Charisa Stories

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  • How sweet it is!

    (From theFish.com)

    When the day started I had a completely different direction for this edition of the iPod Devotional. I had discovered a new artist and I was excited to share the artist and the inspiration. The random iPod feature changed that direction entirely this morning. An old hymn that I remembered from my moralistic past cued up. I have a tendency to move past those old songs because they remind me of a graceless congregation that nearly crushed me with rules and hypocritical judgment. I glanced at the screen. Casting Crowns. Hmm…I had a conundrum. I love Casting Crowns. So I decided to listen to the music of my painful past and a song called “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”.

    I was amazed to discover that I used to sing about the same truths that I am now discovering. The difference is that I did not understand how those truths played out in grace and faith. One of my normal tasks is to research the story behind the song. This is a hymn that came out of heartbreak.

    During the summer of 1875 Louisa Stead and her husband decided to enjoy the Long Island beach with their four-year-old daughter. Their family joy was interrupted by the desperate cry of a young boy drowning. Louisa’s husband tried to rescue him but both he and the boy were tragically lost in front of the frantic wife and daughter.

    The shocked widow struggled to feed her child as she cried out to the Lord to help. At the end of her rope and resources she opened her door one morning to find that someone had left food and money on her doorstep. That night she sat down and wrote this poem which would become the classic hymn.

    Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
    Just to take Him at His Word;
    Just to rest upon His promise,
    And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!

    Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
    Just to trust His cleansing blood;
    And in simple faith to plunge me
    ’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

    What a powerful message and the words are even more powerful in the context of her loss. Her lyrics echo what I missed during years of frustrating self-effort. Look at the words she chooses to describe her walk with Jesus.

    ·       Trust

    ·       Rest

    ·       Know

    ·       Take Him at His Word

    None of those would have fit into my agenda of spiritual maturity and manly dedication. My words were more along the lines of try harder, study more, work harder and memorize more. None of those were bad things. The problem was my source of power. Me. There is only source of power that works. Jesus. And that power comes out of trust.

    Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
    Just from sin and self to cease;
    Just from Jesus simply taking
    Life and rest, and joy and peace.

    I am finally trusting that Jesus is my only source of strength to cease from sin and self. And I am learning that trusting Him leads to joy, peace, life and rest. The truth has been under my nose since that song hit my ears as a young believer decades ago. But a works theology and wounded heart short circuited that joy and peace. Now I can sing joyfully along with this verse.

    I’m so glad I learned to trust him,
    Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
    And I know that Thou art with me,
    Will be with me to the end.

    The truth is I would have to sing “I’m so glad I’m learning to trust Him” if I am to be honest with you. I have heard it said that Jesus is unlike any other teacher. At school we always learned the lessons (hopefully) and then we took the test. In faith we generally have the test first and then the Holy Spirit gently teaches us the lesson. That is the story of this amazing hymn. That is my story. It is likely yours as well. Jesus said this to his Apostles before He left them.

    “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” John 14, NLT

    There is that trust word again. Paul prayed for the blessed result of trusting Jesus as he wrapped up his letter to the Roman church.

    May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15, NLT)

    Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
    How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
    Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
    Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

    Oh, for grace to trust Him more. Paul wrote about that grace in Romans.

    Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. (Romans 5, NIV)

    We are justified by faith. We stand on His grace. Put your full weight on that grace and remember how sweet it is to trust fully in Jesus.

  • We Live in a Good Friday World

    As Easter approaches I remembered an article in USA Today titled We are Easter People. I think it is worth a second look and here is a portion of the piece written by Diane Cameron.

    One of the lowest points in my life occurred years ago when I was living in Washington, D.C., at Easter time. My older sister had recently died and both of my brothers were seriously ill; my best friend was leaving town, and on top of that I was questioning my work. In my journal that April I wrote, “Am I depressed?” When I read those pages now I laugh and shake my head. “Depressed?” That I even had to ask. In that long year I thought I’d never laugh again, just as I thought I’d never again feel love, the joy of easy friendship, or the satisfaction of good work.

