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  • The Yoke of Jesus is Easy? Really?

    The Yoke of Jesus is Easy? Really?

    This has been a tough season of life for many people I care deeply about. My heart feels heavy as I remember the words of Jesus.

    “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.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

    I wrote about this passage in my book Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace.

    What did Jesus mean by that statement, “My yoke is easy”? Clearly, the burdens of life are heavy. There is nothing easy about heartache, pain, and loss.

    I reread Jesus’ inviting words: “Come to me.” No one needs to go through life’s difficulties alone, but the truth is that Jesus will not force Himself on you. The wonderful news is you have permission to come to Jesus whenever you are ready.

    In Jesus’ day, oxen were harnessed together with a wooden yoke, a beam that fit over the animals’ shoulders to keep them moving together in one direction. The oxen shared the effort to accomplish the task. That idea fit quite well into my performance-driven faith. Of course Jesus is with me, but I decided that I had to pull my weight. The only problem with my view was that it was unbiblical and even dangerous.

    In this passage Jesus is not speaking of physical burdens. Jesus was talking about the yoke of the Torah, the yoke of the law of Moses, which his Jewish listeners would have known well. The Old Testament yoke represented submission to authority. The Jews knew that the law was impossible to keep, but they kept trying. Jesus was offering them His yoke of grace. Compared to the impossible standards of the Pharisees and the law, His way was easy. Agreed.

    Jesus makes another important offer. “Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart.”

    For years, I strained to pull my weight by self-effort, while Jesus quietly offered a better way. I don’t have to figure this out to be loved by Jesus. I just need to be available.

    “Let me teach you.”

    I wore myself out trying to do more to please Him, even as He whispered, “I am humble and gentle at heart. Your trust and faith pleases Me, not your joyless self-efforts to be better.”

    Members of that agrarian culture of Jesus’ time would have known that you train a young ox by pairing it with an experienced ox. The mature ox would carry the bulk of the burden as the younger one walked by its side and learned. That is a beautiful image. Jesus walking alongside me, but carrying the bulk of the burden (if not all of it) as I learn from Him. I don’t need to strain myself in an attempt to shoulder everything on my own; Jesus wants me to be willing to gently submit to His strength and not rely solely on mine. He is extending an offer to those who are exhausted, emotionally drained, and buckling under what life brings. Pain and loss are a given in this life, but it is comforting to know that I can find rest for my weary soul, even as I grieve and doubt and waver. When I am exhausted, I can take time and seek respite in Him.

    Corrie Ten Boom wisely wrote these words. “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” That strength is found in Jesus. He is your strength and your hope. Keep your eyes on Jesus and the words of a classic old church hymn will begin to ring true in your heart.

    Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
    Look full in His wonderful face,
    And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
    In the light of His glory and grace.

  • God Redeems Fiery Trials

    God Redeems Fiery Trials

    My lovely wife loves pottery, so one of my “sacrificial” ways to love Joni is to accompany her to pottery shops. Guys refer to that as “hitting behind the runner” or “taking the charge.” Once we visited a shop where the artisans were making vases and pots right before our eyes, surrounded by shelves of the colorful, beautiful, and functional finished products.

    While Joni looked around, I watched a potter take a nondescript lump of clay and skillfully make a unique creation. This verse from Isaiah came to mind.

    O Lord, you are our Father.
    We are the clay, and you are the potter.
    We all are formed by your hand.  (Isaiah 64:8)

    I was fascinated by the complexity of the process. The potter must make sure that no dirt or impurities are in the clay. These unwanted materials will make the pot weak and unusable for its intended purpose. God desires to do the same with us. Impurities (sin) weaken us and keep us from our intended purpose.

    The potter kneads the clay to ensure that there are no air bubbles, otherwise the pot might crack when fired in the kiln. In my life, my “air bubbles” are pockets of resistance when I decide I must control my destiny instead of trusting God. I can appear to be molded and conformed to God’s image, but I have unseen “bubbles” of pride and anger and control. These self-generated bubbles can cause me to crack under the heat of adversity.

