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I cut my spiritual teeth in legalism but I knew there had to be a better way. I regularly demonstrated Paul’s Roman treatise that the law inflames the sin nature. My brazen combo of playing high school basketball on Wednesday prayer meeting nights and reading (gasp) the Living Bible nearly resulted in excommunication. I remember one seasoned saint self-righteously telling me that he only read God’s original Word. I asked him if he read the Hebrew or Greek texts. He looked at me like a Golden Retriever hearing a high pitched sound.

We believed that we really were to be a “peculiar’ people. And we nailed it. We were spectacularly peculiar. We were so peculiar that most folks steered a wide path around our judgmental brand of faith.

I thought of that verse from Titus that our pastor often referenced just in case our guilt meter was not peaking.

Who (Christ Jesus) gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2, King James Bible)

We were to be a peculiar people. And we were indeed zealous of our moralist definition of peculiar. Peculiar meant no smoking, no alcohol, no movies, no dancing, no gambling, no cards, no bingo (those Catholics!), no immodest clothing, no jewelry, no makeup, no swearing and no fun. Especially no fun. Seriously. No fun.

But a look at the passage in a slightly later translation shows a bit more context.

For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. (Titus 2, NLT)

Hmmmm. Verily, even the King James version doth acknowledge God’s grace. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” We are to be “peculiar” not by making a big deal of what we don’t do. We are to be peculiar by living in (not apart from) this evil world with wisdom, righteousness and devotion to God. We are to be “peculiar” by recognizing what Christ has done to give us a new identity and power over sin. We are to be “peculiar” by gratefully surrendering to Christ and being committed to good works. That, my friends, is peculiar in a self-centered culture.

We have missed the mark so badly by isolating ourselves into Christian bunkers and only venturing out to buy provisions. We are called to trust God to live in this world with devotion to Him.

All of this came to mind, oddly, after my beloved Texas Rangers won the first playoff series from Tampa Bay. Star outfielder Josh Hamilton is a committed Christian. (You can watch his I Am Second story here) He appreciates God’s grace because Josh was rescued from the depths of hell and restored to health, to his family and to the game he loves. Josh Hamilton is an addict. His addiction nearly killed him. He knows that everyday he must trust God and others with his life or he could fall. That is true for all of us. Josh Hamilton just lives it every day.

He suffered one relapse during an off-season moment of weakness. He did what all followers of Christ should do. Take responsibility. Repent. Seek forgiveness and return to our source of strength. Those simple steps would short-circuit a lot of charges of hypocrisy and those steps would emphasize that our righteousness is not about our behavior. Our righteousness is because of Jesus and the gift of grace. Here is a snippet of Josh’s response to that moment.

“I’m embarrassed about it. For the Rangers, I’m embarrassed about it. For my wife, my kids,” Hamilton said then. “It’s one of those things that just reinforces about alcohol. Unfortunately, it happened. It just reinforces to me that if I’m out there getting ready for a season and taking my focus off the most important thing in my recovery, which is my relationship with Christ, it’s amazing how those things creep back in.”

Because of his history, Josh Hamilton had discretely excused himself from the division title winning post game champagne and beer celebration in Oakland. He could not take a chance to be tempted. He made no demands. He did not make himself a martyr because he could not partake. He didn’t feel sorry for himself. He just did what he had to do to “live in this world with wisdom”.

Fast forward to Tuesday night in Tampa Bay. When Hamilton peeked in the clubhouse he witnessed one of the most heartwarming moments in recent years. His teammates all had bottles of ginger ale and they deluged their teammate with a shower of respect, love and grace. Josh had lived the truths without self-righteous posturing and his teammates recognized that.

After the ginger ale celebration the regular champagne flowed as Josh retreated to the hallways outside. Josh Hamilton has given the rest of us a little primer on how we navigate our world by how he lives out his faith in the pressure cooker of performance.

Focus on the grace of God who brought us salvation and new identity in Christ. Turn (personally) from godless living and sinful pleasures without condemning others who have yet to understand or experience God’s grace. Live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness and devotion to God.