    I went to church that Easter out of both habit and desperation. I had grown up in a church-going family. It was what we did. And so to honor the family that I was losing I went. Easter after all, is the centerpiece for Christians, honoring and recalling Christ’s triumph over death.

    I chose a big downtown church for Easter services — one with hundreds in the congregation — not daring to visit a smaller church where I might have to speak to people or be embarrassed by my own tears. I wanted the paradoxical safety and anonymity of being in a crowd.

    The minister that Easter Sunday said many things that I don’t remember, but one sentence has stayed with me all these years. He said, “We live in a Good Friday world.”

    That I understood. A Good Friday world is a world full of suffering, questioning, unfairness, trouble, mistakes, hurts, losses and grief. Good Friday in the Christian faith is the day Christians commemorate Christ’s suffering and death on the cross. So that certainly made sense to me at that difficult time in my life.

    “But,” he continued, “We are Easter people.” Those words stopped me cold. I was stunned to be reminded that painful morning that there was something other than what I was feeling.

    Wow. What an amazing message as we head toward Easter. We do live in a Good Friday world. How easy it is to stop right there,  just short of healing,  not realizing the hope of resurrection. The story of Easter week did not stop on Friday. The hope of this season is all about Sunday. Tony Campolo writes about a life changing sermon he heard in his book It’s Friday but Sunday’s Comin’. (Note to spiritual cyber hall monitors…I know Mr.Campolo is controversial. Just enjoy this illustration, take a deep breath, and move away from the keyboard). Campolo writes about hearing a wise African-American pastor preach about the events of Easter week.

    For an hour and a half he preached one line over and over again…”It’s Friday, but Sunday’s comin’!” He started his sermon real softly by saying, “It was Friday; it was Friday and my Jesus was dead on the tree. But that was Friday, and Sunday’s comin’!” One of the Deacons yelled, “Preach, brother, Preach!” It was all the encouragement he needed.

    He came on louder as he said, “It was Friday and Mary was cryin’ her eyes out. The disciples were runnin’ in every direction, like sheep without a shepherd, but that was Friday, and Sunday’s comin!”

    The preacher kept going. He picked up the volume still more and shouted, “It was Friday. The cynics were lookin’ at the world and sayin’ `As things have been so shall they be. You can’t change anything in this world; you can’t change anything. But those cynics don’t know that it was only Friday. Sunday’s comin’! It was Friday, and on Friday those forces that oppress the poor and make the poor to suffer were in control. But that was Friday! Sunday’s comin’!

    It was Friday, and on Friday Pilate thought he had washed his hands of a lot of trouble. The Pharisees were struttin’ around, laughin’ and pokin’ each other in the ribs. They thought they were back in charge of things. But they didn’t know it was only Friday! Sunday’s comin’!

    Campolo continues, “He kept on working that one phrase for a half hour, then an hour, then an hour and a quarter, then an hour and a half. Over and over he came at us, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s comin!” By the time he had come to the end of the message…He had me and everybody else so worked up that I don’t think any of us could have stood it much longer. At the end of his message he just yelled at the top of his lungs, `It’s FRIDAY!’ and all 500 of us in that church yelled back with one accord, `SUNDAY’S COMIN’!”


    A lot of people who stumble across this site might be in the middle of what seems to be an interminable Friday. It is hard to accept suffering and illness. Relationships that hurt us make Friday seem like it will never end. The trials of living on a fallen planet will make this seem like a Friday world at times during the journey. Five years ago Joni’s diagnosis of cancer put us into a Friday state of mind. But we trusted that Sunday’s comin’! As we told our wonderful sons, if your faith doesn’t work at times like this it is of little value for the rest of the time. And it does work. We have been blessed with healing for now but we have the greater hope of the resurrection of Jesus as we continue. We trust in a God that has been faithful to strengthen us for the battle, work through us for His glory and teach us to be dependent on Him.

    I believe the message of this week. Sunday’s comin’. And I believe that with all of my heart and soul. Paul wrote in Romans…

    I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”   (Romans 1,  NIV)

    I am not ashamed of the Gospel. I fact I am excited about the Gospel. Even though I may be living in a Good Friday world today I am convinced that Sunday’s comin’!

