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  • Is The Legalism Road An Easier Path Than Grace?

    Sometimes I just want to step away from people. I get tired. Living in honest community can be frustrating and discouraging. And then the song “Lean On Me” cycles up my playlist. That is not funny Lord.

    The lyrics sung by Bill Withers talks about being there for others. 

    Sometimes in our lives
    We all have pain
    We all have sorrow

    But if we are wise
    We know that there’s
    Always tomorrow

    Lean on me, when you’re not strong
    And I’ll be your friend

    I confess that I sometimes struggle with the cost of walking in honest relationship with people. It can be hard. 

    I have come to understand why legalism is so much easier than grace. Legalism allows me to assess the situation and then apply a verse or assign a task. If that person rejects that Biblical admonition or task then legalism allows me to withdraw because they are disobedient. Grace does not give me that option. Grace demands that I move toward the struggle of my brother or sister and not away in judgment. No wonder grace is a tough sell.

    That is the glorious dichotomy of grace. Grace wears me out and lifts me up. Grace frustrates and exhilarates. My old nature screams that people who make bad decisions over and over get what they “deserve”. They don’t “deserve” to be pursued and loved and restored. They made their bed now let them lay in it. But there is a small quiet voice in my heart that tells me that they have value. That they are loved by their Creator. And that voice asks who am I to decide who “deserves” anything?

    A quote by Pastor Paul Donnan says it far better than I ever could.

    Grace doesn’t treat us better than we deserve. It treats us without the slightest reference to what we deserve. Grace ceases to be grace if God withdraws it upon any human failure. If Grace is in any way tied to something you do, then it is no longer a gift but a wage, and that’s not grace.

    And, to be selfish, the lyrics of Bill Withers tells me why it is in my own best interest to give grace willingly.

    I’ll help you carry on
    For it won’t be long
    Till I’m gonna need
    Somebody to lean on

    Yep. It is just a matter of time until I will be begging for grace for some stupid action or word. Paul knew that was true and reminded the Galatian Church.

    Live creatively, friends. 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)

    Why are we so willing to receive grace and not extend it? Maybe the next lyric has a clue.

    Please swallow your pride
    If I have things
    You need to borrow
    For no one can fill

    Pride. Pride causes us to cover our needs because that would show weakness. Pride tells us to wear a mask of false joy so that others won’t know our shame and sin. Our Father in Heaven designed this journey to be lived in community. God knows that we need Him and we need one another. Healthy community is not unlike two parents being the healthiest community for children. Sometimes a child needs his or her father and sometimes only the mother can touch their need. In the same way there are times when only Abba Father can comfort my soul but at other times I need the community of fellow believers to get through.

    We all need somebody to lean on
    I just might have a problem
    That you’ll understand

    We all need somebody to lean on

    Yes it is hard to walk with the wounded. Yes it is frustrating to watch messy people make the same mistakes over and over. Yes it is tiring to give grace to the needy. But my heart’s desire remains the same. I want to follow the game plan of Paul in the book of Acts.

    But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. (Acts 20:24, NLT)

  • God’s Sovereignty Calms My Fear Of This World

    Many historians believe that 1968 was one of the most turbulent years in American history. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated. Race riots and Vietnam war protests created massive unrest. International peace was unsettled as the USSR invaded Czechoslovakia. A bestselling book by entomologist Paul Ehrlich called the Population Bomb predicted that overpopulation would lead to hundreds of millions of people starving and there was nothing we could do about it. 

    In the Christian world a movie called Thief in the Night came out with a frightening story about the rapture and tribulation. I didn’t sleep well for weeks because I did not want to get left behind. My parents thought the end was near.

    I was 15 years old. The news was terrifying. I was a new Christian and I had virtually no discipling for what faith in God meant when confronting fears.

    I didn’t know if I would get a chance to drive, vote, get married, have children, have a career, or see the Cleveland Browns win another NFL championship. By the way, all but one have worked out.

    Fast forward fifty-eight years (and trust me it feels that way) and the cultural climate in our country feels even worse. I have had a few years to see how God works in my life so that is a big difference. But I will be honest, it is still unsettling.

    Psalm 27 addresses a major issue. Where do we find hope in a seemingly hopeless world? How can we address the fears that confront us consistently? 

