gifts.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! -2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Video games are an interesting animal. You can play till you tire of them, then walk away. Or, you can face up to the challenges they throw your way…and simply restart the game if it’s too hard.

But life isn’t like that. Or is it?

If you’ve been yanked around by the whims and winds of people and circumstance, and wondered why you even bother with life, you can hit restart. Jesus is the restart button for your life, giving you a fresh start and outlook on life you didn’t even know was possible.

If you’re a believer who’s taken your eyes off the Lord for too long and stumbled off His designated path, maybe wondering if you could ever come back into God’s grace, Jesus is unconditionally ready and waiting for you to press restart with Him again.

If you’re in a situation or moment where you think you blew it, just stop and breathe…and hit restart.

It’s never too late. Walk this way if you need to hit restart for the very first time in your life.

Today’s soundtrack

The Newsboys’ “Restart” perfectly expresses the fresh reboot God offers us. Will you press that button?

If this song resonated with you, consider getting it on Amazon Music »

The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. -Lamentations 3:22-23 (NASB)

Like many kids, my son doesn’t like school. He’d rather be at home! Each morning, he tells me how much he doesn’t want to go to school. He even said he wanted it to be yesterday again.

But what we do each day before rising is what I brought his attention to: we thank the Lord for the gift of the new day, and the opportunity to talk to Him first thing in the morning.

I told him that each day is a lot like a birthday or Christmas gift: a present to be unwrapped. What could be inside? We’ll have to find out!

Each day is wrapped in mystery till we open it and go through it, and just like real presents, sometimes the day could hold amazing highs or disappointing lows. But we can always be grateful recipients of His gift to us, and glorify Him in the way we receive and handle what it brings.

Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours? -1 Kings 3:9 (NKJV)

We often treat God like He’s Santa Claus, or some sort of cosmic servant, to grant our wishes…as if He were here to do things for us! No, as true believers, it’s quite the opposite. We’re here, with every breath He grants us, on a planet He made for us, on a new day He decided to create for us, to serve Him and make Him known.

The above verse is Solomon’s amazing request of the Lord. Solomon didn’t ask for riches, or anything selfish. What he asked for was discernment and wisdom to better rule his people. And because of his God-honoring request, God gave Solomon the wisdom he asked for–in fact, making him the wisest man who ever lived!–and also much more! God granted him riches and honor on top of the gifts of wisdom and discernment.

So when you pray to the Lord, are you asking for personal gain and comfort, or for gifts that will ultimately glorify Him? As His obedient children, the more we walk in obedience, the more our hearts will align with His will, so that we will pray for things that glorify Him. And what child doesn’t want to please their Father in heaven, who smiles and blesses His obedient children?

We thank the Lord for all the gifts and blessings we take for granted, and ask Him to give us greater discernment, wisdom, grace, strength, and love we don’t have to give to the world, and to show Him through us. As it is written:

It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. -1 Kings 3:10 (NASB)

He has dug a pit and hollowed it out, And has fallen into the hole which he made. His mischief will return upon his own head, And his violence will descend upon his own pate. -Psalm 7:15-16 (NASB)

The fictional superhero Iron Man has a very thin but strong suit of armor…but every now and then, a technical malfunction can cause it to pop off in pieces, and not fulfill its intended purpose of protection.

As I keep walking with the Lord (with plenty of stumbles and missteps!), I’m learning to glean useful parallels in popular culture to help with my walk. As I’ve mentioned before, Iron Man is one of them.

It helps me greatly to imagine myself encased in an invisible Iron Man suit, but it’s one I still have to consciously keep on. The second I forget, it disappears. But I learned another way that we can actually sabotage our own Iron Man suits even while they’re on.

If you’re wearing your armor, and it’s doing its job of making you impervious to evils of men and the high pressure circumstances befalling you, you can actually make your own armor self destruct by fighting fire with fire. There’s a temptation to sling arrows back, or to react poorly to being poorly treated, or to lash out because things are going badly. And once you make that conscious choice, your armor is gone.

One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is restraint and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23), and it is only through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13) that we can do that in the face of hatred and extreme tribulation. And take heart if you’ve blown off your armor! because our Lord, the God of Hosts, is still right there with you, ready to help put your armor right back on.

How? To stop going down the disobedient path we’ve taken, confess and repent for it immediately, ask for forgiveness, and suit up once more. God’s grace and gifts and promises to help us endure this life are far greater than anything or anyone we will face!

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. -1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)

Here in the United States, today is Thanksgiving Day. (It’s actually celebrated in Canada and other countries as well.) We celebrate autumn harvests, family and friends, and all the gifts and blessings bestowed upon us by the Lord.

For believers, every day is Thanksgiving Day. Every morning is a gift to us from the Lord, with mercies anew (Lamentations 3:22-23). Every good action and every perfect gift is from him (James 1:17). Every breath we take is a gift from Him, with which we sing His praises to the heavens.

We also thank God for our circumstances, no matter how dire or how good, because He uses all things for the good of His children–we who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). He will use all of it to bless us, and to glorify Him. And we can give thanks for this amazing promise, especially in trying times: at least three agents I know of right now are enduring serious trials, but they, like we, can bank on a God who will carry us through situations that would otherwise crush us.

So, as always, every day, we give thanks, praise, and adoration to a God who blesses us in all things…in all circumstances…and who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son so that we may have eternal life (John 3:16). As we sit down with family and friends and give thanks, let’s thank Him above all, for He is worthy of thanks and praise all year round.

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! -Luke 11:11-13 (NIV)

As a father, I give all I can for my son. And as his earthly father, when he asks me for something he needs, I will certainly meet or exceed that need, assuming it is what is best for him.

On top of that, my son–and I–have our Heavenly Father above, who knows exactly what is best for us, and will exceedingly meet our needs. He gifts us with His constant love, strength, and support as we travel through this world. And, of course, the greatest gift He gives us is eternal life in His presence, against which nothing on this earth can compare.

In Charles F. Stanley’s Handbook for Christian Living: Biblical Answers to Life’s Tough Questions, Dr. Stanley explains that if he’d gotten all he wanted from God when he wanted them, he would’ve missed his best in every case. He goes on to write this example:

Imagine for a moment a five-year-old who wants a pocketknife and a flashlight. A good father might not mind giving him the flashlight, but the boy needs to grow up a little before he can be trusted with the pocketknife. In the same way, God is waiting for us to grow spiritually in some areas before He can allow us to experience all the spiritual and material blessings He has in store (Eph. 1:3). (p. 542)

As the verses at the top of this post say, Our Father, who art in Heaven, can bestow upon us the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell in us…if only we ask (Romans 10:9).

Every single one of us is a child to earthly parents, and a child of God, but we haven’t all accepted Him into our hearts. And more than any earthly parent, God knows every single thing in our future, and has already laid out what is best for us. If you or someone you know hasn’t yet accepted Him in your heart, walk this way, and see how Our Father in Heaven truly knows best, and works out all things for our best, to His glory.