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It is Monday. Enough said. And it has been raining pretty consistently here in Texas for weeks. That is the combo platter The Carpenter’s made famous when they sang Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down. The first stanza really captures my mood today.

Talkin’ to myself and feelin’ old
Sometimes I’d like to quit, nothin’ ever seems to fit

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.(Romans 10:9, NLT)

I love my pastor and his family. That is a such a blessing to be able to say that. Jeff Denton brought his unique blend of wisdom, geekiness, humor, grace, leadership, Biblical truth and pastoral care to Wylie, Texas several years ago. Waterbrook Bible Fellowship will never be the same and that is a very good thing. Our church has four amazing and gifted pastors on staff with Jeff as the Lead Pastor. Check it out if you are churchless in Collin County.

You never know what Jeff will say or post online. He is totally out there as a pastor, husband and dad. Recently he shared this exchange with one of his teenagers.

“All it takes to be my favorite child is obedience.”
“Well, I guess I’ll never be your favorite then.”

I don’t know which one said that but I am sure it could have come from either J.J. or Amelia. I know that Jeff said that with his tongue firmly in cheek and whichever child responded with a sly smile.

What I have come to see in the Denton family and our Waterbrook family is something radically different from that playful exchange. The truth of our community and any healthy church community is that being the favorite comes from something other than our performance and obedience.

It has nothing to do with our performance. It has everything to do with Jesus performance for us.

I am a recovering legalist so this has been a struggle for me. I wrote this in Stay about what Jesus has already DONE for us.

We should not be surprised that people respond positively when they are told how much they matter. More important, we matter to God. His Word is full of affirmation for those who choose to trust Him.

To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
John 1:12, NLT

You are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. 1 Peter 2:9-10, The Message

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
Ephesians 1:4

We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15, ESV

Jesus calls me His friend. Even when those around you are failing to fill up your affirmation bucket, you can still go to Scripture and find out how God feels about you. Is there a more important affirmation than that? When you believe that your heavenly Father recognizes your worth, it gets easier to find things to affirm in others. How can I suffer from a poor self-image if this is true? Jesus calls me friend, for goodness’ sake!

(Reprinted from Stay with Permission of Tyndale Publishing House)

I am a friend of Jesus. I am His favorite when I obey and I am His favorite when I don’t obey. It is so hard for me to believe that His one way love toward me never changes. His love for me happened long before I even knew my desperate need for a Savior.

But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, NET)

When I can begin to wrap my pea brain around that amazing truth then I want more than anything to be obedient. It is a complete paradigm shift from my early teaching. Now I serve in obedience out of gratitude and joy. Before I tried to be obedient to avoid punishment or loss of my very soul. What a difference to believe that at the Cross Jesus made me (and you) His favorite. No fine print. No strings attached.

How do you become God’s favorite? If you are a follower of Jesus I have some really good news. You already are.

Reposted from Faithstreet.com.

Esteemed theologian and reformer Martin Luther wrote about his canine companions, “The dog is the most faithful of animals and would be much esteemed were it not so common. Our Lord God has made his greatest gifts the commonest.”

We can learn so much from these faithful friends about life, love, and grace. Who knew that some of my most profound lessons would be taught by a couple of rescued puppies? I am not ashamed to confess I have been discipled by my dogs.

Here are a few “bite-sized” treats I’ve learned from my canine companions:

1. Revel in the life you have.

Is there a better example of this than a canine companion? If only we could live like we were just let off the leash to run in freedom and joyous abandon. I wish I enjoyed anything as much as my dog enjoys everything!

Enjoy the day you have. Sure, life can be hard and often seems unfair. For some, life is really hard. But we do have a choice in how we play the cards dealt to us. If you live fully in the moment, you revel in what you have around you.

Right on cue, Maggie walked into the room, saw her toy, leaped through the air, and grabbed it. Now she is having a blast tossing it around.

I know that life can be burdensome, but I suspect we pass by a lot of those spontaneous opportunities for joy each day worrying about something that may not even happen.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Heed these words from Philippians 4:4-7:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

2. Serve and give your life away.

Maggie loves having a job. She is happiest when she patrols the backyard and keeps the squirrels, birds, and bugs out of her kingdom. I really think she’s convinced that she’s conducting an important service for us by keeping the backyard secure and safe from intruders.