    In the Psalm David is being pursued and he believes an attack on his life is imminent. He states his hope without ignoring the danger of his current situation. Instead of downplaying his trouble he looks through a different lens. Yep. Things are a dangerous mess. Yep. I could be attacked at any moment. He starts Psalm 27 with the things he needs to remember as he confronts a deadly threat.

    1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
        whom shall I fear?
    The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
        of whom shall I be afraid?

    God is my light in the darkness. God is my salvation and eternal hope. God is my strength when I am weak. Wow. Believing those truths alone will make a difference when fear rises up in my heart. But let’s be honest here. No doubt that intellectual knowledge is encouraging but how can we live out those truths when danger and fear are lurking? Let’s look at an amazing statement from the Psalmist.

    3 Though an army besiege me,
        my heart will not fear;
    though war break out against me,
        even then I will be confident.

    Wait? What? 

    If war breaks out against me even then I will be confident? That is not the circumstance that gives me confidence in my journey. 

    How can he possibly be confident? I found it fascinating that the Hebrew word for confident translates literally to “I will trust”. David’s confidence was not in his own strength. He was trusting God and that gave him the confidence to be unafraid. 

    Again, that is a comforting intellectual concept. God is my light. My salvation. My strength. I trust Him. I still need a plan to implement those truths. How do you trust God when danger is all around you? David’s plan is simple and instructive for us today.

    He wanted to be present with the Lord.

    My natural tendency would likely be to agonize over the circumstances. Instead David chooses, and it is a choice, to make God his priority in uncertain and difficult times.

    My first instinct would be to desperately pray for protection. That God would remove me from this situation. But what did David want first and foremost?

    4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
        this only do I seek:
    that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
        all the days of my life,
    to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
        and to seek him in his temple.

    He wanted, more that anything else, to be in the presence of the Lord. 

    Author Max Lucado wrote, “The presence of fear does not mean you have no faith. Fear visits everyone. But make your fear a visitor and not a resident.”

    You do that by seeking God’s presence and peace. God wants His children to commune with Him. He wants us to learn more about who He is. Then we need to bring those things we learn about God’s character into fellowship with Him in honest prayer and reflection. Knowledge alone often falls short. Knowledge combined with intimate fellowship with the Lord is a game changer. 

    Now more than ever that we need to place the truths of Psalm 27 in our hearts. David’s words remind us that even in the difficult times we can persevere because our God has perfect timing and the perfect plan. There is no need to panic and force our plans to fix the problem. We can have confidence that if we turn to God for strength, knowledge, and wisdom, we will know what our part in the solutions is. 

    There is a famous saying that fits this Psalm of David.

    Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there.

    When we trust God and seek His presence I believe that can be true. When we feel fear rising up we need to remember God is our light, our salvation, and our strength. The next time fear knocks on the door gather up those truths and have faith answer. It makes a powerful difference.

  • Is It Even Possible To Always Be In Control?

    You see t-shirts and signs that proclaim that I am the master of my destiny. Slogans like these sounded really empowering.

    “If it is to be, it is up to me”

    “If you can dream it you can achieve it”

    I agree that having a good attitude and determination is important. But sometimes my life experience is more accurately described by the great boxer and philosopher Mike Tyson.

    “Everyone has a plan ’til they get punched in the mouth”

    Yep. Well said Mike. No matter how much I may plan my life I will face the inevitable “punches” in the mouth that life delivers. No amount of efforts to control my life will prevent illness. I do not have control over every relationship in my life. I cannot keep those I care about from making bad decisions. I cannot control unforeseeable circumstances that impact those I love. Just last week I had a couple of Mike Tyson moments.

    James warns about the folly of thinking that we are in control.

    Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16, NLT)

    The one thing we can be sure of is that we have trials and heartaches in this journey. The question I must answer is how will I deal with the inevitable? I pondered the answer to that question in my book Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace.

    One person responds to tragedy with deeper faith. Another turns from God in anger, perhaps never to return. What is the difference? Perhaps this parable that Jesus related in Matthew’s Gospel offers the biggest clue. When the storm hits, what matters most is the foundation that you have built your faith upon.

    Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.  (Matthew 7:24-27)

    I have dealt with loss by relying on both types of foundations. My early theology was built on the shifting sand of self-effort and discipline. When the storm came, my “house of faith” collapsed like a house of cards. When I began to build on a foundation of identity and trusting who God is, my house of faith weathered the storm without being destroyed. The storm battered me full force, but the house stood.