We are His people and from that we are to be totally committed to doing good deeds. I am proud of my Texas Rangers and their first round win. But I am also very proud of their post-game honoring of a teammate who demonstrated that you can be “peculiar” without being weird. People will notice that.

A recent breakfast with my friend Bruce McNicol continues to mess with my mind. Bruce asked me a couple of thought provoking questions and they continue to bounce around my cranium. Yeah, I know there is lots of room. I was sitting there innocently enjoying my oatmeal and catching up on mutual friends when he dropped one of the questions on me.

“If grace based theology as the way to live out the Christian life is true then why is it not more popular in the church?”

That may be a paraphrase but that is the essence of his query. That is a great question. I have been swept away by grace. My life, my ministry, my marriage and my relationship with Jesus have been transformed. Yep…it has been that dramatic. So why aren’t there more revelers on the grace train? And why are so many afraid to even board that train and take a ride? I think part of the answer is control. When you lean on grace you surrender control and hopping on a train that you are not exactly sure where it is going is not real appealing to many Christians. I will address that thought in another post.

One of the first analogies I thought about when Bruce asked that question came from football. Perhaps that is because I am a television director and college football is the current gig. Perhaps it is simply because my brain is not wired to factory specs. But this idea popped in my mind. A lot of football teams play a defense that is called the prevent defense. That style of defense is designed to allow the opponent short yardage gains as it tries to prevent big plays and long touchdowns. The theory is that if you can force the other team to settle for short gains they will eventually make a mistake, get called for a penalty or simply fail to get the yardage needed.

I thought about the opponent we line up against as followers of Christ. It occurred to me that Satan played a kind of “prevent” defense in my spiritual journey for many years. It was almost like the Enemy was willing to give up short gains of spiritual growth and ministry as long as I focused on my own efforts to keep grinding out more gains. Satan, like a good defensive coordinator, believed that I would make a mistake and then he could pounce on my miscue and cause a costly turnover. My failure would cause me to doubt myself, my commitment and my worth. When I made a mistake Satan’s play by play announcer would broadcast loudly in my head.

“You have failed again. Jesus must be really disappointed with this effort but He certainly is not surprised. Dave, you have been a disappointing member of the team since you joined.”

Or my past performances might cause me to be tentative and fearful. The announcer always chimed in.

“Certainly no reason to expect victory from Dave this time. He has failed over and over in this very situation. To be honest, I am not sure why Jesus even keeps him around.”

The goal line of joy and freedom and peace seemed more and more difficult to reach. Finally I was happy just to make a short gain now and then. I seldom sustained a lengthy drive of positive spiritual gains. 

But then I discovered a new offense. A game plan that Satan can’t defend. When I lined up with grace there was no way for the Enemy to keep me from the goal of freedom and joy. Instead of grinding out each painful yard with begrudging self-effort I simply followed the lead block of the Spirit and ran with confidence. I remembered my team identity and the power that was promised from that association. I believed that I would be victorious not because of my skill but because of Christ.

Maybe the analogy is a stretch. But I think there is something to consider in the idea that Satan “gives” us little gains and tries really hard to stop the big ones. I believe that grace scares the Enemy more that anything we do because grace relies on surrender and trust. My self-effort against the ruler of this world is a long shot. My surrendered life to Jesus is a sure shot. Jesus has fought this battle and won. Why we would we not depend on His gameplan to reach the goal?

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.  (Hebrews 4, NLT)

“Be the kind of physician that you would want to have if you were sick.” With these words, Dr. Arnold P. Gold welcomed the incoming class of medical students at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons last month. As thrilled parents looked on, 168 young men and women sat expectantly in the school’s auditorium, their white coats folded over their arms, each waiting to be called to the front of the room and “cloaked” by a senior physician. This marked the 18th annual White Coat Ceremony at Columbia.”

Dr.Sally Satel wrote those words in the Wall Street Journal as she observed a growing tradition in America’s medical schools. The “cloaking” is a symbolic way to remind the physicians going forth to serve their patients and do no harm. Dr. Satel continued her piece.

