Welcome to the web home of Christian author, Dave Burchett
Welcome to my website! We have a new motto...
"Bringing sporadic joy and intermittent wisdom to tens of readers several times a week."
What do you think of the new slogan? Am I overselling?
Grace and peace to you,
Dave
Email: dave@daveburchett.com
Need a Speaker?
Dave is available on a limited basis to speak at churches, conferences, or retreats. Contact us via the
Speaker Request form
for more information.
(Posted earlier this week at Worldmag.com)
I spent some time thinking about the sad story of Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina. He has been a vocal advocate of family values and faith. He boldly proclaimed his faith in Christ and his responsibility as a Christian public servant. Now his very public affair has damaged and perhaps ruined his marriage, career, and legacy.
I used to be among the first to jump on the dogpile of condemnation for fallen Christian leaders. Now when I read about men like Mark Sanford, Ted Haggard, and John Ensign I am mainly sad. I am sad for their families and friends—and sad for those who were damaged by their sin.
I wondered how these men got to such a low point in their journey. Perhaps a bit of insight came from a recent Texas storm. Strong winds toppled a 50-foot-tall tree in a friend’s backyard. But strong winds are a part of every spring in Texas. Why did this particular storm fell a mature tree? The answer came as my friend cut up the fallen tree—it had completely rotted inside. There was no way to tell when you looked at the tree. The bark covered the decay and the leaves were green and pretty. But inside the tree was dying. It finally reached a point where there was not enough strength left in its core to withstand another storm.
The example from nature is a metaphor for how we can topple as Christians and completely surprise those around us. We wear masks. We look good. We say the right things. We stay busy doing Christian things. But the slow rot of sin is decaying our judgment and relationship with Jesus.
Tree experts will tell you that often a small wound in a tree left unattended will allow fungus to enter and begin the destructive process. If the wound had been treated, the disease could have been halted with little or no damage. Perhaps a wound occurred in the hearts of the men listed above. Perhaps pride or fear or simply not knowing what to do caused them to ignore the wound in their souls. And that opening allowed the slow decay of unresolved sin that led to their fall.
The metaphor reminded me of the Scripture where Jesus railed against the “self-righteous” religious leaders:
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too” (Matthew 23, NLT).
I know me. I know that I must seek the illuminating light of the Holy Spirit to help me see the filth and greed and self-indulgence that lies within or I could fall with a sickening thud as well. I am sad for Mark Sanford today. I pray for his wife and his handsome sons. I know that forgiveness and redemption are available for all of them. But I also know the terrible consequences of sin. He has paid and will pay a terrible price and so will those he has hurt. I would ask you to pray for Gov. Sanford and for other Christian leaders that fail. Before you smite them with the hypocrite hammer I would ask you to look in the mirror. If you see what I see you will extend grace to those who fail. What I see in the mirror is a person who was saved only by grace. I see a person who is capable of failing if I do not lean wholly on that grace every day. A person who does not want to hurt the heart or cause of Jesus because I am so grateful for His amazing grace. I like the way The Message translates Paul’s words to the Galatians:
“If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived” (Galatians 6, The Message).
I love the morning walks with dog friend Hannah and the iPod devotionals along the way. The most recent song that hit a heart chord was a song called “Just As I Am”. I am not talking about the go to song for altar calls that gave you a small sample of eternity at my hometown church. “One more verse…I know there is someone out there….still waiting....one more verse..."
My response was to a song of the same name by Andrew Peterson . Peterson is one of my favorite song writers and singers. Regular readers of the humble ramblings know that I have been on a journey of exploring grace and my identity in Christ. It has been such an invigorating and freeing season of my life. I ache for others to experience this joy. But instead I see so much sadness and tiredness in the church. I think that this song gave me some insight into why I was finally ready to quit striving so hard to please God with my own strength and ability and began to learn how to trust His strength and ability. Why is that so hard for my friends and fellow believers? Why was it so hard for me? Why did it take me nearly forty years to reach that point of trust? Andrew Peterson’s lyrics gave me some clues.
What's that on the ground?
It's what's left of my heart
Somebody named Jesus broke it to pieces
And planted the shards
What struck me as I meditated on these lyrics is that my grace experience was more like an addict who finally hits bottom and realizes their complete inability to recover by their own strength. I hit spiritual bottom. I was tired and sad and resigned. Resigned to believing that the Gospel is true but perhaps my lot was to simply soldier on until I reached my final reward. When I hit spiritual rock bottom it was not a scene worthy of a Lifetime cable movie. I wasn’t in some motel room ready to cash it in when I found a Gideon Bible in the nightstand and it fell open to John 3:16. I simply reached a point where I prayed something like this.
God, I don’t want to live the rest of my life like this. Help me to experience your grace.
And that prayer was answered by somebody named Jesus. He answered it by the uncomfortable but ultimately wonderful process of breaking my heart of self reliance and striving and then planting the pieces in the garden of trust. And all of those shards that He planted are taking root in His grace.
And they're coming in bloom
I can hardly believe this is all coming true
The chorus shares a truth that we too often forget.
Just as I am and just as I was
Just as I will be He loves me, He does
He showed me the day that
He shed His own blood
He loves me, oh He loves me, He does
We get the “just as I am” forgiveness for salvation. But we forget the “just as I was” and “just as I will be” aspects of His grace. Peterson nails part of my stumbling journey with these words.
All of my life I've held on to this fear
These thistles and vines ensnare and entwine
What flowers appeared
It's the fear that I'll fall one too many times
It's the fear that His love is no better than mine
That fear that I would fall one too many times or that my good works would be ensnared by life’s thistles revealed my lack of trust and my dependence on my ability. And it revealed a lack of trust in God’s character and love. I am learning, haltingly, to not lean on my self effort. I love the imagery that Peterson paints of a life lived in grace.
Well it's time now to harvest what little that grew
This man they call Jesus, who planted the seeds
Has come for the fruit
And the best that I've got isn't nearly enough
He's glad for the crop, but it's me that He loves
When I look at what Christ has done for me my crop will never be enough if judged by my performance standards. But Jesus will be glad for the crop if the harvest comes out of abiding in Him. The most amazing truth is that it’s me that He loves. Just as I am. Just as I was. Just as I will be…forever.
Every dad leaves a legacy. I have learned a few things through trial and many errors about being a dad who is trying to leave a positive legacy. Previous installments detailed two ways to leave a good legacy.
- Love Your Wife
- Affirm Your Kids
Today we will examine two more ways to establish a positive legacy. And we are adding a very dangerous twist today. I polled my three sons about my strengths and (gasp) shortcomings as their father. Those knee-buckling results were both sobering and encouraging.
First, the third way to leave a positive legacy as a dad.
3. Enjoy every mile of the journey
The best description I have heard about being a parent is this bit of wisdom: “Parenting…the days are long and the years are short.”