    The metaphors that Scripture uses are so powerful when we take the time to understand context and culture. The newly formed pottery, called “greenware,” is carefully placed on a shelf to air-dry before the next step. It is brittle and easily broken. Something else needs to happen to permanently set the object’s shape and make it strong and usable. The clay must endure the fire of the kiln.

    Trials by fire can have that same effect on us as followers of Jesus. Trials can make us stronger and set our shape as His followers. Or, if we are unprepared, the fire of life’s trials can cause us to crack and make us useless for His plan.

    I can choose to be content in my “greenware” state, brittle and useless for service. But God knows that it is in the trials of fire that we are strengthened and most effective. It is nearly always in that uncomfortable adversity that the true beauty of our creative process is revealed. I cannot think of an instance of significant growth in my life that has happened without the refining heat of trials.

    There are a couple of huge differences between the earthly potter and God as the Potter. When the earthly potter finds a bad piece of clay, he discards it. Our heavenly Potter patiently works with us even when we seem misshapen and worthless. A shattered piece of pottery is often thrown out. But our heavenly Father can take the shards of our brokenness and reshape us into something beautiful and effective for Him.

    The words of the apostle James make more sense in the context of the Potter’s process.

    Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (James 1:2-3, NIV)

    There is no joy in the trial, but there is joy in the knowledge of how God uses such events in our lives. If you are in the midst of a trial or about to face a trial, take comfort that God desires for you to emerge strengthened and beautiful and useful. One potter said that the greatest thing about making pots is that each lump of clay has near-infinite potential. The lump of clay that is me and the lump of clay that is you have infinite potential because we have an infinite God who is patient and good. We should not fear or run from fiery trials. What happens when we endure them while trusting God is worth the cost.

    An excerpt from Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace. Check it out here.

  • What Would My Last Message Be?

    What Would My Last Message Be?

    When I was a little boy I remember the standard prayer at bedtime. I know it was meant to comfort but one line always freaked me out.

    Now I lay me down to sleep.

    I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

    If I should die before I wake,

    Wait? What? If I should die before I wake? I think I will just stay awake for awhile thank you very much.

    Six decades later that prayer makes a lot more sense. If I should die before I wake I believe I will be in the presence of Jesus. I am not anxious to leave this life but I am not afraid.

    I talked about loss in my book Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace. I wrote that “preparing for death is preparing for life,” a principle that has radically changed my perspective. The corollary truth is when you are not afraid to die you are not afraid to live. Recognizing how finite my existence is allows me to live in the moment and enjoy God’s tender mercies every morning. I am forgiven so I don’t have to live in regret of the past. He is in control so I don’t have to live in fear of the future. I can live right now in freedom and peace.

    The other thing I ponder is what message would I like to communicate as my final word? I have been blessed with some wonderful friends and colleagues who would likely say some nice things about me. I would like them to understand a very important truth. I learned some great lessons from my Dad and others as I was growing up. But I can tell you with complete assurance that my life would have likely gone off the rails without my relationship with Jesus. His love both restrained and sustained me. I believe my insecure and selfish heart would have taken me down a different path without my faith. Any quality that you find positive in my life has been given or enhanced through my relationship with Jesus. Anytime I have disappointed or did not show love it was because I took my eyes off of Him.

    Paul writes these words in Philippians.

    8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4, NLT)

    I would like to paraphrase Paul’s words for my final message.

    “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. I hope you saw in my life some things that were true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Whatever you might have received from me grew out of the sustaining love, grace, and peace of God.”

    I know my heart. I know the crossroads I came to in different seasons of my life and how God gracefully and lovingly rescued me over and over. So my final message to my believing friends would be one of encouragement and hope.

    Trust God and trust who He says you are because of the finished work of Jesus. Believe you are forgiven of all sins past, present, and future. Wholly accept that you are a brand new creation and live in grateful freedom. Drink in the inexhaustible grace of God every day. Allow God to love you as His beloved and then pay that love forward for His glory. Look through the lens of grace and you will find sacred moments in every single day. Recognize that everything about your walk with Jesus is a gift of grace. It is all about the finished work of Jesus on the Cross. At the moment you believe that Jesus is the way to salvation you are gifted with everything you need to live for Him.