Dr. Gold, a white-haired and avuncular pediatric neurologist, popularized the practice years ago because, he said, “medical students were becoming enamored of technology and were losing the important aspects of human relationships with patients.” Columbia’s chaplain referred to the coats as “cloaks of compassion.”

I am sure that some are skeptical or even mocking of the gesture. But I believe in the power of symbolism and I am sure I would be moved by that ceremony. I am also sure I could never get through med school. The article led me to consider a similar ceremony that might have some power for followers of Jesus. A “cloaking” ceremony might be a powerful way to illustrate to new believers in Christ what happens when they are delivered by faith.

Many (if not most) of us come to the Cross because we desperately feel the need for a Savior. We have lived a life of selfishness and sin. Some of us have made terrible decisions with consequences that painfully hurt ourselves and others. We cry out for hope. We realize how completely we have failed to live a life that could be acceptable to a Holy God. We fall at the feet of grace and gratefully accept the free gift of salvation.

And this is where the “cloaking” idea could have symbolic power. What if every new believer were brought forward and “cloaked” with a robe of righteousness? Most would protest that they did not deserve to wear such a luxurious garment. Most would point out that they had done nothing to earn being wrapped in this beautiful robe that represented justification and forgiveness. And that would be the very point of being cloaked in this symbolic robe of righteousness. They had done absolutely nothing to deserve this gift of grace other than surrendering their control and self to Christ. All of those objections would be true yet they had been clothed in this beautiful robe. You wear the robe because of grace.  

Jesus gave us an amazing picture of justification by faith in the story of the prodigal son. The son rebelled, sinned, and suffered the horrible consequences of his actions. The son realized his sin and in humble desperation decided to throw himself at the mercy of his father. The imagery is compelling. The father runs to him. His act was a gesture of love and forgiveness but also to protect his precious child from the judgment of others. 

And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. (Luke 15, NLT)

The Father placed the finest robe on his wayward son who deserved nothing after his selfish and sinful actions. In the cultural context readers would have surmised that the “finest robe” was the father’s own robe that he placed on his son. The robe that was worn on the most special of occasions. The custom would have been for the son to bathe, put on clean clothes and then put on the robe. But in a stunning gesture of compassion, the father placed his robe over the filthy garments. By “cloaking” his wayward son, the father gave him a covering of acceptance and salvation. And the father also let everyone know that the son was forgiven, accepted and no longer to be condemned by others who had judged his behavior.

The story is the same today. The Father ran to forgive you when you acknowledged your sin and need. While you were still dirty and clothed in filthy garments you were forgiven, accepted, justified and wrapped in the robe of righteousness. You were declared a saint because of Christ. And you were no longer condemned. Satan would have you forget that the robe of righteousness is wrapped lovingly around you. The author of lies would remind you that you still wear dirty clothing. He would suggest that you need to set aside the robe until you clean up yourself and your garments. That is the power of this story. The robe of righteousness is never earned. It is a gift of grace. On my worst day the Father wraps me up in this precious garment because of His Son Jesus.

How differently we would live if we remembered that truth every day. I am a saint. I am wrapped in the robe of righteousness. Christian “cloaking” would be a great ceremony to teach new believers their identity in Christ. But maybe it is more important to remind us old saints that we are also new creatures who are forgiven, accepted, and wrapped in this incomprehensible gift of grace.

Maybe if trusted that truth we could also model the last part of verse twenty-four in Luke’s passage.

So…the party began.

The Wendy’s restaurant chain has been running an ad campaign that shows the difference between real and fake. Using a clever series of visuals the commercial illustrates that sometimes things that appear real are anything but real. A man precariously climbing a tall building slips and only then do you  realize that he is actually on the ground. A green screen background created the illusion that he was in danger. Another shot shows two men with a full head of hair. One brushes his real hair while the other embarrassingly watches a gust of wind blow his fake “do” off his head. The catchy tune is designed to demonstrate that things aren’t always as they appear and, ultimately, you know when it is real. Wendy’s tries to make the point that they use real and fresh ingredients in their menu.