In his book, Being a Good Dad When You Didn't Have One, Tim Wesemann gives his readers a two-word piece of advice: "Lighten up!" He says that adults laugh an average of 15 times a day while children laugh 400 more times. "Sometime between childhood and adulthood, we lose 385 laughs a day! That's a great loss!" Wesemann says. "Maybe we need not only the faith of a child but the funny bone of one as well."
I agree. One of my favorite moments happened on a family trip. Brett is several years younger than his siblings. I was addressing his older brothers’ behavior when I snapped at the boys and said in my best dad voice, “You are acting like children." Brett was only five, and he thought I was including him in the accusation. He pondered the comment and then said, “But I am a children." The laughter from the backseat derailed my dad authority and it definitely lightened the moment. The family that can laugh together has a huge advantage in the journey.
The Psalmist wrote these words: "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward." Sometimes it is hard to remember what a blessing those little ones are when they are holding their breath at Wal-Mart. I encourage parents to enjoy every phase of their children’s journey. And I learned that what your children take away as favorite memories may be surprising. One of the questions I asked my sons was their favorite memories of time with me. I expected that they would remember the big trips we took together or some expensive outing. I was humbled by their responses.
Firstborn son Matt: "My favorite memories are throwing the baseball/football in the front yard of our Pecan Valley house, going to baseball games and growing up around sports."
Second born son Scott: "Playing catch in the backyard for hours on end, even when your knees hurt. Going to cut down Christmas Trees every November and stopping at the Dairy Queen on the way home."
Youngest son Brett: "You coaching my sports teams and going to cut down the Christmas tree."
It was the little things that counted for them. The memories that really mattered to them were things that cost me only time. Each one of the boys felt valued when they felt I had sacrificed or made a special effort to spend time with them. I thought the big things mattered the most but I was wrong.
4. Be a Role Model
The fourth way to leave a positive legacy is to model what you are teaching. Here is a powerful quote from Clarence Budington Kelland: “My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and he let me watch him do it.” Wow. I have seen that prove out in my own life. I can tell you exactly what my father modeled for me, but I would have a hard time remembering any of his lectures. I believe that is an overlooked component of the wisdom expressed in Proverbs: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." That training should include being a role model and then the verbal training will sink in. Being an authentic role model makes the message effective.
You are a role model for your children, like it or not. Your children will, to one degree or another, model their lives after you. You have inherited some of your father's characteristics and your children are inheriting some of yours.
Brett wrote in his responses, "you are my biggest influence for everything." Scary. Whether you know it or not (or mean to or not), you are influencing the lives of your children and your children's children.
You ARE a role model and every dad needs to reflect on that responsibility.
In Deuteronomy we find a great bit of advice for dads: “Just make sure you stay alert. Keep close watch over yourselves. Don't forget anything of what you've seen. Don't let your heart wander off. Stay vigilant as long as you live. Teach what you've seen and heard to your children and grandchildren.”
You are preparing your children to leave home. That is your job as parents. Someday, they'll take what they've learned from you and begin to apply it out in the real world. You've got approximately 18 years to get them ready. I have joked that Joni and I had a sign on their bedroom doors that read, “Checkout Time is 18 Years…No Exceptions!” But we both believed we were stewards of our sons with the charge of preparing them to leave.
When I asked my boys what I had taught them, this is what I read:
From Scott: "You taught me to love the Lord and trust Him with my life. Your spiritual growth over the past decade has inspired me and taught me a lot about how to grow in the Lord. You taught me to be loyal and hard working in everything I'm involved with, and most importantly, to never give up. Burchett's aren't quitters, even if they want to be sometimes."
From Brett: "You taught me how to be a strong Christian man and how to play sports."
From Matt: "Never quit something you started. Work hard. Do everything with excellence. Treat everybody with respect and genuine kindness."
Before you think that I am some really great Dad, let's return to the third question I asked the boys: what they wish I had done differently. Their responses were consistent and they saddened me. I share this in the hope that young dads will take this to heart.
Matt: "I wish you could have been home more."
Scott: "I wish you could have been home more."
Brett: "I wish you could have been home more."
And here is what I wish I had done differently. I wish I would have been home more. I cannot change the past. God is gracious and loving. My relationship with all of my boys is wonderful despite those misplaced priorities at times. Love does cover a multitude of sins. My sons know they are loved. They know they have my approval and respect. I am blessed by them.
The most recent post began a brief series on leaving a legacy as an earthly father. Every dad leaves a legacy. The only question is what kind. The first step to leaving a positive legacy is to love your wife. For some readers that already has not worked out. That does not mean that you cannot leave a good legacy. There are many ways to redeem the father/child relationship. The second part of leaving a legacy that endures is to be an encouragement to your kids. Paul wrote this simple instruction to the church at Colossae.
Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
The Message translates this verse like this….
Parents, don't come down too hard on your children or you'll crush their spirits.
I cannot remember hearing a lot of teaching on that verse over the years. It is really easy in this success mad culture to discourage your children. Nearly every dad wants his child to be successful. What is wrong with that desire? There is nothing wrong with that if we balance that desire with love and encouragement and awareness of your child’s unique design. Sometimes we forget the journey we have traveled in our own lives. Frank Clark said that “a father is a man who expects his son to be as good a man as he meant to be." Ouch.
I came into this whole Dad thing wanting a star athlete or a brilliant scholar. But I had forgotten one little detail. Where did I expect they would dig up those genes to be an All-American quarterback or Rhodes Scholar? I deepened my gene pool considerably when I married Joni but she can only contribute so much.
What I got were three guys ranging from average to very good athletic ability. Very bright but not valedictorians. What God gave me was three godly men of integrity. Men that are kind and loving. I have been blessed more by their character and wisdom than I could have possibly have been blessed by awards and trophies.
The dad factor may be more critical than we ever realized. Christian author/speaker Josh McDowell commissioned a definitive study of the last 17 school shootings. On the surface, the results were the same as dozens of other similar studies; there seems to be no "profile" of a teenage killer. They come from poor, middle class and rich homes. Some are nerds and geeks; some are the most popular kids in school. They come from a variety of races and religions. Some make good grades; some don't. Some have been bullied, others are the bullies. McDowell went below the surface and discovered a common thread that other studies missed or ignored. He found that in every case, the families of the murderers were superficially ;normal but were, in fact, dysfuntional when it came to the relationship of the children with their parents. In particular, the fathers were either absent or minimally involved in parenting.
After making this discovery, McDowell commissioned another study that involved 2,000 children ages 12 to 17, and 1,000 parents. The study revealed that children raised in a SINGLE PARENT home were 30% MORE LIKELY than the national average to be involved in drugs, alcohol, and violence. I can almost hear some of you saying, "That's no surprise. I've always felt that divorce was the major cause of youth violence. I'm glad WE have two parents raising our children."
Read on.