    What is that foundation made of? I would suggest that these are the foundation stones.

    God is all powerful.

    God is all knowing.

    God is love.

    God is holy.

    God is good.

    God is just.

    God is righteous.

    God is grace.

    God is sovereign.

    God is unchanging.

    God is joy.

    God is forgiving.

    God is truth.

    God is patient.

    If the Gospel message is true—and I believe it is—then God says to trust Him when we face trials. His ways are not our ways, and His timing is certainly not ours, but His love is real and faithful.

    Excerpt from Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace

    Today I choose to stand on that foundation. I am not in control but I am confident in the One who is. To quote the old hymn that my dad loved so much.

    Many things about tomorrow
    I don’t seem to understand
    But I know Who holds tomorrow
    And I know Who holds my hand

    Order your copy of Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace.

  • The Apostle Paul’s Marketing Plan in Athens, Greece

    Royal Academy of Arts

    I was reading the book of Acts this week when it hit me how much human nature has not changed in the last couple of thousand years. I know that genuine followers of Jesus want to communicate to our divided culture in a kinder and gentler way but still boldly confront non-believers with truth and love. After seeing Paul’s experience, I believe God is telling us in advance that the results will be mixed.

    Acts 17 documents the apostle Paul’s visit to Athens, a city that caused him great distress (the Greek word, roughly translated, means “ticked off”) because the city was full of idols. Yet, instead of arguing with or maligning the Jews and God-fearing Greeks, he reasoned with them and others who came to listen. In their minds Paul was introducing them to some strange ideas but he did it in a way that they wanted to know more. Verse 21 notes that residents of Athens spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.

    Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. (Acts 17:21, NLT)

    Their pastime could be considered an ancient version of our social media scrolling and podcast sharing. I love what happens next. Paul met his audience where they were.

    “So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.” (Acts17: 22-23 NLT)

    Brilliant! So the Apostle Paul downloaded an intellectual tease to cause the skeptics to pay attention. He pointed out a common interest and then offered the audience an upcoming revelation to keep them tuned in.

    Paul had debates with Stoic and Epicurean philosophers. What if Paul and the early believers had approached Athens with some of the strategies we use today? Several believers would march throughout the marketplace defiantly holding up placards:

    “If you think you are Stoic now, wait till the Lord returns!”

    “Hey, Epicureans…the party’s over for you!”

    What if Paul had stepped up and announced, “Repent, you pagan, godless sons of the devil, before you burn in a fiery hell.”

    For some reason I don’t think Paul would have had much of an audience, let alone success. When he finished speaking to the crowd in Athens, the Bible records the box score. It’s pretty much what you and I can expect when we sincerely and lovingly explain our faith. Some of them sneered. Those are the ones that we worry about too much. Some of them said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” That means you have at least planted a seed. And a few “believed.” That is my prayer, along with hearing that a few recommitted to the faith. Paul endured all that he did to present the Gospel message to those who wanted to hear more.

    The early church had no chance to “win” the culture war. Instead, they built a community of loving and serving believers that infiltrated the culture. It is important to have theological knowledge, but when you combine that with love and grace you can change the hearts and lives of your family, your neighbors, and your community.

    So, every believer is to build a foundation first on the solid rock of hearing Christ’s words and then putting those teachings into practice, with no excuses. We will make mistakes and fall short of expressing God’s grace. But when we fall short, we should take responsibility, repent, regroup, and reenter the fray to follow the commands of Jesus expressed in Matthew 22:37-40.

    ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.”

    But wait! There’s more!

    39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

    From that solid foundation we can build a healthier church, community, and culture. Paul didn’t have an easy journey at all. He suffered. He was beaten. Jailed. Mocked. But here was his desire to finish strong after an early life that he regretted.

    “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” (Acts 20:24, NLT)

    That is my prayer. We will have also mixed results but our goal is to glorify God and tell others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

    (A portion of this blog came from my book When Bad Christians Happen to Good People)

  • How Should We Deal With Today’s Chicken Little Fear?