I pondered if the same catchy slogan can be applied to those who wear the title of Christian. Can you know when faith is real in the life of a Christian? What does it look like to be real? And do you really know for sure? I have been following Christ for about forty years and that number of years is sadly appropriate. There has been a fair amount of wandering around in the desert during that time. I seem to have cornered the unfortunate franchise on observing “bad Christians” after my first book (When Bad Christians Happen to Good People) was published. I feel I have a pretty good handle on what it looks like when faith is not real. But I have been blessed to walk with some men and women who lived out the truths of the Gospel authentically and powerfully. I wish the number was higher. But here is the good news. Each one has had a powerful impact far beyond what you could reasonably expect based on their fame and fortune. And they were usually not the ones you would pick out of a lineup to be used in amazing ways by God.

For the past few days I have been remembering the men and women who influenced my life in a positive way for Christ. Why did they have such an impact in my life? Why did I trust that faith was “real” in their lives. There seemed to be a few common denominators in all of the those followers of Jesus.

• Humility. Each one of them was uniquely gifted but they never called attention to their talents and gifts. They modeled humility and simply lived out of their giftedness. There was never a “look at me” mentality. Nor did their demeanor take on the “I am a worthless banana slug sinner” tact. These influencers were grateful for their gifts, they acknowledged freely the source of their gifts and they shared their gifts selflessly. They rejoiced in the talent God had graciously given them without being jealous of others’ gifts. They all got what Paul wrote to the Corinthians.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. (I Corinthians 12, NLT)

• Grace. Every person who impacted my journey for Christ demonstrated the grace that they themselves had freely received. I see so many followers of Jesus who want to receive grace but not dispense it. I think of a couple of dear Christian men who challenged me with truth but it was so lovingly wrapped in grace that the message pierced my heart instead of wounding it. Truth and grace mixed together do not cause shame and hiddeness but lead inexorably to light and transformation. I feel confident that this is the right way to communicate. I have my sources to confirm my theory.

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1, NIV)

I don’t think word placement in Scripture is an accident. Notice that grace comes first. Most of us can dole out truth but to combine that truth with grace does not come as easily.

• Perseverance. Each person that God used in my life had been refined by fire. You do not know the depth of a person’s faith until they have been tested. I am naturally drawn to people who are witty, knowledgeable and good looking. But I have learned the hard way that snappy retorts, vast knowledge and shiny white teeth do not get Christians through tragedy and trials. Trust that God is faithful gets you through those times. And you find that people who may not be the most impressive looking at the covered dish gathering might be the ones who most completely trust God in a crisis. Those are the people who can walk with you through tough times because they have been there already. These are the saints that understand that this life is preparation for the next.

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. (Romans 8, NLT)

• Selflessness. The people who have impacted my faith journey shared another unusual trait for this culture. Selflessness. They always were concerned about others and not themselves. They made you feel like the most important person on the planet when you were with them. There was no shifty eye syndrome (eyes darting around to find a more interesting or important person) when you met with a person who is a discipler and servant to others.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. (Philippians 2, NLT)

• Love. No surprise that the other distinguishing quality of the Christians who impacted my walk was love. The kind of love that allowed me to be me. The kind of love that offered grace when condemnation would have been natural. The kind of love that refused to judge when others already had. The kind of love that offered support instead of shoveling shame. That is the kind of love that transforms. That is discipleship in a nutshell. Trusting God to love you and love others as you walk through life with your brothers and sisters.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. ³⁵ Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. (John 13, NLT)

This musing is not about who is a Christian and who is not. That is well above my pay grade to judge that relationship. But my experience is that you know someone is real when you see those five traits. Humility. Grace. Selflessness. Perseverance. Love.

The cool thing is that you don’t have to have amazing intellectual or physical gifts to have those traits. The really cool thing is how God will use you when you trust Him to grow those traits in your own journey.

