The Greatest Gift
Singing “Give Me Jesus” on Sunday took me back four years to January 25, 2019. It was the song I chose for my husband’s funeral. The most powerful portion of the song was an interlude during which our four sons read excerpts from their Dad’s journal. I selected passages that would most reflect my husband’s heart and most impact those listening. I never imagined one of my own children would be among those so profoundly affected.
Miller read the words, “The greatest gift I can give my family is my own personal holiness.” I’d been intentional about assigning readings to the boys. My most creative child read a touching passage about being part of a grand story. Another who’d battled cancer read an entry about suffering. I had Miller read the words about holiness because, as a freshman at App State, he was beginning to adopt the culture around him. It was a slow drift, and he surely thought himself “better than most” in his environment, but he was in a season of compromise. And as noted in the sermon, compromise is the enemy of holiness.
Perhaps saying those words aloud triggered a conviction he’d been suppressing. Maybe the receiving line of condolences showed him the impact of a godly life. Perhaps the eulogies caused him to measure his choices against the life his father had built. I don’t know what it was, but something about being in that room changed him.
He’s now a “super senior” at App State, leading a Bible study of about 35-40 and serving as the spiritual “captain” of the football team. He assisted in the baptism of three teammates last summer and served as a counselor at a Christian camp the previous two summers. He is finishing his college career in a very different place than where he started, and if you ask him, he’d mark the memorial service as the fork in the road.
Indeed, the greatest gift my husband gave his family was his own personal holiness.
Does this mean he was holy? Certainly not. It simply means that he pursued holiness. He valued it. He prioritized it. He made deliberate choices to protect it. And he believed in the generational impact of it.
The word holiness in scripture means “set apart.” We should look different, and it should be appealing. Holiness is a noble personal goal, but the more significant benefit is to those around us. One of the most famous passages from the Sermon on the Mount is Matthew 5:14-16.
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.”
Holiness is our light. It’s the reflection of Jesus in us. And its purpose is to draw others to Him. We won’t always know when others are watching, but one thing is sure if you are a parent… little eyes are watching all the time. And your pursuit of holiness is what they most need to see.
~ Melissa Gibbs has been a member of LIFE Fellowship for over 10 years, is the mother to four boys and widow of the late JD Gibbs.