The happiest people I know are those who serve and give their lives away. Giving your time to serve others is so counterintuitive to the self-centered messages that we are bombarded with every day.

If I decided to live fully in the moment, I would prepare by spending a little time each day in Philippians 2, Colossians 3, and Romans 12. Here are some sample verses to get you started:

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. (Philippians 2:14-15)

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colossians 3:14-15)

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. (Romans 12:9-13)

3. Live in awe of grace.

There was no better earthly example of grace than my canine friend Hannah. If grace is defined as unmerited or undeserved favor, then I would have nominated Hannah as the poster dog. It did not matter if I embraced or gruffly rebuffed her approach to play. Hannah’s affection was unrelated to my performance.

But Hannah’s grace is just an infinitesimal fraction of the grace God extended to me when I had nothing to offer Him except sin and brokenness. He willingly gave me His best when I offered only my worst. Nothing has changed my life more than beginning to understand the radical, mind-blowing extent of God’s grace.

Grace allows me to quit trying to be righteous and actually begin to be righteous as I focus on the One who gave me the gift of grace. Grace allows me to deal with sin instead of trying to manage and rationalize it.

Grace is real and powerful. It is not weak or cheap. If you think grace is cheap, go to the foot of the cross, look up, and see the grace price paid for every person on earth. Grace should never be my cover for sin. Instead grace is my only hope to deal with it.

How could I be comfortable taking advantage of His amazing grace? I cannot. I pray that I will not. Grace is compelling. I want it to be compelling in my life as well. Love grace with abandon.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8)

4. Find something to love each day.

Hannah woke up convinced that every day was the best day ever. Maggie does the same. I think Satan’s strategy is devastatingly simple and effective. He wants us to live in regret of the past and fear of the future, effectively robbing us of the joy of today.

Find something to love each day, even on your worst day. My Labrador friends always found something “wag worthy” in their day.

Trust me; it’s out there.
The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. (Psalm 28:7)

That is just a sampler plate of the lessons we learn from these wonderful creatures. Dog lover or not, I hope you will see how God can use all of His creation to teach us about life, love, and grace.

Reposted from Faithstreet.com.

Portions of the article taken from Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace

The Avengers: Age of Ulton is the blockbuster movie that recently debuted to record numbers. It features the familiar Marvel comic book superheroes. The team struggles to stop Ulton’s plan to make humanity extinct.

Sadly I have played a non-superhero for much of my journey with the Lord. I have tried (mostly unsuccessfully) to be a Revenger. When I am wronged I fight for my truth and my justice. If a relationship becomes extinct in the process that is the price of being right and for justice to prevail. Fortunately my role did not include any Spandex costumes. But the truth is I find revenge a much easier road to take than forgiveness.

When I am wounded or offended my first response is usually sinful. I am hardly unique. A couple of guys who were really close to Jesus had the same sinful response to bad behavior.

He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” (Luke 9, NLT)

My response? You betcha! The response of Jesus?

But Jesus turned and rebuked them. So they went on to another village.

As much as my heart cries out for vindication and revenge Jesus says no. You go on to the next village. You trust God. You forgive. This journey is hard because my sense of justice says that they deserve fire from heaven. But it gets even tougher. Jesus says to forgive my enemies. Even those dressed as sheep while acting like wolves.

 A song by Melissa Greene  reminded me of how tough this forgiveness clause in our Christian contract can be to execute.

The song is “The Long Road to Forgiveness”. The lyrics are written from a woman’s point of view but the pronoun is irrelevant. This is a gender neutral issue.

She’s pointed fingers and stood her ground and built a wall around her heart
She didn’t want to lose a battle in a war she not start
She carried grudges long enough but they’ve only weighed her down
but the bridges burned are just lessons learned that she carries with her now

That little lyric bridge pretty much outlines every reaction of my flesh to being hurt. Step one is to blame someone else. Step two is to vow not to back down and give in because, after all, I was wronged! Step three is going into hiddenness and despair. Step four is being too proud to lose the battle. Step five is hanging onto the grudge even as the weight of that grudge crushes my spirit.