Jeffrey Zaslow wrote an interesting piece in the Wall Street Journal detailing how the younger generation places less value on the advice of their elders. 

When Amy Turek informed her parents that she wanted to have a destination wedding—on the beach in South Carolina—they gave her their best advice.

“They told me, Don’t do it. It’s too inconvenient for guests, too ‘vacationy,’ too selfish.”

Her parents and other older relatives “were actually horrified,” says Ms. Turek, who is 28 years old and lives in Wheaton, Ill. Ms. Turek disregarded her elders’ advice and is getting married later this month by the ocean.

“The older generations totally mean well,” she says, “but they’re giving advice based on things they did in the past, when times were different.”

We do totally mean well you young whippersnappers! Totally! I have to admit that I was amused as I read this article. Serves us right since my generation was the generation of don’t trust anyone over thirty. We rocked with The Who and sang these lyrics.

Things they do look awful cold (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)

Sadly, like every generation since the Garden we did, in fact, get old. Zaslow continues.

Older people have always offered advice to younger people, with words of wisdom culled from their memories of youth. And, of course, in every era, young people have found advice from elders to be outdated and ineffectual. These days, however, given how fast the world is changing, there’s been a clear widening of the advice gap.

It’s rooted in a devaluation of accumulated wisdom, a leveling of the relationships between old and young. On many fronts, people from Generation Y—now ages 16 to 32—assume their peers know best. They doubt those of us who are older can truly understand their needs and concerns.

Zaslow reminds us geezers and geezerettes not to get our feelings hurt.

As for those of us who are older, we should resist feeling offended if young people shrug off our advice.

I am not offended at all if you youngins think advice from my generation is outdated and ineffectual. We were right there with you just a few decades back. I have read Ecclesiastes so I know there really is nothing new under the sun. Technology and culture change but human nature remains sadly consistent. So I don’t care if you don’t seek my advice on clothes, cars and jobs. No worries if you could care less what I believe about politics or investments. Paul had some words to Titus about how we older folks could and should influence younger men and women.

Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine. Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior. Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives.

But mostly, show them all this by doing it yourself, incorruptible in your teaching, your words solid and sane. Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing weird or misguided, might eventually come around. (Titus 2, The Message)

So if we follow Paul’s advice the onus falls on us (and me) to demonstrate and model the truths of God’s Word. If we demonstrate dignity, wisdom, healthy faith, love and endurance then the young men and women might be inclined to listen now and then.

My words to a young Christian man or woman would be simple.

• Your identity is not your job. Your job is the way you pay bills. Your identity is in Christ. You are a saint because you have been declared righteous as a gift of grace. Remind yourself of that every day.
• Living out of faith pleases God. Your actions don’t gain any favor with Him apart from faith.
• Love your spouse. There is no better testimony in this culture.
• Love your family and show it by making time for them. I have to confess that this advice comes out of regret.
• Treasure your friends. They are the ones who provide community to live out this journey and that is how God designed it to work.
• Live in the moment. Satan loves to have us regretting the past or fearing the future. God desires to be with us in the moment.
• Model grace and truth. That balance will gain an audience with all ages.

So I am resigned to not being the guru for Generation Y. My advice may not be in great demand. But if my teaching is incorruptible and my words solid and sane (tall order) then God can use even an old fossil like me. I am trusting Him for the strength and grace to live out these truths knowing that God will do the rest. I am confident that living out these truths in grace is never outdated and never ineffectual.

In a recent post I described the healing power of a room of grace. In that room you find acceptance instead of rejection. Understanding instead of judgment. Sadly such a place of God’s grace seems more the exception than the norm and that was communicated in this thoughtful response from a reader.

But where do we find that room of grace, where we are accepted, where people run to us in acceptance, instead of running from us for being broken? Too many in the churches are broken-hearted themselves, are facing terrible situations they don’t know how to cope with. Most don’t seem to even know we are in a battle with Satan to discourage us so much that we don’t know how to seek God with faith. Those who CAN’T attend church are mostly forgotten or invisible. (I’m not even speaking of those who don’t want to go.)

