“Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God'” (Luke 9:62 NIV).

My wife and I try to work out at the YMCA three days a week. It’s a discipline we started a few years ago after noticing a decline in our health.

We’re not preparing for a marathon. I have no plans to try out for the NFL (Although, Brett Favre has given us all hope). We’re just trying to stay fit in order to slow down the descent.  We both want to stay physically fit enough to be of service.

Physical fitness and financial fitness are similar, which ever one you’re talking about, the question is the same,”Fit for what?” What is the reason for fitness? Why work at being fit?

Some may think that working hard at getting fit is so that they can be rich. Perhaps they want their picture on the cover of Forbes, crowding out Bill Gates and the Sam Walton family. They see fitness as the preparation for winning at life, whether it be in business, sports, or fame.

But I believe that the Bible wants us to be fit for service. God wants us to follow His Word on taking care of our bodies and our possessions, so that we can be useful in His Kingdom.

God teaches us how to be financially fit, so that we can be free to follow His call of service.

“Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations” (Proverbs 27:23-24 NIV).

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52).

For the last several years I’ve taken a study break the last week of the year. During these breaks I’ve developed certain habits to get myself focused and ready to hear from God. One of the habits that I’ve practiced is the discipline of reflection.

I’ve rooted this habit with a practice that begins with certain concrete questions. These questions involve taking stock of what’s happened in the last year and where things stand in the present. I compare outcomes with goals that were set for the previous year. I am brutally honest with myself. I’m convinced that we must know where we’ve been and where we are now, before we can get to where we want to go. Just like a physician checks our vital signs before he offers any medical advice, we must know our vitals.

The writer of the gospel of Luke was a physician. He took note that Jesus grew in four ways: wisdom, stature, in favor with God, and in favor with men. In other words, Jesus grew 1) mentally, 2) physically, 3) spiritually, and 4) socially.

My habit of reflection involves checking my vitals in those four areas. I call them my Luke 2:52 goals.

As I look at these goals from year to year, I often sense God leading me to lean into one of the areas a bit more. Last year, after turning 50, I really sensed that God wanted me to get serious about my health, so I could have the strength to continue doing what He has called me to do. So, I had a complete physical, an endoscopy, colonoscopy (not fun), had my gall bladder removed, and started working out 3 days a week at the YMCA. I feel a lot better about myself and I feel more energy to do God’s work.

This year, I sensed a need to lean into financial fitness more. I usually list this under the “mental” category because money management has a lot to do with mental attitude, planning (budgeting), knowledge about money, and habits.

So, as part of this step I answer four questions to check my financial fitness vitals. They are: What do I …

1. Earn
2. Spend
3. Own
4. Owe

Just like stepping on the scales, it’s not that much fun checking your financial vitals, but wisdom demands it. We really can’t begin to improve our situation until we recognize our current condition.

Knowing our vitals, we can admit our need for change (biblical word: repentance). Then, we can begin to pray, plan (budget), and act on what is needed to improve.

I’m convinced that we as Christians can depend on God for help in this. Jesus had a lot to say about how we handle money. I believe that He wants us to live with such fitness in this area that it models hope to our economically challenged world today.

“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down—when we die and leave these bodies—we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1 NLT).

When I first started dating Robin, I had to date the whole family. Every weekend was scheduled by their family gospel group, the Happy Hearts. If I wanted to go out on Saturday night with Robin, I had to get on the Happy Heart bus and ride to their next concert date.

While being a “roadie” for the Happy Hearts wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I was dating my wife to be, it was a great way to get to know her family, especially her mom, Christine Conner.

Robin’s dad mostly picked on me. “Did you get that one College Boy?” He’d ask, after telling another corny joke. Eyeballing me in the huge overhead mirror with a wry, half-smile, while gripping the oversize Greyhound steering wheel with both hands, he’d wait to see if I laughed.

But Mrs. Conner asked serious questions, about me and about what I believed. Apparently, no one ever told her that religion and politics were touchy topics for polite conversation because she would ask me a question and then debate me if we differed in any way.

I never minded. I come from a family that discusses everything. I had strong opinions and so did Mrs. Conner. We both shared our views and a growing respect grew between us.

When Robin and I married and had children, they called Mrs. Conner, “Nana.” So, I started calling her Nana too.

When we would visit, Nana always made special foods for me.

“Gary, did you see that cheesecake in the fridge? I made that just for you!” She’d say, while rushing around her kitchen preparing for dinner.

“Thanks Nana. It looks great.” I’d reply, knowing that cooking was her way of showing love.

“After dinner, I want to show you a new book I got on Revelation.” She’d say. She loved to discuss the Bible, especially books on the end times.

After I became a pastor, she wanted my weekly sermon tapes. We mailed her a tape every week for years. She would write and tell me what she thought of my latest sermon. She even started giving them out to her friends after she listened.

“Why don’t you move back to Virginia?” She’d ask. “You could be my pastor.” She would say, while squeezing my hand.

This past year, she hasn’t been able to listen to my sermons. Her health declined rapidly after Robin’s father passed away. But she still wanted me to do my job.

“Can I pray for you Nana?” I asked, the last time I was with her.

“Yes.” She mouthed through the oxygen mask, while raising up in her hospital bed to grab my hands in hers.

As I prayed, she murmured “Amen” and “Yes” to every sentence, punctuating my prayer with her affirmations of faith.

“I wish I had you in my amen corner at church.” I said.

She nodded weakly and mouthed, “Me too.”

As Robin leaned over to hug her, they played the “I love you more” game. Then she looked into Robin’s eyes and said, “I’ll see you in heaven, honey.”

She was ready. And so, early this past Tuesday morning, Christine Conner went to be with the Lord.

We’ll see you soon Nana. Be looking for us. We’ll have great things to discuss.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:” (Isaiah 9:6 KJV).

I started watching the sitcom “Seinfeld” only after it went into syndication. I guess the daily dose of reruns finally got me interested.

If you know anything about the show, you know that the character played by Jason Alexander, is an inept, self-absorbed, all around loser named “George.” Except in one episode– in this installment, George decides to do the opposite of what he would normally do in every situation. In a hilarious 30 minute story line, George finally gets the girl, becomes popular, gets promoted, etc. Apparently, when George does the opposite of his character’s nature, everything turns to gold.

In our consumer culture today we’ve turned Christmas into a frenzied time of spending and going into debt. The more we spend, the more unhappy we are with Christmas. In fact, the more we spend, the more unhappy we seem to be, period. In a recent survey, Americans ranked above every 3rd world country in the incidence of clinical depression. It seems that the more we spend, the more depressed we get.

Perhaps we should start doing the opposite. What’s the antidote to greed? What’s the therapy for spending?

Giving. That’s the antidote. That’s the therapy. Instead of doing what the rest of Americans are doing, do the opposite. Stop spending and start giving.

Do the opposite this Christmas. Spend less so that you can give more. That’s what God did when He gave us Jesus. That’s what Christmas is all about.