Adolescents raised in TWO PARENT families in which the father had a poor to fair relationship with his children were 68% MORE LIKELY than the national average to have problems with drugs, alcohol, and violence! That floored me. Two parents in the home are no defense against the problems we're discussing unless the father is close to his children. If he is not, his children are at more than twice the risk of children raised in single parent homes.
The final statistic shows us the answer to school violence as well as a host of other problems affecting our youth. Teenagers raised in two parent families in which the father had a good to excellent relationship with his children were 96% LESS LIKELY than the national average to become involved with drugs, alcohol, and violence.
These statistics show us that many of the things that we have assumed would protect our children will not necessarily do so. You can raise your children in a two parent family in a "good" neighborhood, send them to a "good" school, and even take them to church. But if there is a lack of emotional attachment, if there is no loving bond between the children and their parents, particularly the father, children of every background are at some risk.
I am not talking about being a perfect father. These kids (and even many of us) are simply looking for the affirmation and blessing of our earthly fathers.
When Scripture says that God is our Father, it is telling us that these needs can be met by Him. This is where our role as Christian dads becomes so important. There are no perfect earthly dads. But it is critical that we understand the impact that we have on our child’s relationship with God. Some may find it hard to get excited about the scriptural descriptions of God as a father because of the imperfect models of fatherhood they have experienced here on earth.
Some remember a father who was too wrapped up in his job, his buddies, and his hobbies to provide much support or affirmation. He might have been one of those men who believed that their only job was to bring home a paycheck, while Mom was responsible for everything else. Others might recall a dad that was demanding, cold, and unapproachable. Children can tend to transpose their father experience when they think of God as Father.
I have talked to many men my age who are still desperate for the approval of their fathers. And I know that is true for women as well. Jim Valvano, the now deceased coach, said "My father gave me the greatest gift that anyone could give another person, he believed in me."
Yesterday I noted that I had asked my sons to critique my performance as a dad…both good and bad. Here is one comment from eldest son Matt.
The biggest lesson you taught me was to believe in my ability to accomplish things I never thought possible. From the kid who got C's in 8th grade math to going to graduate school at a great university. I could never have accomplished this without parents, and a father, that believed in me.
Don't EXPECT your children to be perfect. Don't expect them to meet all of your expectations…to fulfill all of your goals for them…to be what you want them to be. Be grateful for who God made your kids to be. Too many fathers try to live out their own lives through their children. Every child is different. They are not a clone of you (Thank God!).
My son Scott wrote about something that he wished I had done differently.
I wish that you would have made more of an effort to understand me and my personality at an earlier age. I think Mom did a good job at this, but that might have just been because I opened up to her more.
This is a great example of how husbands and wives are a team. Joni told me that I needed to spend more time with Scott. She sensed what I did not. She told me that I gravitated to his brother who was more like me. She made me mad, hurt my feelings and made me feel like a bad dad. And thank God she did that. I became intentional about coaching Scott's teams and being with him. It still took a few years for us to really understand one another but I believe Joni's loving intervention saved our relationship. Today our relationship is awesome. Who knows what would have happened if my bride had not challenged me about that shortcoming in my relating to Scott.
Father’s Day might be a great time to give a gift back to your children. You can give the gift of forgiveness. Or you can ask for forgiveness.
Ernest Hemingway wrote a short story called "The Capital of the World". Hemingway told the story of a father and his teenage son. The son had sinned against his father and in his shame he ran away from home. The father searched all over Spain for him, but still he could not find the boy. Finally, in the city of Madrid, in a last desperate attempt to find his son, the father placed an ad in the daily newspaper. The ad read:
"PACO - MEET AT HOTEL MONTANA NOON TUESDAY. ALL IS FORGIVEN PAPA."
The father prayed that maybe the boy would see the ad and maybe - just maybe - he would come to the Hotel Montana.
And on Tuesday at noon, the father in Ernest Hemingway's story arrived at the Hotel Montana and he could not believe his eyes. A squadron of police officers had been called out to keep order among the eight hundred young boys named "Paco" who had come to meet their father in front of the Hotel Montana. Eight hundred boys named Paco read the ad in the newspaper and hoped it was for them. Eight hundred "Pacos" came to receive the forgiveness they so desperately needed.
And you can remember that all child want the approval of their fathers. If you have not done so, I encourage you to give the gift of approval this Father’s Day. Give your children the gift of believing in them. Step 2 to leaving a positive legacy as a Dad is simple but powerful. Encourage your children.
Occasionally people will observe our three wonderful sons and ask something like this. “What did you do to parent such great kids?” My response is simple. “I married Joni. The rest is a blur.” There is a little too much truth in that answer. She was and is remarkable. But we did partner in this grand adventure called parenting. Along the way I learned some things mostly by error and stumbling trial. Over the next few days I will share what I have figured out with the disclaimer that I do not claim to be an expert. It is with humility and grateful appreciation to God that He has given me the gift of this family.
One thing I have learned in my journey is that every dad leaves a legacy. The only question is whether that legacy will be good, bad, or indifferent. Being a father is tough because we generally learn how to parent while on the job. From the “I can’t make this stuff up” department I found this article a few years ago about an attempt by a celebrity couple to “prep” for parenthood. They didn't quite make it to parenthood status but the story is still amusing. Hilary Swank and her then husband Chad Lowe believed they were getting plenty of parental practice before having a child of their own - by looking after a pair of parrots.
The couple, who live in New York City, have faced constant questions throughout their eight-year marriage about when they'll be ready to start a family. He says, "(Hilary and I) are very eager to have kids, and having parrots is great baby training.
"They need to be fed twice a day, they need love and support, and we teach them their ABCs.”
But I would suggest that the parrots are not a real complete course in parenting. For example…
- Until you have had to walk the floor with a screaming parrot all night long…you still have a lot to learn.
- Until the principal calls you in because your parrot is fighting with the parakeets during recess… you still have a lot to learn.
- Until your parrot spits up on your outfit as you are trying to leave the house… you still have a lot to learn.
- Until your parrots start picking on each other in the back seat of the SUV 30 miles into your 300-mile drive…you still have a lot to learn.
- Until your parrot throws himself on the floor at the supermarket and turns red because you won't buy Count Chocula cereal…you still have a lot to learn.
Swank and Lowe go on about their parrot training. They repeat everything you say. They love to pick up four-letter words, so you really have to watch it. Luckily, we don't curse a lot."
ADD detour…perhaps every church should invest in a parrot for each family. And then they should rotate the parrots every six months. That might kill the gossip virus in the church.
Just took the medication and back on track…Ken Druck and James Simmons in The Secrets Men Keep discuss six major secrets men have. At the top of the list is that "men secretly yearn for their fathers love and approval." This is often without their conscious knowledge that this yearning manifests itself in the drive that many males have to prove themselves. The authors say:
It may surprise us to know that the most powerful common denominator influencing men's lives today is the relationship we had with our fathers .... Of the hundreds of men I have surveyed over the years, perhaps 90 percent admitted they still had strings leading back to their fathers. In other words, they are still looking to their fathers, even though their fathers may have been dead for years, for approval, acceptance, affection, and understanding.