That honest and heartfelt lament made my heart sad. Where do you find a room of grace is a fair question. The voice of discouragement immediately started in my head. Your message of grace and healing can’t happen in the church. Your pipe dream just discouraged a struggling believer. A room of grace is about as likely as a gumdrop forest. Who are you kidding?

My friend Bruce McNicol says that his challenge is trying to prescribe a cure to a church that doesn’t know it is sick. We do have a landscape littered with broken, discouraged and tired sojourners. Imagine people with all degrees of illness and injury going to a hospital emergency room. When they check in every person reports that they are “fine”. None of the staff knows what symptoms the patients are concerned about. The doctor shows up, gives a stirring talk and sends all the sick and injured on their way to “get over it”. That is how too many churches have evolved. Rooms of grace are hard to find. I sadly acknowledge that fact and perhaps it is because such a room is scary. A room of grace takes authenticity, humility, surrender and trust to let down your guard and live out of grace. We have labored under the same performance based checklists for so long that we don’t even know our spiritual health is declining.

Weekly study (Check)
Committee meeting (Check)
Wednesday church, Sunday School, Worship Service, Sunday night Meeting (Check)
Joy
Freedom
Forgiveness

I would submit that the unchecked items are the ones that God cares about most. The other good things are so much better when they flow out of grace that creates a willing heart of obedience.

The note continued.

It’s all very well to speak of “doing things” for others, yes, oh it’s so needed. But some of us can’t do much for others. I acknowledge my dependence on God! I’m not able to take my body for granted, as most people do. I’m not able to sort out the confusion of mind, as some people seem to do.

I don’t know what physical challenges you might be dealing with in your life. But may I make one thing perfectly clear? If you perceived any performance pressure from my writings to “do things” for others then I have failed to communicate well. Those people who seem to be able to “sort out” and “figure out” their confusion are often living a lie. They are likely as confused and vulnerable as the rest of us but they just cover it up with more activities and shinier veneers. The entry point to the room of grace is humility. Being in control and self-efforting righteousness will not open that door. The note concluded with these thoughts.

But my prayers are that God himself will intervene, sending himself — his own dear Son, his Holy Spirit — to comfort and cheer and stir up and let the discouraged know how much he loves all of us, and empower us to be His alone. Oh, how I wish there were those who would model the life you describe — of caring enough to show others (including me) Jesus’ care and concern, his cleansing and life-giving power. Oh, how I wish I could minister to others the same way: but the “hows” escape me in my ill and tired body. I’m so thankful, however, that at least some of the time I am able to hold on to the idea that His strength is perfected in my weakness.

There are many followers of Christ who are modeling the life I have described. But may I suggest they are not “trying” to do anything other than live out of the truths of who they are in Christ. That is when their offering of obedience is truly pleasing to God. Just like Abel, our response to God pleases Him when it is out of faith and not begrudging obligation. I quit trying to do ministry and my ministry exploded. I quit trying to change people and God somehow started using me in the lives of others. I quit trying to be significant and I found significance. God’s plan at times seems like the Bizarro World comics I used to read. Everything seems to the opposite of what human nature demands. You are exalted in humility. What? Your heart is more important than your works. Really? Your forgiveness is a gift with no fine print. No way. You can’t do anything to make God love you more. Seriously? It is all so counterintuitive to our cultural instincts.

I would suggest just a few things to consider.

God knows your heart to minister to others. But for now allow Him to minister to you. Let the Holy Spirit comfort you. Let God love you. Ask Him to fill you with His love and for opportunities to love others. Trust God for that happen. He will do it in His time. Remember who you are every day. You are a saint. You are righteous because of Christ and what He did on the Cross. You are adored and precious to Abba Father. When you are tired and ill you have a Redeemer who understands. He experienced tiredness and pain and betrayal. Those closest to Jesus slept through his agony in the Garden of Gethsemene, denied Him in the public square and hid from the authorities after His death. After the resurrection Jesus went straight to those who left Him with a message of love, hope, forgiveness and grace. Relax in Jesus. Maybe you will be the one who constructs a room of grace in your community. Maybe God will lead you to one. Your humility and heart tell me you are ready and willing. Let Him do the rest.