    I remember reading Chicken Little when I was a child. The story tells that a young chick walking along was unexpectedly struck on the head by an acorn. With no further investigation Chicken Little came to the kind of well reasoned conclusion that floods our social media today.

    The sky is falling!

    Today Chicken Little would be an excellent politician or cable news anchor. Every time I violate my own personal mental health policy and scroll through social media comments I am plunged into despair. 

    I know is important to communicate information for our actions and safety. But the tone and sheer volume of fear mongering is depressing.

    When I survey social media I see overwhelming fear, anger, gloom, and apocalyptic doom. Again, I understand the need to be informed. But I am beginning to think that fear and hatred are the most consistent ingredients for too many sources.

    As a follower of Jesus how do I process this tsunami of doom? I need to remind myself of some fundamental truths that I hold true. I find myself doing this over and over because the noise from the culture can drown out the quiet voice of the Spirit of God. Here is a small dose of my faith vaccine for fear.

    These events are NOT a surprise to God. Violence, hatred, bigotry, and division are a product of a fallen world that will someday be redeemed. Jesus made it very clear that following Him is not a get out of grief card. 

    “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NLT)

    Yes, there will be troubles but He has overcome the world. What does that mean?

    It means even in my deepest fear and darkest hour I know that I am loved, adopted, redeemed, and I have the promise of eternity with God. I have hope to sustain me. I am not anxious to leave this world but I am also not afraid. I believe I have an eternal inheritance given as a free gift of grace awaiting me.

    I do my best to obey the laws the authorities lay out for me. I try to be a good neighbor and a responsible citizen. After doing all of those important things I stand on this conclusion drawn by David when he was afraid for his future. His lament sounds like he could have written it today.

    My heart is breaking
        as I remember how it used to be:
    I walked among the crowds of worshipers,
        leading a great procession to the house of God,
    singing for joy and giving thanks
        amid the sound of a great celebration!

    David was isolated. His days of joyful gatherings were just a memory as he hunkered down alone in fear. But he remembered the key to his joy and thankfulness. He remembered where he placed his hope.

    Why am I discouraged?
        Why is my heart so sad?
    I will put my hope in God!
        I will praise him again—
        my Savior and my God!

    In Psalm 73 the author laments how the wicked seem to prosper and he wonders if his efforts are in vain. Then he recognizes the problem is not the world but the bitterness in his own heart. He acknowledges that he may face troubles but his source of strength is eternal.

    My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
        but God remains the strength of my heart;
        he is mine forever. (Psalm 73:26, NLT)

    The next time the news or a social media influencer is causing your heart to be downcast remember the words of Paul to the church at Corinth.

    “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 
    (2 Corinthians 4:17-18, NLT)

    Today I choose to focus my gaze on the source of hope and light. 

    Jesus.

  • My Go To Answer When My Faith Fades

    One of the songs that I default to when I am walking through dark valleys is from singer/composer Rich Mullins. The song is from his album called Songs and it is simply titled “Hold Me Jesus”. 

    Well, sometimes my life
    Just don’t make sense at all
    When the mountains look so big
    And my faith just seems so small

    Right now I am in a pretty good place in my life and journey with Jesus. But then I started thinking about the many friends and loved ones who could relate completely to those lyrics in their current situation. And I can certainly recall seasons of my life when those words accurately reflected the condition of my soul. I remember how I used to respond. I would deduce it was my fault and I would decide that I had to do something to bolster my faith. I had to read more verses or do a study or pray more or believe more. But the answer was far more simple and the chorus by Rich Mullins nails it.

    So hold me Jesus, ’cause I’m shaking like a leaf
    You have been King of my glory
    Won’t You be my Prince of Peace

    I need to quit flailing and trying so darn hard to be righteous. Hold me Jesus. Won’t you be my Prince of Peace? I have started praying a prayer that is simple and profound.

    “Jesus…thank you for loving me today.”

    He does. But I remember how I used to think that I had to “do stuff” for God to earn His favor and receive His love and peace. For those of us “doers” who absolutely must do something I have our assignment.

    Trust God.

    That’s it. I have made it so stinkin’ complicated and religious for so many years. When I exercise that simple act of faith I can move forward with confidence. When I trust God obedience comes out of gratitude and not teeth gritting compliance.

    Why did I fight His amazing grace and His unconditional love. Rich Mullins nails that too.