This series is not about being a perfect dad. If it were, I would be completely unqualified to write it. This series is not about piling guilt on you for mistakes made. I am not looking for the result like the boy who said to his preacher on the way out, "Boy, that was a good sermon. My dad slumped way down today." This series is seeing what God’s plan is for leaving a positive legacy as an earthly father.
The first way to leave a good legacy is found in Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. (NIV, Ephesians 5:25) The translation in The Message says this.
Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church--a love marked by giving, not getting.
The number one way to leave a great legacy for your children is very simple:
Love your wife.
If you are already 0 for 1…or 0 for 2…hang with me. God is a God of grace and compassion. We will see how He can work even when the ideal is no longer possible in upcoming posts.
The idea of marriage as an absolute commitment is an endangered species. Actor Brad Pitt has confessed he knew his marriage to Jennifer Aniston would never last. He said in a recent interview that he never expected to be wed forever. He described his high-profile breakup as "beautiful." Pitt seemed frustrated about the public perception… "It's talked about like it failed. I guess because it wasn't flawless." Now comes Pitt's wisdom about marriage: "Me, I embrace the messiness of life. I find it so beautiful, actually. The idea that marriage has to be for all time - that I don't understand."
Our culture has devalued marriage to the point where far too many people enter relationships on a trial basis with no expectation that it can last. I will guarantee you one thing…that mindset will make it very likely that it will not last. Had Joni and I shared that value we would be a stat and our children would be from a divided home. Why should followers of Jesus believe that marriage is for all time? A report by Warren Mueller revealed that where both parents attend church regularly, 72% of their children continue in the faith. Where only the father attends, that percentage drops to 55 percent, but where only the mother attends, just 15 percent of the children remain involved in the church.
Theodore M. Hesburgh wrote that the “most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother”.
Your children watch how you treat their mother. They WATCH … and they are LEARNING and FORMING their concept of marriage from YOU. You are creating a PATTERN, a BLUEPRINT for marriage with your children. I struggled as a husband because I had not seen that blueprint in my parents' marriage. My Dad was a good dad but my parents did not have a good marriage. Joni and I had to break the cycle because she also came from a difficult family situation. Because we broke the cycle our kids have seen a marriage that survived, and not only survived but is very happy. But we had to do a lot of learning on the job.
Part of my preparation for this series was a survey of my three sons…I know…it makes you want to hum the music and do that thing with the hands and knees they did at the beginning of the show. I asked my sons three questions and not one of them was “What is your quest”.
What were their favorite memories with me?
What did they learn from me as a dad?
And what do they wish I had done differently?
Yeah…that last question scared me for one major reason. My sons are truthful. But I figured if I had done something really wrong in their eyes I wanted to seek forgiveness now. Plus I would have a written document so if they turned up on Dr. Phil someday I can say I gave them a chance and they didn't say anything. Seriously, I thought the exercise would make them consider how they could be better father someday…how they could break more cycles.
Our oldest son Matt wrote a little extra in his letter:
And thank you for being committed to Mom. It is a rarity to have a family that is not broken. But you gave up bigger things to make sure we stayed together and that has made all the difference.
If you are still able to control this one move it to the top of your list. The first step to leaving a good legacy as a dad is to love your wife!
Dog friend Hannah is nodding off while sitting upright. She is exhausted from following me everywhere I have gone during this thunderstorm that has now been going on for 8 hours. If the thunder doesn’t stop soon she may pass out. I have petter’s cramp from trying to comfort her during the storm. I feel like this is my payback for Hannah’s unbridled adulation when I have accomplished great things like coming home or waking up.
Whenever I came to a stop during the storm Hannah would sit next to me. And then she would lean in with most of her weight against me for extra assurance and comfort. I remembered part of the chorus from an old hymn we used to sing when I was a kid in church.
“Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms”.
I am not sure that Hannah felt secure but she did feel a bit safer leaning into me, her provider and master. I thought that her simple, instinctive desire was a good example for how I should react to life’s storms. I looked up the lyrics for the rest of the hymn.
What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
The song is based on Deuteronomy 33:27.
The eternal God is your refuge,
and his everlasting arms are under you.
I have learned a lot in the past five years about the concept of leaning on God and trusting that He is enough. I knew the promises of God in Scripture. But I am just now learning how to trust the promises in Scripture. As my oft quoted friends at Truefaced say:
Knowing truth doesn’t transform you.
Trusting truth transforms you.
It only took me thirty-eight years of stumbling faith to begin to understand this. I know. I am a quick study. And I used to make fun of Moses for wandering forty years in the desert. Sorry Mo. I am continuing the slow process of learning to trust God instead of relying on my abilities. Hannah gave me a simple illustration today of what it looks like to lean on your master for comfort. Paul writes about the intimate relationship we can experience with God.
Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. (Romans 8:15–16, NLT)
Abba is the Aramaic word for father. A comparable modern translation would be a child saying Papa. The combination of Abba and Father denotes both intimacy and respect. We can lean into God to receive comfort but we still respect His majesty and holiness. It is not our natural reaction to lean on His everlasting arms when the storm comes. But if you do you can find peace, joy and safety.
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
After watching the news today I think we may get lots of chances to practice this in the days ahead. And this just in…Hannah just passed out and is snoring. My work here is finished.
Identity theft is a big problem. It is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States and recent stats suggest that 10 million cases occurred in the past year. The rise of identity theft has produced a number of companies that protect you from criminals that might steal your good name and credit rating. Somehow one of my card numbers was recently compromised and some low life was merrily buying electronic gear on my tab in Malaysia. Fortunately that was fairly easily resolved since I could prove that I was safely hunkered down in scenic Garland when the purchases were made.
But it occurred to me that another identity theft occurs in the lives of Christians all the time and there is very little uproar about it. I pondered if I could start a company to protect followers of Jesus from this serious and sometimes tragic crime. The crime is Christian identity theft. Any follower of Jesus has the potential to fall victim. The target of this scam is the truth found in the Second Letter to the Church at Corinth.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2nd Corinthians, 5:17)
Because of Christ you have a new identity. You are righteous because of Him and not because of trying to do more right “stuff”. You are a saint and there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. It is a liberating and joyous message. But there is a problem. Satan hates that message of hope and change. And so he goes about trying to “steal’ our identity in Christ. I am afraid we make it all too easy because we find it difficult to really trust that we are changed. When we fail the old tapes are instantly cued and start playing loudly.
You will never change.
You always do that.
I can’t believe you did that again.
What is wrong with you?