That is an ugly little sequence but it is a pattern I have repeated far too many times in my journey. I have heard it said that bitterness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. I picture the heart of Jesus being saddened by our stubborn refusal to consider His forgiveness extended to us and consequently refusing to lean on His power to help us forgive. This passage in Paul’s letter to the Church at Colossae powerfully makes the point.

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colossian 3, NLT)

I don’t see a lot of wiggle room in that text. If I claim that Christ is all that matters and that He lives in me then I must forgive those who offend me. Can someone find a loophole here? Please? Pretty please?

The chorus of Melissa Greene’s song reminds me how hard this road can be.

Down the long road to forgiveness there is fear at every turn
And she knows she needs to go the distance
Where her heart can finally rest, break these chains of bitterness
God will heal her brokenness
Down the long road to forgiveness

There is fear on that road if you take your eyes off of Christ. Your heart cries out in protest. What if they reject, scoff or take advantage of my forgiveness? Jesus reminds us gently that He understands.

When you break those chains and allow God to heal your heart the weight of the world will lift off of your soul. It is a long road to forgiveness. Sadly it is too often the road less taken. But it is the road that will make a difference in your journey with Jesus. Give up your role as a Revenger. I pray you will have the courage to start down the road of forgiveness today. Jesus will meet me (and you) there.

Regular readers of these humble ramblings (all tens of you) know what an over the top dog lover I am. I shared this illustration in my new book Stay.

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, “Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.”

Very quietly, the doctor said, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?”

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side of which came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, “Did you notice my dog? He’s never been in this room before. He didn’t know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing… I know my Master is there and that is enough.”  (Source unknown)

I love that thought. One of the stories that did not make the book Stay involved our Golden Retriever Charlie. Charlie developed a large benign tumor under his front leg that made walking difficult. We took him in for what would be a rather serious surgery at his ripe old canine age of twelve. The vet did a masterful job in removing the growth and taking care of Charlie. My spiritual epiphany occurred when we were called to the animal hospital to pick him up. We waited as they brought Charlie out. He shuffled slowly out and I was taken aback by his appearance. Charlie was trembling, frightened and appeared to be in some pain. His head was down and his perpetual motion tail was strangely still. He seemed confused and disoriented. Then I walked over to Charlie and simply touched him. Almost immediately he quit trembling and he made a valiant attempt to wag his tail. We carefully got him into the car and took Charlie home to heal.

As I reflected on that scene it struck me that Charlie’s reaction to my touch and mere presence was a wonderful illustration of how Jesus comforts (or desires to comfort) me. When I (his master) touched Charlie he was comforted. His pain was not gone. He was still frightened. He was still a bit disoriented and unsure. Charlie’s circumstances hadn’t really changed at all. But he knew that his master was there and that made it better. What a picture that is of how the touch of Jesus enables us to respond when we are frightened, in pain, disoriented and confused. We need to remind ourselves that Jesus never promised that all trouble would vanish when we believe in Him. In fact the opposite often happens. Jesus did promise that He would be there and that would be enough. My prayer for myself and for you today is that we will seek, realize, and be comforted by the touch of the Master in times of difficulty. Paul realized that contentment is not found in good circumstances. He wrote these words from prison while chained to a Roman soldier.

I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Philippians 4, The Message)

I am so grateful that Paul did not write I “am” content and I “know” the secret. He was divinely inspired to honestly write that he had “learned” to be content and he had “learned” the secret of being content. It did come naturally or easily to Paul either. Don’t be discouraged. If you are following Jesus and seeking the touch of the Master then you are learning as well. Contentment is learning how to be present in the present with Jesus. Our nature is to not enjoy the moment at hand and the blessings that usually surround us. Satan would have us living in regret of the past and fear of the future. Jesus said to follow Him. He told us our past is forgiven and our future is in His Hands. Enjoy the moment. Seek the touch of the Master. And continue “learning” to be content. It will change your life.

I would love to share more stories with you of faith, love and grace in my latest book Stay:Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace. Click here for more info.