    Forgiveness.
    Security.
    The Spirit of God dwelling in your heart.
    A new identity.
    The hope of eternity with Jesus.
    Grace and love that is completely unrelated to your performance.

    Those gifts make me want to serve God out of gratitude and not out of begrudging compliance to avoid judgment.

    For my friends who don’t share my faith I would ask one favor. Don’t focus on Christians who fail. Focus on Christ who succeeded.

    Jesus conquered death. He paid for your sins. I would ask you to examine the impact of Jesus on His culture. It was the message of Christ that gave value to women, children, the poor, and the ignored. When you study His words and life you will see that many of His followers have fallen short, including me. Jesus also taught that some would claim to be His followers who were not in any way known to Him. Those counterfeiters get lumped in with true followers.

    So my final request would come out of deep love for you. Examine the claims of Jesus with an open heart and mind. Don’t reject Christ because of Christians. That is an easy thing to do. Read the Gospel of John and ask for the Spirit to reveal truth to you. If you choose to reject the claims of Jesus I would sadly accept that decision. If I am wrong about my eternal destiny I would still have no regrets about the way the teachings of Jesus influenced my life. I would do it all over again.

    I can’t force you to follow Jesus. I hope I can be a small influence for you to thoughtfully and honestly examine the life and claims of Jesus. Following Jesus changed everything in my journey. I would not be a good and loving friend if I did not share that with you.

  • I’m Gonna Miss You My Friend

    I’m Gonna Miss You My Friend

    The title is from the chorus of a song by Toby Keith written after his friend Wayman Tisdale passed away. The lyrics hit my heart when I left the hospital after visiting my dear friend Chris Taylor. His time is near and it hurt so much to see his decline.

    But it was still a sweet time to tell my friend I love him. Over the years he has made me laugh so many times. We have shared heartaches. Wonderful memories that made me smile. Chris and I were dangerous together. You could count on the sarcasm train coming down the tracks full speed anytime we convened.

    But Chris is also an incredibly kind man who served others for many years as a Wylie, Texas Police officer and dedicated follower of Jesus. One of his sayings will stick with me until my time comes. Chris always said this about serving others.

    “If I can help someone I don’t need to think or pray about it. I just do it.”

    We can use love one another as a slogan too often without feet and hands. But Chris lived that philosophy of being there to help others without fanfare.

    One of the lyrics from Toby Keith’s song fits beautifully here.

    You showed me how I am supposed to live
    Now you showed me how to die

    That is one of the most powerful things I have seen over and over in the lives of dedicated followers of Jesus. They pass with confidence and peace in their next destination. Even through the pain and tears those flashes of his wonderful humor were present. The very real hope in that room was this promise from Jesus.

    “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?
    (John 14, NLT)

    Soon my friend Chris will experience that glorious promise. Toby Keith says it perfectly in the chorus of his song “Crying For Me”.

    I’m going to miss that smile
    I’m going to miss you my friend
    Even though it hurts the way it ended up
    I’d do it all again

    My friend looked weak as I leaned over to give him a hug. I did not expect what I received. I got a bear hug that I would not have believed he was capable of giving. I will never forget that moment. When I left I said a very intentional thing that I believe with all of my heart.

    “See you later.”

    I completely trust that promise of eternity given to us by the finished work of Jesus.

    So I will miss my friend but once again I defer to Toby Keith.

    I’m not crying’ cause I feel so sorry for you
    I am crying’ for me

    I am crying for Chris’s beautiful family. For his dear friends and colleagues. For me. But I know on the scale of eternity my time is also very near. I cling to the promise of eternity today and I look forward to that reunion in heaven.

  • The Most Dangerous Theft of All?

    The Most Dangerous Theft of All?

    Identity theft is a huge problem. It is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States and recent stats suggest that as many as 15 million cases occurred in the past year. The rise of identity theft has produced a number of companies that protect you from criminals that might steal your good name and credit rating. A few years ago one of my card numbers was compromised and some low life was merrily buying electronic gear on my tab in Malaysia. Fortunately that was fairly easily resolved since I could prove I was safely hunkered down in North Texas when the purchases were made.