(The latest iPod Devotional. Check it every Monday at theFish.com)

One of my failed career bits was as a disc jockey at 1000 watt powerhouse WCHI in Chillicothe, Ohio. This was back in the days of turntables and actual vinyl records. I got to pick my own playlist that was mainly Top-40 pop. Unfortunately my playlist was often influenced by my emotional state. I didn’t even realize I was doing that until a friend pointed out that I had played a whole set of depressing, losing at love songs on that day. So I would play B.J.Thomas singing “Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song” followed by “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” from the Bee Gees followed by “She’s Gone” by Hall and Oates. I might as well have gone to commercial with “I’ll be jumping off the broadcast tower right after this”.  Not sure the sponsors (except maybe beer and counseling centers) wanted me to be an electronic downer to the county. That would be sung to Glen Campbell’s song…

♫ I am a downer to the county…and I play the sad songs. Pickin’ tunes to wallow in her wrongs…♪

Another one of my go to songs to bring the listeners down was a song by Irish singer Gilbert O’Sullivan. Alone Again Naturally reached the top of the charts for several weeks and the tune popped up on the iPod recently. He sings about how life is good and full of promise and then everything changes. That would be called life.

But as if to knock me down
Reality came around
And without so much as a mere touch
Cut me into little pieces

Leaving me to doubt
Talk about God in His mercy
Who if He really does exist
Why did He desert me?

In my hour of need
I truly am indeed
Alone again, naturally

That lyric reflects the struggle of many former believers and struggling believers around us. Several people who are dear to me are going through deep valleys of heartache right now. They sometimes feel deserted and may wonder if God is there. This walk of faith was designed to be lived out in community. I think that is why so many struggle so mightily because we (as a body of believers) lean toward programs more easily than toward authentic community. Community is messy and hard and painful and incredibly fulfilling. My friends at Truefaced.com describe that place of healing as the Room of Grace and I have yet to find a better descriptor of a place where God’s love is demonstrated to wounded sojourners. In the Room of Grace your problems, weirdness, neediness, and weakness does not result in judgment but in acceptance. In that room you can trust God and others with the truth about you and not be pushed away. Fellow inhabitants of the room run toward you when you hurt and not away. That place exists but there are not nearly enough rooms of grace. And if more such rooms constructed the body of Christ would be a much healthier organism.

It seems to me that there are more hearts
Broken in the world that can’t be mended
Left unattended
What do we do? What do we do?

What do we do? If I might be indelicate I suggest that we cut the crap and acknowledge our dependence on Christ to live this journey out. No heroic self-effort on my part makes me a better Christian. It is all because of Christ. That flies in the face of the American values of being self-made and independent. As a Christian I must surrender self and be dependent to be used by God. I would suggest that we drop the pretense of “victory” over sin and the lie that a particular flavor of faith will result in prosperity, health and green lights during every road trip. That is not the Gospel. I would suggest that we get real about our struggles and let others know that their struggle is also ours. I would suggest that you pray for friends and family but also listen to the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit as to how you can serve them. When a loved one comes to mind send them a note, call them, drop a card and take the time see how they are doing. Too many in the church feel unattended because we, His arms to the flock, are not reaching out. Walking with those who are struggling is draining. It can be ugly. There is no guarantee of success. But can I encourage you with this lesson learned? There is nothing more exciting that realizing that God has somehow divinely used your stumbling efforts in the life of one of His children. Nothing will make you worship more than seeing how God uses a humble and trusting heart far more effectively than a slick and convincing tongue.

Paul wrote these words to the Church at Philippi.

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. (Philippians 2, NLT)

I see a grace revival stirring and we need it desperately. Because in a room of grace the broken hearts will not be left unattended. Pray for more rooms of His grace.