Seeing the Gospel in a new Tv and Home Makeover

I started working for integrity roofing and exteriors in July of this year. After the May 8th storm there was a great deal of work that needed to be done and companies were running around hiring lots of people just trying to keep up with all the work. I landed with a great company who does quality work and really takes care of there employees. This last weekend the company took us all up to Branson Mo for a few days of training, food, and fun. So now that you have the back story let me tell you why I am writing.
When I think of company Christmas party I immediately think of the episode of the office when they all played dirty Santa. Parties like that come with a few desserts and lame prizes with the possibility of maybe a small holiday bonus. Well this party was far different. When I got there I got handed a raffle ticket and was told to keep hold of it because there would be some good prizes given away. Well in true form to myself I proceeded to lose the ticket in about two minutes. Luckily they gave me another ticket. Well long story short my ticket number was drawn and I won a 32 in Phillips LCD HD tv. Awesome! What guy does not want HD? So already this party was top of the list, best work party ever. If the day would have ended there it would have been a great day. However it was not over!
Our company is a nationwide operation. We have offices in several different locations throughout the Midwest. One of the goals of the company is that in every market we are in there would be one major project in that city that would be similar to the Home Makeover show on tv. The idea of the boss man is that they would find either a older pastor about to retire or a younger pastor just getting started and completely renovate the inside and out of there house for free. Well the announcement came and the first market they were to do this in and the first person to get the home makeover would be me! To say I was blown away would be a huge understatement. I am sure I did not look all that excited because I simply did not know what to freakin think “I just won a tv, and pretty much an new house” aka “73 Upgade!”. What a huge blessing!
So what is the proper response to this? I think there are several different responses to this, but I am only going to write about two. One response I think sells God short and the other “I humbly hope” will lift Him up. The first response that I could come with is the typical American Christianity response which would sound a lot like this “Look, God is so good! He is so faithful to bless me like this! God is a rewarder of my faithfulness. See if you have faith God is going to bless you, then He will bless you more than you can ever think or imagine. If you would just trust Him like I have you would get what I get”. You might think that sounds ok or maybe even like a good and right response “Praise Him for blessings!” However I think that in this response we miss the whole idea of it all.
When I got the tv and found out about the makeover I was extremely excited. If you were in my shoes just imagine how you would feel! How could someone not be excited about God making this happen? I drove home today and just thought about how huge this is going to be for Jordan and I. I thought about laying on a futon (Just kidding apparently married people cant have those, haha) in a new house watching my new tv! Would you not be doing the same?
Mathew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure (Jesus) hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” I have been learning over the last year of my life about how the Gospel applies to every area of my living. I have often wondered how that is. How can I see life through the lenses of the Gospel? Here is what God is showing me. The excitement level about my new possession was out the roof. However the Bible says that the realties of the Gospel are so huge that it is worth abandoning all my possession to get the real treasure. The joy I got from “Stuff” was awesome, but the real “Treasure” is Jesus! You see if I were to say “Look God is faithful because He just provided” I would be implying that His faithfulness is about blessings or that I was not living blessed two days ago. I think the proper response to what God has provided is to not praise the gifts but rather praise the true treasure! The joy from blessing is nothing compared to the Joy of Christ giving me a new heart. So Mathew 13:44 teaches us that the joy that comes from blessings and possessions is incomparable to the Joy of knowing Jesus. God thank you for the cross! Thank you for Grace! May these blessings stir up my affections for what You have done for me in giving me your very self!
I believe that is how to see blessing through the lenses of the Gospel.