    It occurred to me that another identity theft occurs in the lives of Christians all the time and there seems to be very little uproar about it. I pondered if I could start a company to protect followers of Jesus from this serious and sometimes tragic crime. The crime is Christian identity theft. Any follower of Jesus has the potential to fall victim. The target of this scam is the truth found in the Second Letter to the Church at Corinth.

    This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2nd Corinthians, 5:17)

    Because of Christ you have a new identity. You are righteous because of Him and not because of trying to do more right “stuff”. You are a saint and there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. It is a liberating and joyous message. But there is a problem. Satan hates that message of hope and change. And so he goes about trying to “steal’ our identity in Christ. I am afraid we make it all too easy because we find it difficult to really trust that we are changed. When we fail the old messages are instantly cued and start playing loudly.

    You will never change.
    You always do that.
    I can’t believe you did that again.
    What is wrong with you?
    And then you start blaming yourself and thinking you would not be having these problems if you were (pick one or more):

    1. Reading God’s Word more faithfully
    2. Praying more fervently
    3. Loving and serving others more consistently
    4. Telling others about Jesus
    5. Giving more time or money to the church

    All of those things on that list are good and valuable. But that list is not what makes you righteous. You are righteous because of Christ. Period. When you trust that and believe that you have a new identity then the list above becomes a grateful desire and not a begrudging obligation to try and be better. All of the guilt and shame and sin that used to define you is no longer true. That old life is gone. You are a new creation. New life has begun. All of those accusations that Satan (and others who are quite happy to help) hurl your way are no longer true about you.

    My life was changed over 50 years ago when I decided to trust Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It has just been in the past twelve years that I have begun to fully understand who I am in Christ and that I live my life daily in grace. The ministry Trueface changed my view on identity and this statement from my friend John Lynch rocked my world.

    If you are a Christian, God is not interested in changing you. That has already happened. You were changed when you trusted Christ. You were imputed with His righteousness. Your very spiritual DNA was rewritten and you became a new person. So the change happened right away. God is now interested in maturing you into what is already true about you.

    That has been my journey for the past several years. When the accuser starts I simply remind myself that those things are no longer true about me. I have a new identity. I focus on what is true about me.

    Protect your identity in Christ with even more fervor than you protect your financial identity. Look in the mirror each day and remind yourself of these things.

    My identity is in Christ.
    I am a new person.
    God sees me as a saint.
    I am righteous because of Christ.
    I am changed. That has already happened and that is what is true about me.


    A new life has begun. Live it joyfully and without condemnation. That is your identity. Guard it zealously.

  • Forgiveness Does Not Appear To Be An Option

    Forgiveness Does Not Appear To Be An Option

    I think forgiveness is the most challenging thing Jesus commands us to do. I have tried to argue with God about forgiveness and whether someone “deserves” mercy.

    Scripture can be so annoying sometimes. Paul threw down an incredible statement to the Ephesian church.

    Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
    (Ephesians 4:32, NLT)

    That is a very tall order and one that is impossible to do without remembering how much I have been forgiven. If you say something nasty about me and ask for forgiveness, I will almost certainly grant it. If you do it again and ask forgiveness, I will probably forgive you. If you do the same thing again and ask forgiveness, I will most likely respond ungraciously and ask you to “prove” you are sorry.

    Yet that illustration is exactly what I do in my relationship with God every day. I have asked Him to forgive the same sin dozens, even hundreds of times. Still His Word tells me I am forgiven and He loves me just the same as the first time I confessed that sin. That is how God has forgiven me through Christ. I should respond accordingly, forgiving each and every offense out of profound gratitude. Do you see any way around the obvious command to forgive? Me either.

    Bottom line: we are commanded to forgive as we have been forgiven. Forgiveness may well be the missing ingredient to the healing of most relationships. Forgive the one who wounded you. Forgive yourself and seek forgiveness if you are the one who wounded. Perhaps your efforts will not result in reconciliation. That is sad but ultimately okay. What if the other person does not deserve to be forgiven? Consider Jesus as He looked down in agony from the cross.

    Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. (Luke 23:34, NLT)

    I can say with complete confidence that I have not endured the level of wounds, betrayal, mocking, and abuse that Jesus experienced. Yet He could look at those evil perpetrators and ask His Father to forgive them. That gives me some perspective. Perhaps my situations are forgivable, with His help and only with His help.

    I have spent a lot of unhappy moments not enjoying the freedom the Lord intended because I did not want to forgive someone who hurt me. I grieve to think of how I have stubbornly refused to forgive others for real and/or perceived slights over the years. I can imagine Jesus looking at me with sadness (not condemnation) because I have not fully comprehended the magnitude of the debt that has been erased from my account because of Him. I can hear Him saying,

    “Dave, when you choose to hold onto bitterness, you shortchange yourself on joy and peace.”

    If I cannot forgive, I have forgotten or never comprehended how much I have been forgiven.

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

    How quickly I forget. I forget how much I have been forgiven. I forget how much I am loved by Jesus. I forget that I am a brand new creation. I forget I am righteous because of the finished  work of Christ. I forget that there is no condemnation in Christ. I forget that I am a beloved child of God and He is for me. I forget that He has my back and He has me in His hand forever. I am forgetful.

    But thank God He does not forget His promises. More than anything I need to remember that today.

  • My Thoughts and Prayers About Thoughts and Prayers

    My Thoughts and Prayers About Thoughts and Prayers

    One of the social media trends after a tragedy or sad event is to attack people of faith for offering “thoughts and prayers”. These posters assume that anyone expressing those sentiments don’t really care about solutions to whatever problem is being addressed. We have lost the ability to recognize two things can be true at once. I may get mocked and/or canceled by some for the following statement.
    I honestly believe I can desire cultural change while praying for ultimate hope available through Christ. I don’t force that on others. I try to live it although I know I do that imperfectly. That is the power of grace. I don’t have to be perfect for God to use me to love others. So there is the challenge for Christians in this season. How can we love those who assign terrible motives to what may be a completely sincere response? We start by seeing if anything in the criticism is valid.

    I spent 40 years in television production trucks so rough language doesn’t impact me much. But I have to admit the language and anger directed toward Christians who express “thoughts and prayers” is stunning. It is easy to dismiss such vulgar statements with defensiveness and anger. I have learned that there are many ways to address criticism. For too many years my preferred method was outright dismissal with a side of disdain.

    I have been working on a project with former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. We discussed the criticism that both of us received in our careers. His was much more public than mine but I could at least relate. Clint said he learned to honestly evaluate even the ugliest criticism. He knew he could toss much of it away because he had evaluated his heart and motives in making a decision. But he also learned that sometimes there is a valid critique hiding in the vitriol. That bit of honest criticism is what he prayerfully took away while discarding the rest. So is there a lesson there for followers of Jesus?

    I think we can ask for God’s grace towards those who are judgmental and unkind. Believe me, I know that is not easy and not possible apart from His grace. I don’t mean the next statement to be condescending to those who do not share my faith because I have been on both sides. If I did not have the hope that there is more than this existence I would likely be just as frustrated and angry.

    So if my faith is real I need to back up, show kindness, and continue to love those who might not show those same reactions toward me.

    As for finding some valid criticism in the vitriol I will throw this out for you to “think and pray” about. When we type that we are sending “thoughts and prayers” I believe that Christians must also be looking for ways to show love through our actions. Thoughts and prayers need hands and feet displaying the love of Christ to have eternal impact.

    It is hard to spend much time in the New Testament and not realize our challenge for Christians toward those hurting, in need, and devoid of hope. Here is a very small sample: 

    If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? (1 John 3:17 , ESV)

    What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
    (James 2:14-17, ESV)

    Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4 , ESV)

    The charge of hypocrisy leveled at the church has a lot to do with our obsession with sin management over living a life of kindness, grace, and service. If I am not living out of grace, then Jesus’ arms aren’t reaching as far as they could through me. Loving one another is clearly step one. The time to start making that a priority is today.

    So I am absolutely fine with your sincere expression of thoughts and prayers when people are hurting. But I am challenging myself and you to be willing to be the hands and feet that reflect the love of Christ. Don’t focus on the anger of those who don’t share your hope. Focus on the One who has given you hope in this challenging season and be a light in the darkness.