You would not be having these problems if you were (pick one or more):
Reading God’s Word more faithfully
Praying more fervently
Studying the Bible more seriously
Doing more in the church
All of those things on the to list are wonderful. But that list is not what makes you righteous. You are righteous because of Christ. Period. When you trust that and believe that you have a new identity then the list above becomes a grateful desire and not a begrudging obligation to try and be better. All of the guilt and shame and sin that used to define you is no longer true. That old life is gone. You are a new creation. New life has begun. All of those accusations that Satan (and others who are quite happy to help) hurl your way are no longer true about you.
My life was changed nearly 40 years ago when I decided to trust Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It has just been in the past two years that I have begun to fully understand who I am in Christ and that I live my life daily in grace. I have often quoted from the book Truefaced. This statement rocked my world.
If you are a Christian God is not interested in changing you. That has already happened. You were changed when you trusted Christ. You were imputed with His righteousness. Your very spiritual DNA was rewritten and you became a new person. So the change happened right away. God is now interested in maturing you into what is already true about you.
That has been my journey for the last two years. When the accuser starts I simply remind myself that those things are no longer true about me. I have a new identity.
Protect your identity in Christ with even more fervor than you protect your financial identity. Remind yourself daily who you are. That you are a new person. A saint. Righteous because of Christ. A new life has begun. Live it joyfully and without condemnation.
I have probably been to New York City sixty times. But I still act like a tourist when I walk the streets of Manhattan. I look at people and make eye contact with those I encounter. That makes me weird in a place where weird is almost the norm. Today on a morning walk in search of Dunkin Donuts coffee I passed a woman who was weeping as she walked down the street. My heart went out to her and I wondered what her pain might be. Did she lose a loved one? A relationship? Did she lose her job? Perhaps she or someone she loves had received a devastating diagnosis. Or maybe she felt hopeless and alone. I wanted to pray with her but I feared that my intrusion might be misunderstood. So I prayed silently for her. A mystery women in pain amongst ten million people with their own problems. I will never know the cause of her tears. But God does.
Not fifteen minutes later I noticed a young woman standing outside the door of an office building. She was crying softly. Again I wondered what was going on in her life? I prayed for her as I walked. I have to tell you that the morning walk was a bit sobering today. Maybe that is why New Yorkers mind their own business. There is so much pain and so many hurting people in this city and if you look around around it is easy to see. And you feel helpless in many ways. But I believe that God hears my prayers. So I am trusting God to send His people into the lives of these hurting souls.
I thought about how self-centered and self-absorbed I can become. I don’t have any idea what other people are going through when I get frustrated with them. There is a powerful song by the country group Sawyer Brown about how infrequently we stop to consider that other people might be enduring real trials. The video is well worth three minutes of your time. Here is a sample of the lyrics from the song “They Don’t Understand”.
Everybody's busy with their own situation
Everybody's lost in their own little world
Bottled up, hurried up trying to make a dream come true
They don't understand
Everybody's living like there ain't no tomorrow
Maybe we should stop and take a little time
'Cause you never really know what your neighbors going through
They don't understand
I remember driving away from one of Joni’s early doctor appointments after her breast cancer diagnosis. Joni was driving her car as I followed her home. She was distracted (imagine that) and missed her turn. She drove forward to the next opportunity to turn left and double back. Because she temporarily blocked the left lane a guy laid on his horn and started gesturing. I remembering thinking that this guy was not a quality human being (rough translation). I wondered if it would make a difference in the attitude of this, uhhh, not really nice homosapian if he knew what was going through my wife’s mind. He was busy worrying about his 20 second delay as she was thinking about her health, her family, her job and maybe her life. So I try to step back, breathe, and ask for patience.
When I get too self-righteous I have a sure fire cure. I look in the mirror. What I see there is a man who is capable of nearly everything I get angry about with others. And I am humbled again that somehow God is patient with me as I work this out. Regular readers know of my admiration for the group Casting Crowns. The song “Who Am I” comes to mind in this context.
Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Take a moment to meditate on that. Then take a moment to meditate on a later verse.
Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
That God sees my sin and looks on me with love is mind boggling. How can I accept that love and not at least attempt to offer it to others? Because there is not a (Christian cussing warning) dang thing that I have done to deserve mercy like that. Too often I fear that I judge and have judged people who acted poorly because of incredible pain and difficulty in their life. The thought that I might add to the song is who am I that I should not extend the grace to others that I have received in spite of who I am? This is my favorite bridge of the lyric.
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.
That is the message I hope to spend my remaining days proclaiming. I have hope and freedom and joy. Not because of who I am or what I have done. My hope, freedom and joy are because of Christ. Because of what He did for me. Christ has given me a new identity. I am given His righteousness and I am freed from condemnation, guilt and shame. I wish I could have shared that with those two souls who were shedding tears today. Pray that someone will.
For new inductees to this site a brief update might be in order. The iPod Devotional Series is a periodic feature that involves, not surprisingly, my trusty iPod and the shuffle feature. I fire up the device, go to the shuffle button, hit play, and I write about whatever song is randomly selected from the 1,000 plus songs I have downloaded (all legally). My taste is quite eclectic so this is a bit risky. But we have already had a devotion based on Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar so how much further south can we go?
Today’s song is from a singer known as Five for Fighting and the selection is “Freedom Never Cries”. Wow. The shuffle could not have been more timely. Writer/singer John Ondrasik has become one of my favorites. Five for Fighting’s CD (Two Lights) is excellent. Ondrasik writes personal and powerful songs that resonate with me. “Freedom Never Cries” is a song about how we take freedom for granted. Ondrasik talked about the song in an interview posted at liveDaily.
It was definitely a statement song that has a point of view. I think it kind of speaks to the fact that, I know at least for myself, we tend to only appreciate things when we need them. The chorus of that song says "I never loved the soldier until there was a war / Or thought about tomorrow 'til my baby hit the floor." I know I never started thinking about my future until I had my children. I never talked to God until somebody was about to die. My grandmother passed away last year--she was 93. She had a great life. It's funny that I tend to find religion when I need it. Or when somebody's sick. My dad had heart surgery this year, and it's amazing how religious I was that week. Freedom's similar. Growing up here in the bubble of the United States, we are statistically lucky to be born into this country where freedom, to us, seems natural. We couldn't imagine anything else. I think sometimes we don't recognize that. Freedom never cries. Freedom doesn't sit in the corner and whine and make us recognize it, per se. I think if you look at the world in general today, many countries don't experience the same freedom of expression, freedom of religion, women's rights, freedom of the press that we have. Obviously, that leads to a majority of the world's conflicts today. I wanted to recognize that, "Hey, freedom has a price, it's not a gift." It's a little reminder to ourselves, we're some of the lucky ones here.
The song is powerful. And the timing is sobering as we face some real challenges in our country. Freedom is like health. You don’t appreciate either one until they are gone.
H.L.Menken once said, “We must be willing to pay a price for freedom, for no price that is ever asked for it is half the cost of doing without it.”
Think about that.
And think about the lyrics of this song.