  • Here’s to You, Mr. Robinson!

    April 15th is generally not my favorite day of the year. Tax day is never fun for a guy who is organizationally challenged. My idea of being prepared is having everything in one gigantic box. (Bonus points if the lid will close on it) This year I caught a break because of some local holiday in the Nation’s Capital. The day of reckoning is now April 18th. But April 15th has been redeemed for me because it is a wonderful day for baseball fans.

    Jackie Robinson made his major league debut at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on this date in 1947. It was a historic and significant day for baseball but maybe more so for our country. You can argue that the American civil rights movement was truly ignited when Robinson came to bat in Dodger Blue. The journey for Robinson was difficult at best and nearly impossible at worst.

    Many Dodgers players, mostly Southerners led by Dixie Walker, threatened to walk if forced to play with a black player. That ended when Dodger management let them know in no uncertain terms that they could keep walking all the way to the unemployment line. I often write about the pain that is caused by “bad” or thoughtless Christians. Can you imagine the pain that Robinson felt to have his teammates reject him for only one reason and for a reason over which he had no control?

    But one teammate reacted in a way that I wish all serious and thoughtful Christians would emulate. Team captain Pee Wee Reese was an unlikely ally for Robinson. He was born in segregated Louisville, Kentucky, and the odds were that Reese would participate or even lead the boycott against a black player. But the diminutive Pee Wee Reese proved to be a giant of a man one day in Cincinnati. During infield practice the Redleg players were screaming at Jackie with all of the usual hateful epithets. And then the venom was distributed to Reese. They were yelling things at him like “How can you play with this (epithet)?”, as Jackie stood uncomfortably at first base.

    “Pee Wee kind of sensed the sort of hopeless, dead feeling in me and came over and stood beside me for a while,” Robinson recalled, as quoted in his biography “Jackie Robinson,” by Arnold Rampersad (Alfred A. Knopf). “He didn’t say a word but he looked over at the chaps who were yelling at me through him and just stared. He was standing by me, I could tell you that.” The hecklers ceased their attack. “I will never forget it,” Robinson said. A silence fell over the Reds dugout and the fans witnessing this amazing act of grace.

    At Reese’s funeral, Joe Black, another Major League Baseball black pioneer, said: “Pee Wee helped make my boyhood dream come true to play in the Majors, the World Series. When Pee Wee reached out to Jackie, all of us in the Negro League smiled and said it was the first time that a White guy had accepted us. When I finally got up to Brooklyn, I went to Pee Wee and said, ‘Black people love you. When you touched Jackie, you touched all of us.’ With Pee Wee, it was No. 1 on his uniform and No. 1 in our hearts.”

    Robinson later wrote this sentiment to Reese in a book inscription.

    “Pee Wee whether you are willing to admit what you being just a great guy meant (a great deal) to my career, I want you to know how much I feel it meant. May I take this opportunity to say a great big thanks and I sincerely hope all things you want in life be yours.”

    We need a lot more Pee Wee Reese’s in the body of Christ. We need men and women who are willing to step up for others when it may not be the best action for personal gain. We need men who are brave enough to look hatred and bigotry in the eye and call it by its name. April 15th was a day that demonstrated the greatness and courage of Jackie Robinson. It also reminds us of how one man did the right thing for his teammate. We need men who have the courage to emulate both Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese in our walk with Jesus. If Pee Wee Reese was willing to risk his reputation for the cause of team and winning a World Series how much more should we be willing to risk for one another to further the cause of Christ? The Apostle Paul had some good advice to accomplish that dream.

    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.

    Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. (Gal 6, Msg)

    I want to be willing to stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. As I meditate on the gift of grace and redemption I received through Jesus I wonder…how can I do anything else?

  • The Magic of Opening Day

    Friday is opening day for the American League Champion Texas Rangers. It only took me twenty-nine years as television director for the Rangers to be able to type that wonderful line. Hopefully it won’t take nearly that long for the next chance to say that.

