Over the next week or so I will give a thumbnail sketch of things God is teaching me especially through my last mission trip.

There are too many idols and not enough crosses. That’s the thought that went through my mind as I toured Lantau Island outside of Hong Kong. There is a huge Buddha on the island and the shops around there are full of his image. In addition there are shrines to ancestors in abundance. But I didn’t see one cross or church on the whole island.

That got me thinking about the U.S. We may not have as many images but we certainly have idols. We may have more crosses and churches but that doesn’t mean that we have what the cross represents and that is surrender.

I strongly believe we have what we need in resources to care for the planet in every way, physically, emotionally, relationally and spiritually yet there is a huge disparity in the way the resources are distributed. We don’t have a resource problem as much as we have an allocation problem.

God trusts us to be his stewards of the resources. We are the managers not the owners. God told me very clearly that I’m not to go through life as a consumer but as a man on a mission to serve my Savior and do His will. I’m going to give myself to that knowing that it means displacing idols in my life and determining to carry His cross.