I never loved the soldier until there was a war
Or thought about tomorrow
'til my baby hit the floor
I Only talk to God when somebody's about to die
I Never cherished Freedom
Freedom never cries...
Thank God today for the blessing of freedom. Be prepared to defend that freedom with courage, truth and grace. Honor our soldiers. I also thank God today for another kind of freedom.
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5, NASB)
Cherish both freedoms. And take neither for granted.
Perhaps I should direct my writing time to t-shirt slogans. It would certainly be at least as profitable as my current efforts. Today I saw TWO different t-shirts about hearing voices. One shirt said “I hear voices and they don’t like you”. Another one said “Even if the voices in my head aren’t real they do have some good ideas”. I got a chuckle out of that one.
But after further thought I think that the voices in my head rarely, if ever, have good ideas. I am talking about the voices that were programmed from childhood. Negative parents, teachers, coaches, siblings, friends (?), other Christians (?) and assorted others have laid down tracks to my negative thoughts life soundtrack mix. Favorite cuts like these are always cued and ready to be played. You will never change. You always do that. I can’t believe you did that again. What is wrong with you?
I get letters and emails and stories nearly every day from heartbroken people in the church. It almost always starts out the same way. I was serving Jesus and it was going great. Then I could almost list a column of bad things and have them check all that apply.
___ Another churchgoer did or said something.
___ Someone took my rightful place or took me out of my rightful place.
___ I didn’t get appreciated or honored.
___ I was disappointed by someone in leadership.
___ No one cared about my hurt.
That is when the voices jump in and I read them in their letters. The voice starts telling them what they want to hear. That they should never have said that to you or did that to you if they were really a Christian. That you deserved that spot, not them. How dare they take you from that position? Maybe the voice reminds you of how hard you work and they don’t care. Or how they don’t do anything and you have to do it all and they still don’t care. That they play favorites and you are not getting the respect and honor you deserve.
Those voices rob you of your joy in serving Jesus. Let’s be honest. If we are serving Christ out of grateful appreciation of His saving grace then we should be serving without expectation. Have I done that really well? No. Am I getting better? A little bit. Baby steps.
There is another voice. It is much softer and requires a lot more effort to hear. You have to slow down and be quiet and spend time in prayer and God’s Word. Casting Crowns has a great song called the “Voice of Truth” that describes this spiritual battle.
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand
But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again, "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"
The song goes on to describe that other voice.
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth
Jesus had to deal with that voice. Three times He was tempted by Satan (Matthew 4). The very men who Jesus invested His life into heard that voice and made ungodly suggestions. James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy a town that did not welcome them. Jesus rebuked them. And Peter got his hair parted when he tried to explain to Jesus that the events the Lord had just outlined really couldn’t happen.
But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. (Matt 16 NLT)
All of us hear those voices. The voices from bad experiences in our past may require help to erase. Here is a little tip that I have learned. The voice we tend to hear first in the spiritual battle is the loud one. Listen for the quiet voice. Be still. Pray. Read His Word. The Voice of Truth says, “This is for my glory.” That is a plumbline for righteous action. Is it for His glory? That is what the Voice of Truth tells you. The Voice of Truth tells you that you are righteous because of Christ. My friends at Truefaced ministries say it well. Those voices of past sin and failures and hurt are no longer who you are. God is no longer interested in changing you. You have already been changed into a new person because of Christ. You are a Saint. Imputed with righteousness. God is now interested in each one of us maturing into what is already true about us. And that requires learning which voices to listen to and believe.
The Stones sang that “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” back in 1969. But for some reason we keep telling our children that they can and if not it is somebody else’s fault.
One of my favorite editorial writers is Rod Dreher of the Dallas Morning News. I usually agree with his views and that is likely a concern for Rod. I occasionally disagree with his columns and sometimes strongly. But I like Dreher’s articles because they are always thoughtful and graceful. He can state a strong opinion without being a divisive flamethrower. Sadly, that is becoming a lost art. His most recent column was another good one. Dreher wrote about those ridiculously hopeful graduation speeches. Here is the opening paragraph.
The bad news, high school graduates, is that you can't have it all. You aren't as free as you think you are. Sorry, but no matter what optimistic flapdoodle your commencement speaker tells you, that's the truth.
First of all, kudos for the use of “flapdoodle” in a sentence. The word dates back to 1833 and means “the stuff they feed fools on” or, if you wish to be kinder, nonsense. Dreher is right. You really can’t be anything you want. Shaquille O’Neal can’t be a jockey in the Kentucky Derby no matter how much he dreams or hopes. All the horses certainly hope that is true. I realize that there are things I simply cannot do. I will never be a rocket scientist unless they eliminate that pesky math requirement. Back to Mr.Dreher’s column.
What's more, unless you're an incurable romantic or an American politician, you eventually will learn that life is more tragic than you were led to believe. You will discover your own limits. You will fail at something, even if you succeed by the standards of the world. That failure may save you; success may destroy you.
Nobody really wants to hear that on graduation day but everyone needs to hear those truths at some point and hopefully early in the journey. If I were asked to speak to young grads (not likely) I would tell them some things I wish I had known at their age. I would talk about my faith so that would rule me out of most venues. And even if I got to speak I suspect there would be a lot of texting going on from a restless audience. But maybe a couple of them would hear some things that they will have to figure out eventually.
1. I wish I had known that my high school years did not define me at all
My teen years were a mixed bag of memorable highs and incredible lows. Now I realize that what I once considered some of the worst moments of my life I am grateful for experiencing. In many of those spiritual valleys you could not have begun to convince me that God was molding me or that those experiences could ever be of value. I knew the scripture just as you likely do…that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. I now realize that mere knowledge of that promise is not enough. It comes down to our foundational belief of who God is. Do we believe His Word? I mean really believe His Word? That He will actually cause even the worst event to somehow work for ours or someone else's good? That requires faith in a God that is trustworthy.
I have developed a heart of compassion for those who are wounded. Why? God gave me the privilege of being wounded early in my life. That sounds crazy as I read back over that last sentence. It is not a sentence that I would have written twenty or perhaps even ten years ago. But I can see that my struggles as an overweight, geeky and generally outcast adolescent molded my heart to empathize with those who are hurt and ostracized by their peers.
Had I been the coolest guy or the best athlete or the most handsome I most likely would not have developed a sensitive spirit to others. So God gave me the opportunity on all of those fronts to develop sensitivity. I did not enjoy that period of my life. I would have given anything at that time to be one of the really popular kids. I would have told you that I would gladly trade nearly anything on the spot to be the starting quarterback or the big man on campus. I was desperate to be part of the cool group. With the benefit of hindsight I can promise you that I am grateful for every refining difficulty and problem. Such a dramatic change in attitude is a matter of time, growth in my relationship with Jesus and my trust in the truth of His promises. As G.K.Chesterton wryly noted, "Do not free a camel of the burden of his hump; you may be freeing him from being a camel." Had I been freed the burden of my "hump" (that tough teenage passage), I would not be who I am today.