    In my mind there is no more special day in sports than opening day in baseball. The smell of freshly cut emerald green grass delights the senses. The base lines are painstakingly and perfectly defined by a grounds crew that is committed to perfection on this day. Red, white, and blue bunting give the ball park a festive world series look. The players today act like little boys. This is the one day that these privileged athletes seem to forget they are millionaires and actually appear grateful that they are paid to play a kid’s game. Children skip school and parents do not care because memories are being made for both of them. The hot dogs taste like gourmet food. Tacky souvenirs are treasures to be kept. Giant foam fingers become family treasures. The atmosphere is magic. It is opening day and every team has hope. Each fan has dreams and they are hopefully, or perhaps hopelessly, optimistic. Last year’s disappointments are gone and the hope of a new season dawns for fifty thousand fans in the park and thousands more across the city. The mood is upbeat and the expectations high. This is a new day and a new season. Old mistakes are forgotten. Past errors are no longer important. Today is the annual renewal of the incredible marathon that is big league baseball. It is a clean slate. The team has a new identity.

    I longed for such a defining moment in my walk with Jesus. And recently I have been understanding that God’s Word tells us that every day can be like opening day (Dave’s paraphrase). I do have a clean slate because of Christ. There is hope. Yesterday’s sins are forgotten if you have accepted the gift of Jesus on the cross. Every morning that I awake and see the magic of a new sunrise I can believe that I have been renewed and optimistically face the day. I don’t have to wait a year to have a chance for renewal. Paul writes that every day has the potential for the spiritual magic of renewal and victory in Christ.

    And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice–the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

    As God’s messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.

    God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

    Don’t just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.

    Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. When God’s children are in need, be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night.

    If people persecute you because you are a Christian, don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

    Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. (Romans 12, NLT)

    I am grateful that in my spiritual journey God that has given me a chance for “opening day” renewal every day. I have had some bad seasons during my career as a follower of Jesus. But I am learning that everyday is a gift.  That was harshly reinforced when a member of our television family, Greg Gambill, passed away this week. He was a good and talented man. He will be greatly missed.

    The fragile nature of our lives makes the bigger questions so much more important even as I enjoy the hope of opening day.  I realize that every day with Jesus can be like this special day in baseball. I can be transformed and new. Past losses (sins) are redeemed and forgiven. There can be freshness in the journey and joy. I can realize that I am a child of God and I can be grateful that I call Him Father. I can believe that hope for the future is real. I can understand that I must be a better teammate to others that I encounter and not expect my team to be perfect. The magic of a fresh start happens once a year in baseball. It can happen any day and every day for a follower of Jesus.

  • A Buckeye Believer Ponders Jim Tressel

    I was in Ohio when the news broke about Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel. For a day or two the economy and world unrest took a back seat in the Buckeye state. Conversations centered on reactions to Tressel’s very late admission to having knowledge of two player’s potential rule violations. The reaction in the Buckeye state was primarily surprise. Jim Tressel is a revered figure in Ohio and not just because his teams have beaten Michigan. Buckeye Nations’s surprise seemed to be followed mainly by disappointment. Comments like these were overheard often.

    “I had hoped he was different.”
    “He is just like all the rest.”

    Buckeye fans (and many others) want to believe that what Coach Tressel espouses is true. They want to think that their coach is really molding young men and preparing them for life. They also want to win. That is the tough line Jim Tressel walks.

    I chose not to write about Jim Tressel for a few days until I had time to reflect as both a Buckeye fan and a fellow believer in Jesus Christ. I can’t win on this one. If I defend Coach Tressel I will get emails about how I am drinking the scarlet and gray Kool-Ade and compromising my beliefs. If I condemn him I will get emails about being judgmental. So I will try something weird. I will just be honest.

    First of all, I thought the press conference was just short of a disaster. That should have been a time for contrition, repentance and assurances for how the situation was being handled. Instead the Ohio State position seemed to be concentrating on what a great guy Coach Tressel is. I agree that everyone should be evaluated with a full body of work and not on just one incident. But that was a conversation to have later. I also wish Coach Tressel had been a bit more forthcoming in his apologies for his bad decisions.  