    Surrender don’t come natural to me
    I’d rather fight You for something
    I don’t really want
    Than to take what You give that I need
    And I’ve beat my head against so many walls
    Now I’m falling down, I’m falling on my knees

    That was me. Hanging on to the familiar malaise of self-effort instead of surrendering and accepting grace and freedom. Surrendering control is hard for our prideful flesh. Next time you are flailing and striving to please God why not try that little prayer of praise.

    “Jesus…thank you for loving me today.”

    The red letter words of Jesus in Matthew are beautiful and comforting.

    “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

    I love the version of this text in The Message.

    “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”  (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)

    I am learning the unforced rhythm of grace. What a difference that makes during challenging seasons.

  • Train Up A Child In The Way They Should Go

    I was listening to Prime Country on Sirius/XM this week when the song  Watching You by country singer Rodney Atkins came up.

    Atkin’s song recalls his shock when his little boy drops a mild expletive after spilling his drink. The horrified Dad demands to know where he heard such language. His son happily confessed his source.

    He said, I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool?
    I’m your buckaroo, I want to be like you.
    Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad
    I want to do everything you do.
    So I’ve been watching you. 

    The incident may be humorous but the principle is sobering. Our children learn far more from watching their parents than from listening to them. This little boy demonstrates that if they do listen it will often be at the wrong time! 

    The song goes on to detail a great response to his son’s revelation that he picked up that language from someone very close to him. His dad.

    We got back home and I went to the barn
    I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
    Said, “Lord, please help me help my stupid self.”
    Just this side of bedtime later that night
    Turnin’ on my son’s Scooby-doo nightlight.
    He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees.
    He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
    Spoke to God like he was talkin’ to a friend.
    And I said, “Son, now where’d you learn to pray like that?”

    The answer is obvious. He was watching Dad as he had earlier bowed in repentance before the Lord. It took me awhile to figure out that my sons were watching even when they appeared disinterested or even distant. Thanks to a wonderful Mom and a lot of grace we have been blessed with three awesome sons. I asked them after they had grown up to tell me what I did right. I also asked what I could have done better. Their answers were instructive. First, some positive things that our sons noted.

    • We picked our battles carefully. My son Scott told us that when we were passionate about an issue he knew it was important to us. We extended grace on most issues. For example, my wife graciously allowed the boy’s rooms to be a bit less tidy than she would have preferred. She knew that was not a battle worth fighting. She simply closed the door to their rooms and prayed for patience and for no rodents to nest. 
    • We prepared them to leave. Children are a gift that are entrusted to us for eighteen years or so. It is our job to prepare them to be independent and functional adults. 
    • We tried to model our faith during trials. When our daughter was born with a terminal birth defect we determined that our response would reflect how faith relates to life and especially to hard times. 
    • We learned to say “I was wrong” and “I am sorry”without “buts”. A wise person once told me that what follows the but is how that person actually feels. Parents must model that for their children. 
    • We carefully monitored their friends. 
    • We tried to adapt to their unique design and not try to force them into our personal dreams. 
    • We attempted to innoculate them to sin. An innoculation is a controlled exposure to disease that builds up immunity to that malady. We felt that sheltering our sons from the world would not prepare them to live successfully in it. 

    But nothing is more important than simply living what you are saying. They are watching. They start out wanting to be just like us. For new parents and future parents there is no more important lesson than recognizing how carefully your children are watching you.

    If your kids are grown or nearly grown let me offer a word of encouragement. I did a few things right but I also did some things very poorly. All three sons wished I had traveled less and been home more. So do I. But love really does cover a multitude of sins. They have forgiven me for being absent too often. If you feel you need to reconcile with your kids I would encourage you to do that today. Grace is amazing and redemption is always possible in Jesus. 

    Paul addressed the church at Thessalonica. He was trying to describe how he attempted to communicate with the believers there. It is instructive that Paul chose the example of parents twice.

    As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.

    Later Paul makes this comparison.

    For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children…

    And how does Paul describe those dealings? He says that they communicated like a father that is “encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory”. 

    That is a pretty good roadmap for a father to follow. Be encouraging. Comfort your child. And urge them to live lives worthy of God. Proverbs 22:6 says to train up a child in the way they should go. God also desires for us to go that way as well. There is no fooling them because they are watching. Always.