2. I wish I had known that I needed to decide in advance what I would do in tough situations
Most of my mistakes as a teen were made in moments of peer pressure that I was not prepared to address. Joni and I tried to teach our sons that you decide in advance what your response will be to temptation. Decide in advance that you will call for a ride when asked to get in the car with a drinking driver. Decide in advance to not get yourself into a situation where sexual temptation will be an issue. Decide in advance that you will be kind to the less popular no matter how the "cool" kids view that action. Decide in advance to trust God as you make decisions that you fear might lessen your popularity or status. In the moment you tend to make wrong decisions so make them in advance and then stand firm.
3. I wish I had known that every person is created in God's image…and He loves them just as much as He loves me
Sparky Anderson, a former Cincinnati Reds manager, once said that "you can never go wrong being classy." And you can never go wrong being kind to everyone. Sometimes you will be tempted to ridicule or tease those who are less attractive, intelligent, gifted or cool. Don't do it. If you can accept the advice of a guy who has been to a 25th High School reunion I can tell you this. Some of those "losers" are the "winners" now. They have wonderful families and lives. Some of the kids I was desperate to be like are still living off of moldy high school memories. High school is the start of a very long journey. Some people seem to be leading the life race coming out of high school but they often falter by the first turn. The real winners know that life is a marathon and that God has a plan for that long race. Be kind to everyone. Jesus loves them. And so should you.
4. I wish I had known that nothing outside of who I am in Christ can make me cool
There is nothing wrong with desiring to wear clothes and shoes that are fashionable. There is nothing wrong with being in activities that are popular. But it is wrong to think that those clothes or shoes or activities make you better than others. I really wish I had known that going along with the group and doing wrong things did not make me cool. I wish I had realized in high school that people look at those things but God looks on the heart. It is your heart that makes you who you are, not your outfit or activities or “rebellious” moments.
5. I wish I had known in high school that I needed to take responsibility for my own actions
Learn now to say these three sentences.
I was wrong.
I am sorry.
Forgive me.
And keep your "but" out of those statements. Don't say "I was wrong 'but' I didn't think it would hurt you" or "I am sorry 'but' I was having a bad day." Those are not real apologies. Take responsibility. Live with integrity. That will make you unique in this culture of it is never my fault.
6. I wish I had known in high school that the 2nd most important decision I would make is who my friends were
Your friends have an influence on who you are and who you become. Pick them carefully. Young Christians often think they can influence their friends for Christ if they keep hanging out with them. Be careful that you don't lose the balance of the fellowship and encouragement of Christian friends. Prayerfully seek a balance between the two. But understand that friends are a critical factor in your life and they will influence who you are…good or bad.
7. The most important decision I will ever make is who or what I serve
Everyone one worships something or someone. It can be money or power or fame or popularity. I believe we are created to worship God. We have a yearning from our birth to find our purpose and significance. But if you don't find that relationship in Christ you will tend to fill it with wrong things. Often those things are not inherently bad. But they can become bad things when they become the focus instead of Jesus. We used to sing a camp song with these lyrics..
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you
There is nothing wrong with these "things" when you seek the kingdom of God first. One of my favorite passages is in the book of Colossians. Paul outlines what it looks like to be a real Christian. Living these five little verses will change your life.
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:12–17, NLT)
Rod Dreher finished his column with these words.
You don't fully control your fate, but you do control the formation of your character. That matters in ways we cannot foresee and can only appreciate once we lose the illusion that we are self-created. George Eliot ended her novel Middlemarch with a line about the effect, over time, of ordinary goodness lived out by ordinary people like us: "The growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs."
Good stuff. I may not be famous but I can be faithful. Our culture is built on people like that. Ordinary and good people doing the right and kind thing every day without fanfare. There is great value in living a life with those ideals. Go for your dreams but remember your significance as a unique creation and your responsibility to one another. I promise you that is not balderdash.
Today Brett’s rescued buddy Trigger joined my usual canine companion Hannah for the daily walk. Actually with Trig the routine is a bit different. He drags me for the first mile and I drag him for the second mile. It is the balance of nature at work. As usual the iPod was cranked up when I took the dogs for a walk. I have over 1700 songs on my iPod. My taste in music is to be kind, eclectic. The less kind would call my blend of music weird.
So it was interesting when a couple of songs came up randomly that hit me right where I am living today. The first was a song called “Gotta Serve Somebody” from Bob Dylan. Dylan lists a number of professions, interests and traits that define how we are labeled by our culture. But then he cuts to the chase and observes that those things are not who we are. We are defined by who or what we serve.
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Yes indeed, you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well it may be the Devil
Or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
I have been a follower of Jesus for nearly forty years. I agree with Dylan’s lyrics that you will serve somebody. Who you serve will be reflected in how you spend your time and treasure. Your calendar and checkbook will starkly reveal who you are serving. I had a desire to serve God but also a deep seated fear of what that might look like if I made that commitment. That fear came from a wrong view of God and of His grace that had been reinforced by bad theology and some really bad experiences.
I reflected on how I am beginning to understand what it means to trust Jesus as Lord and not just as my Savior. The next song that popped up was from Chris Rice and the lyrics reflected my journey.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe
And blessed are the hands that keep givin’ but never receive
Blessed is the heart that gets broken but keeps holdin’ on
Holdin’ on for another day
‘Cause that’s what it means...it means holdin’ on for another day
‘Cause that’s what it means to live by faith.
Years spent trying to do enough to prove my service and devotion have been replaced by simple trust and faith. I can already hear the objections from some. “But what about the things that need to get done? Your “faith” won’t change diapers in the nursery and your “trust” won’t set up chairs.” I would have been singing in your choir just a few years ago. I would now argue that understanding who you are in Christ and how much you have been forgiven will cause you serve more, not less. And a better attitude is a lovely side benefit. At least that has been my story.
In Hebrews we read these words: And without faith it is impossible to please God...
He is not pleased by my talent or deeds or striving for righteousness. God is pleased by my simple faith and trust. I can do that! And out of that trust comes my service based on gratitude and joy. So my iPod daily double meditation was simple. I will serve God. And I will live that out by faith.
My profession is television sports directing. I will be doing that until more of you people buy my books and read my blogs. I direct games for the Texas Rangers baseball team and the last two games have been a director’s dream. The Rangers had “walk-off” wins in both games. That means they score the winning run in the last at bat and the game is over. Both teams “walk-off” the field but with very different body languages.
Yesterday a 9th inning home run by Ranger first baseman Chris Davis gave Texas an amazing win. The moment was so much fun to direct. The shots of the intense concentration by Davis. The Seattle pitcher trying to save the game. Ranger players hanging on the dugout rail praying for a miracle. And then it happens. The ball flies deep toward center. The Ranger player start to jump up and down as they try to will the ball out of the park. The ball clears the fence and pandemonium ensues.