    The irony is that the news first broke while Tressel was autographing his new book, “Life Promises for Success: Promises from God on Achieving Your Best”. It was no surprise that the critics had a field day with that fact. Hypocrite was one of the kinder adjectives hurled at Tressel and at the leadership of Ohio State. On that charge I have great sympathy. One of my fears when my book “When Bad Christians Happen to Good People” was first published was how much I had put my life and testimony in the spotlight for others to dissect and criticize. It was a pretty regular occurrence after the book’s publication for a co-worker to give me a little dig after I said or did something that they deemed inconsistent.

    “So is THAT in your book?”, they would ask. I usually responded by saying, “Yeah, it’s actually in the title.”  But my influence is small and my mistakes don’t make Sportscenter.

    Here are my thoughts on Jim Tressel and any other celebrity who represents Jesus and stumbles or falls. As I learn to look more and more through the lens of grace I find that the struggles of others shines light on my own dependence on God.

    1. Jim Tressel made an enormous mistake. His cover-up and lack of transparency to his bosses have damaged him and the university. I used to get really self-righteous at moments like this and proclaim that “I wouldn’t have done that”. Really? I thought back on various moral dilemmas in my life. The ones I want you to know about were the ones where I reacted with integrity and honesty. But there are sad incidents in my life where I chose hiddenness and deceit. Some came back to hurt me in relationships and reputation. Some stayed hidden and no one ever found out. At least that is how I fool myself. But I was still wounded by that hiddenness in ways that I probably haven’t fully realized. Jim Tressel made a series of bad decisions that he says started out with a desire to protect two young men. I will take him at his word on his first response. Those who know him well say that rings true to his track record. But I suspect he realized at some point that he was in a mess that would not end well. Should he have come forward right then? Of course he should have. But have you ever delayed facing a tough moral decision until you are so deep that it seems better to hope it stays hidden? I have. That does not excuse Jim Tressel. There are consequences to sin. Jim Tressel has suffered those consequences in damaged reputation, relationships and influence. Extending grace to Jim Tressel does not change the focus on how ugly sin is and how painful the harvest of those choices can be. It does change how I respond to the brother or sister who sins. Paul wrote about how we should respond when a believer sins. “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.” (Galatians 6:1, The Message).
    2. There is a percentage of the population that takes great delight when a visible Christian leader stumbles. They somehow feel that the failure of a vocal believer invalidates the faith. Christianity teaches just the opposite. Paul wrote in Romans how our inability to manage sin by strict moralism demonstrates our need for a Savior and for grace. Our hope is not in a great Christian leader or prophet. Our hope is in Jesus Christ.

      For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. 

      The church has too often communicated through our moralism that righteousness is because of our self-righteous behavior. No drinking. No cursing. No gambling. And so on. But the truth is that righteousness comes because of Jesus. Believers are saints by position and not by personal merit. When we sin we are still righteous even as we may suffer the consequences of those actions. We have been “declared” right in God’s sight because of Jesus. It is that unfathomable grace that is the distinctive of Christianity. If I fail miserably today it does not change the truth of the Gospel. All of us, celebrity and not, should point to Christ and not to our own works. We fail. God does not.

    3. Bill Thrall of Truefaced.com hit me with a paradigm shifter when he said this. “Most Christians don’t know that God has made us saints, who still sin, not sinners striving to become saints. This changes everything! If people knew about this treasure, churches everywhere would become safe places. Not soft places, but safe places, where we could be real, we could try out our faith, where we could fail and yet be loved.” Bill’s point is that we are all the same when God looks at us. God sees the redeeming work of Christ. We have been clothed in righteousness because of Jesus. A great example is how Paul described the church at Corinth. This was a body of believers with issues. Yet Paul addresses them as saints. “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…”  When I view you as a sinner striving to be a saint I give myself permission to judge you and distance from you until you work out your sin issues. Grace says that I move toward you to walk with you through the trial because I may need that grace next.
    4. Real growth comes through adversity. I believe Jim Tressel will grow in his faith from this difficult, self-inflicted trial. I will stand with him as I hope other believers would stand with me through struggles. I have never learned the heard lessons of dependence and surrender when times were good. Only in the storm do I learn where my trust resides.