Ranger players Ian Kinsler, Hank Blalock and others leap the rail and sprint toward home plate to greet the hero of the moment. I grab a shot of the devastated Mariner pitcher walking off with shoulders slumped. Chris Davis rounds third, flips his helmet in the air with joy and heads toward a throng of teammates encircling home plate. They are smiling and waiting with unbridled excitement for Chris to get “home” so they can celebrate. As he nears home plate Davis makes a gigantic leap into the throng and the mayhem and joy continues. The dogpile absorbs Davis. What a picture. Back in the Mariner dugout I show the Mariner catcher sitting alone and staring into space. That is drama of sports and it was described eloquently during the famous open of Wide World of Sports.
The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat.
Paul often used sports as an analogy for spiritual things.
I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. (I Cor.9, NLT)
Today I reflected on that passage and the thrilling finish yesterday. As much fun as that moment was yesterday the Rangers will play another game tonight. It may be an exciting win. It may be a disappointing loss. But the thrill of yesterday is just a memory. I thought about the parallels of sports and living out our faith. How I need to be faithful and just show up everyday and doing everything I can to spread the Good News and its blessings. I thought about the eternal prize that will not fade away when I finish this race. I began to imagine my heavenly homecoming and how it might resemble that moment from yesterday. I saw myself “rounding third” and heading toward all of the loved ones who had gone ahead. I saw them smiling with unbridled joy as I moved toward them. I imagined that I jumped into a dogpile of dear friends and family who had shared my journey. I saw my Dad jumping the rail as I approach so he can be there I as cross to home. My wonderful nephew, precious daughter and my Mom are waiting at home. Incredible friends who had a big part of me staying within the basepaths over the many years jump with joy. And then I picture emerging from the dogpile of family and friends and seeing Jesus. He hugs me warmly. I am safe at home.
I have rediscovered the music of Keith Green. I absolutely loved his songs when I was a young follower of Jesus. Green was killed in a small plane crash in 1982. Recently I downloaded some of his tunes to the iPod and this morning one of them randomly (?) popped up during the morning walk. Keith Green’s song of worship “Oh Lord You’re Beautiful was just what I needed to hear this morning.
Oh Lord, You're beautiful,
Your face is all I seek.
For when Your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.
My heart aches for the angry, frustrated, tired and discouraged Christians who live the Christian version of Henry David Thoreau’s quote.
“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.”
I think that describes the spiritual experience of too many followers of Christ. We make it about right actions instead of realizing our righteousness is only because of Christ. We seek to impress instead of seeking His face. And I too often forget that His eye is always on me and His grace always abounds to me. That happened when I believed in Christ.
Keith Green’s song continues…
I want to take Your love and shine it all around,
But first help me just to love it, Lord.
And if I'm doing well help me never seek a crown,
For my reward is giving glory to You!
I want to reflect His love but first I have to let Him love me. That sounds so elementary. But I spent decades trying to earn His love when all I had to do was receive it. Now as I receive His love I can live in gratitude as I understand His unmerited favor that was extended to me. And I realize that both my salvation and my journey with Him are all because of grace. I cannot do either on my own.
If you are living a Christian life of quiet desperation I pray that you will trust the truths of the Gospel. That you are righteous. Yep. You. Righteous. Not because of your discipline or begrudging compliance or stiff upper lip right actions. You are righteous because of Jesus. As my friends at Truefaced so eloquently say…
Maturing in Christ is simply growing into what is already true about you. You are righteous. You are a saint. Not because of a single thing you did or can do. Because of Christ.
If you find yourself tired and angry and frustrated I pray that you will trust these truths. Don’t go to the grave with your song still in you. One of my favorite quotes comes from Keith Green.
"It's time to quit playing church and start being the Church”.
Amen.
As Mother’s Day approaches I think about what an amazing job my lovely bride did raising three sons in the sea of testosterone that was Casa Burchett. She suffered through countless hours of sports on TV and sports talk. She probably didn’t encounter a toilet seat in the down position more than a handful of times in two decades. I can not express enough gratitude and admiration for how she gently molded each of her sons into good citizens and good men. She understood that God created each one with unique bents and talents. I hope I contributed to who they are but I am convinced of the role she played in the maturity and goodness of our sons.
I think of the influence my departed Mom had in my life. A song by Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder brought back memories of something my Mom always said to me. As I grow older I realize this was a more profound lesson that I realized at the time. The song that jogged that recollection was called Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’.
Now lookee here gal don't ya' high hat me,
I ain't forgot what you used ta be
When you didn't have nuthin,
That was plain ta' see.
Don't get above your raisin'
Stay down ta' earth with me.
Mom was raised as a farm girl in Kentucky and she was fiercely proud of that. So anytime she perceived that I was getting a bit uppity and full of myself she would throw that line down.
“Don’t get above your raisin’.”
Sometimes it was over such important issues as abandoning Maxwell House for that fancy-schmancy gourmet brew. Usually the comment was meant to keep me grounded (no pun intended for once) and to remind me where I came from. Can’t say that I always appreciated the input because I was desperate to escape Southern Ohio and become somebody. But she realized who I was. The son of two Kentucky farm kids that did not finish high school. Born in a small town with small town values. My opportunity had come on the sacrifice of simple and good people. So don’t forget it!
I think we do the same thing as Christians. A big reason that we are not more joyful and victorious in this journey is that we forget where we came from. We have forgotten our raisin’ and the gift of grace. Somehow we forget how desperate we were and start to believe that we were actually deserving. You know, God is pretty fortunate to have me on board. Paul reminds Titus to tell the believers in Crete to remember where they came from…
Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.
Not too attractive. Nothing to be uppity about. Then the grace of God intervened.
But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”
So that is where I came from. That is where you came from if you are a follower of Jesus. Paul wraps ups this text with a challenge.
This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.
My constant challenge is to not get above my raisin’ spiritually.
- If I can’t forgive then I have forgotten where I came from. I did not deserve to be forgiven by a Holy God. I was.
- When I look with disdain at another person I have forgotten where I came from. That person is a soul that Jesus came to this planet to die for on the Cross.
- When I don’t accept another brother or sister I have forgotten where I came from and that I was unacceptable to a Holy God. Jesus said you are acceptable because of Me. We must offer the same grace because of Jesus.
- When I can’t serve without expectation of personal return I have forgotten where I came from. If I remember where I came from I will serve because I am grateful for what Christ did for me.
- When I don’t give joyfully of my time and treasure I have forgotten where I came from. If you truly understand where you came from the natural response is to serve Him joyfully.
This is important stuff. I don’t want to forget where I came from both as a person and as a child of God. My Chillicothe, Ohio roots are a big part of who I am. And my encounter with grace at the foot of the Cross defines who I am spiritually. I was lost and then was found. Was blind and then I saw. I pray that I will remember every day who I am and where Jesus brought me from. Take time to remember where you came from. And then respond appropriately.