    I have friends that are close to Coach Tressel. I believe he is a genuine man who made a mistake. Pray that he will trust God for the lessons he needs to learn. As for me, I take no joy when a fellow believer stumbles. I want to use those moments as a reminder to open the doors of my heart to the cleansing light of the Spirit.

  • Perfect People

    One of my passions is trying to create excitement about the need for Christian community. Time after time after time I discover that people who seem like they are flying through life are really not. When people feel safe in a community of believers they reveal hurts and fears and doubts. All of this was prompted by a song by Natalie Grant on the morning stroll with dog friend Hannah. Her song “Perfect People” played on the iPod and I related to the words.

    Never let ’em see you when you’re breaking
    Never let ’em see you when you fall
    That’s how we live and that’s how we try
    Tell the world you’ve got it all together
    Never let them see what’s underneath
    Cover it up with a crooked smile
    But it only lasts for a little while

    I often quote my friend Bruce McNicol of Truefaced.com. Bruce says “there are no together people…just some people with whiter teeth”. His point is well-taken. Through hiddenness and acting you can present the “perfect” and “together” Christian. Much of the time we would be living a lie.

    Have you ever done this? You are angry, petty and bitter during the week or even on the way to church. As soon as you walk through the church door you are beaming like a homecoming queen during the parade. We can fool the congregation but we cannot fool the Creator.

    The fellowship of believers should be a place where honesty is encouraged. Where shortcomings ought to be accepted. Church should be the place where you can say without fear, “I am struggling, I hurt, I need help.” But for some reason the opposite happens far too often. Two people who are really in pain could have this conversation every week in church:

    “How are you doing?” (Insincere query… too busy to really care)
    “Great, how are you?” (Dishonest reply… perfunctory courtesy question)
    “Fantastic, great to see you. (Really dishonest reply… safe dismissal salutation)

    Am I advocating dumping our woes on everyone we meet? Of course not. I know that too many have been wounded by unsafe places. That breaks my heart. But there are rooms of grace that exist. Don’t give up. Please.

    My fear is that we have created a culture where we feel there is something wrong with us if we are hurting. If I am struggling I must be doing something wrong spiritually. Shouldn’t God meet this need? What is wrong with me? The fact that God created us with a desire to be in community tells me that part of His plan is for us to be helped by other members of the body of Christ. Natalie Grant tells the truth with this chorus.

    There’s no such thing as perfect people
    There’s no such thing as a perfect life
    So come as you are, broken and scared
    Lift up your heart and be amazed
    And be changed by a perfect God

    Amen. Perfecting comes only from a perfect God. I cannot do it. Being broken and scared is like spiritual soil prep for the seed of grace to grow.

    Yet for years I chose to stay hidden. I believed that if my walk with God was exposed I would be excommunicated from the faith. I was so dry that I feared any spark would set my anger and emotions aflame. Satan convinced me that I would be rejected if I dared to let other see the truth behind the person. Perhaps some would reject me. To be honest I have been wounded at times. But I want to be willing to take a chance to be real. I want to be authentic and see where that takes me. I can’t find that authenticity with a painted grin and phony reply. I chose and will choose the risk of community. But, to be honest, I did not take that risk again until I was tired and broken enough to finally trust God and others with me.

    What does it look like to allow God access to everything? The next stanza has a pretty good description.

    Suddenly it’s like a weight is lifted
    When you hear the words that you are loved
    He knows where you are and where you’ve been
    And you never have to go there again

    I think that is exactly what Jesus was taking about when He said his yoke was light and the burden was easy. We have somehow inferred that life would be easy or at least easier if we follow Him. That has not been my journey. I like the way The Message translates this familiar passage.

    “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 11:29-30, The Message)

    So let’s review.
    • You are forgiven.
    • You are loved.
    • You have unmerited favor because of Christ.
    • You are righteous because of Christ.
    • You have power to not “have” to sin.

    Trust me. Understanding those things make the yoke several hundred pounds lighter.

    Can we trust Jesus enough to drop the perfection ruse? Can we trust him enough to be authentic? Not needy and demanding. Just honest and real in community and, of course, with Him.

    Look up the “one another” verses in the Bible. Here is an example from Hebrews (10:24, NIV):

    And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

    Who lived and died to give new life
    To heal our imperfections
    So look up and see out let grace be enough

    Be changed by a perfect God.

    God does the changing. Let Him.

  • Not Alone

    (The weekly iPod Devotional from theFish.com)

    Part of the fun of writing these weekly thoughts is to try and find artists that are new to me. This was a great week of personal discovery when I downloaded a recent album from the band Red. The new CD is titled Until We Have Faces but the song that inspired today’s iPod Devotional is called “Not Alone”.

    The lyric begins with a haunting psalm-like lament.

    Slowly fading away
    You’re lost and so afraid
    Where is the hope In a world so cold?

    Looking for a distant light
    Someone who can save a life
    Living in fear that no one will hear your cries

    (Come and save me now)

    Then the tone changes and the song becomes an anthem of hope. Why? Because God has promised we are not alone.

    I am with you
    I will carry you through it all
    I won’t leave you
    I will catch you

    When you feel like letting go
    ‘Cause you’re not
    You’re not alone

    I have to be honest and admit I have been pretty mediocre really trusting that God would carry me through great trials. I believed it intellectually. I said the words. But I did not want to surrender control so that God could catch me, carry, and comfort me. Or I was afraid I would be judged if I confessed that I wasn’t spiritually feelin’ it when the storm hit.

    I was led to believe there was something wrong with me when I was hurting. If I am struggling I must be doing something wrong spiritually. Shouldn’t God meet this need? What is wrong with me? The answer is quite possible that there is nothing wrong with me. I may simply be in a place where I must trust Him and wait. But that is NOT what I want to hear. Do nothing? Just pray and trust and have faith? I want to DO something. But God’s Word says that if I trust Him and have faith I will please Him.

    And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. (Hebrews 11:6, NLT)

    I acknowledge that can be easier written than done. I can give you a promise that is a good place to start building that foundation of trust upon.

    “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28, NLT)

    Not a hint of ambiguity there. Jesus does not say if you pray all the time or read the Bible every morning or go to church three times a week He will be with you. He does not say He may or may not be with you. He does not say you just might disgust Him enough that He may leave you. Jesus says “be SURE of this: I am WITH YOU”.

    I believe that Jesus aches to come along side me (and you) and help us deal with the junk in our lives. His agenda is for me to stop trying to a hero going it alone and trust Him for my sin and growth. And Jesus has promised to be with me each stumbling step of the way. When a dad is teaching his toddler to walk he is patient and encouraging. When the tyke wobbles and falls a loving father doesn’t start screaming at his child.

    “There you go again! You can’t walk three bleepin’ steps before you tumble over again. You are hopeless. You will never get this walking thing down. Why am I wasting my time?”

    Hardly. The Dad encourages and applauds the effort. He lifts the child back up and exhorts him to try again. He is beaming with each step and not at all angry when the child falls. That is how I view Jesus with my spiritual walk when I understand His grace. He is thrilled with each spiritual step and is encouraging and lifting me up without condemnation when I stumble. How quickly we forget Paul’s words to the Church at Rome.

    So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. (Romans 8, NLT)

    And I will be your hope
    When you feel like it’s over
    And I will pick you up
    When your whole world shatters
    When you’re finally in my arms
    Look up and see love as a face

    Can we trust Jesus enough to quit scuffling in self-effort? Can we trust Him enough to finally surrender and look into His face? Can we trust Him enough to be authentic knowing that in His grace there is no condemnation? A good step toward that kind of faith is to believe and really trust that we are not alone. He promised we are not.