Charisa Stories

Tag: grace

  • The Dog Days are Here!

    The Dog Days are Here!

    Summer has made it’s presence known this week in Texas. The oppressive heat leads to expressions like this from canine friend Maggie.

    For years I have been throwing around the phrase “dog days of summer” with no clue about its origin. The Romans noticed that the hottest days of the years happened to coincide with the appearance of the “dog star” Sirius which is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. They believed the appearance of this bright star contributed to withering heat.

    The Greeks were likely the first to use the term dog days and you will surely recall this reference from your most recent reading of the Iliad by Homer.

    Sirius rises late in the dark, liquid sky
    On summer nights, star of stars,
    Orion’s Dog they call it, brightest
    Of all, but an evil portent, bringing heat
    And fevers to suffering humanity.

    I was surprised to find that dog days appear in the first copies of the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. The lectionary of the 1559 edition of the Book of Common Prayer notes that dog “daies” begin July 6th and end September 5th. This corresponds to the 1611 edition of the King James Bible that also noted dog days in the daily readings.

    So we have historical precedent to celebrate dog days!

    I have now lived in Texas for 41 years. I love Texas and the people of the Lone Star state. Please remember that disclaimer as I confess that I can sympathize with General  Philip Henry Sheridan’s comments about Texas after the Civil War. Sheridan remarked that “if I owned Hell and Texas I would rent out Texas and live in Hell”. But let us extend a moment of grace and consider that perhaps Sheridan offered his comments during the dog days of summer. I suspect that before air conditioning I might have pondered the same thoughts. July and August are miserable in North Texas. That is our payback for mocking our Northern friends during January and February.

    The usual suspect for miserable summer weather is a high pressure dome that camps over the state. I am not a meteorologist but here is what I understand about this phenomenon. This high pressure dome just sits there defiantly (okay…it may not have personality but it sure seems vengeful) and whenever a cooling front or storm approaches those cooling temps bounce off and are sent to a less deserving state. Every night I watch the weather with naive optimism. I observe these fronts floating toward Texas from Canada, bringing the hope of tantalizingly cooler air, only to see this high pressure dome reject that relief. And we stay miserable. Texans (and adopted Texans) know that eventually this dome will be broken up and cooler weather will arrive.

    So what in the wide, wide world of meteorology does that have to do with my faith? One of things that God is teaching me is that I sometimes allow spiritual “high pressure domes” to affect my faith temperature. For example, a “high pressure dome” of pride can force the gentle front of humility and reconciliation to bounce tragically away.

    Peter’s life was nearing its end when he addressed the leaders both young and old in Asia Minor.

    And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for

    “God opposes the proud
        but gives grace to the humble.”

    So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (1 Peter 1:5-7, NLT)

    I find it ironic that I desperately hope the weather high pressure dome will go away so I will not be physically miserable yet I ignore the stubborn spiritual patterns that make me even more miserable. I pray today for the winds of grace to break through and provide a refreshing spiritual forecast for this week. This could be our report for this warm summer week if we trust Him.

    …God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13, NLT)

    You can read Maggie’s story in Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace

  • We ALL Bleed the Same

    We ALL Bleed the Same

    Recently I had the privilege of breaking bread (toast to be accurate) at a breakfast meeting with Pastor/Educator Patrick Nolan. He is a black friend with a smile as big as Texas and heart for the Gospel that is even bigger. Patrick is the pastor at Vibrant Life Baptist Church. We had the most amazing conversation about racial issues, the church, and our culture. Here is what my friend posted on Facebook.

    “As we were sitting together and sharing life it occurred to me that people were listening and watching as we had honest conversations about race, religion and politics. Now I believe those who were looking on saw more than an old black guy🙋🏾‍♂️ and a young white guy eating together at the “lunch room” counter. I believe they saw in a real life illustration that the best way to break ethnic barriers is not by rhetoric but rather by relationship!“

    I can only challenge him on the young white guy part. I want Patrick to maintain his integrity.

    My friend said many things that impacted me but I am still rolling one comment over and over in my heart and mind. Patrick said “I have quit worrying what the world does. What breaks my heart is that the church is not doing more to heal this divide.”

    Amen. When I left the lyrics from a song from Mandisa and TobyMac came to mind.

    Are you left?
    Are you right?
    Pointing fingers, taking sides
    When are we gonna realize?

    We all bleed the same
    We’re more beautiful when we come together
    We all bleed the same
    So tell me why, tell me why
    We’re divided.

    Why indeed? I am praying for another leader like Martin Luther King Jr who will remind us that hateful rhetoric never, ever, ever changes a heart. Followers of Christ have a message of hope and light that is desperately needed. But we get caught up in the politics of our world and too often snuff out that light. I have probably been guilty more than I care to think about.

    I fear our culture will get darker in the days and months ahead. Followers of Christ have to make a decision. We can decide to complain that Christians are no longer respected and valued in the culture. We can whine that the media and elites mock us. Or we can decide to show the kind of kindness, forgiveness, grace, and love that early Christians demonstrated to change a hostile culture. Christianity really functions best as the underdog. We can ask God to give us the strength and grace to be a light in the darkness.

    What does that mean? What message makes a difference?

    During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. They began eliminating possibilities. Incarnation? Other religions had different versions of gods’ appearing in human form. Resurrection? Again, other religions had accounts of return from death. The debate went on for some time until C. S. Lewis wandered into the room. “What’s the rumpus about?” he asked, and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity’s unique contribution among world religions. Lewis responded, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.”

    Perhaps the fact that grace and forgiveness are rare commodities in this society is a big reason we see such anger and hopelessness. Our natural reaction to those who threaten our comfortable safe haven is to strike back. Jesus knew this would happen and He had some very radical instructions.

    “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (John 13:34, NLT)

    Jesus did not say “I am offering a helpful suggestion to love people that look like you and agree with you.” Our Lord who died for people of all colors and nations commanded that we love one another. People of different colors, political beliefs, and personalities all inconveniently fit into the “one another” category.

    If you push back that Jesus was just talking about loving His followers I offer this.

    “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! (Luke 6:27, NLT)

    Jesus knows our hearts doesn’t He? If you are “willing to listen” then hear my words to love your enemies. He knew we tend to conveniently not hear verses that challenge our hearts. Am I willing to listen? Are you? I wonder what God could do if we followed those those two commands?  And how would it look different if we remembered that we are all created in the image of God. Our different experiences and stories should not divide us but instead create a beautiful tapestry of the amazing love of Jesus.

    If we’re gonna fight
    Let’s fight for each other
    If we’re gonna shout
    Let love be the cry
    We all bleed the same
    So tell me why, tell me why
    We’re divided

    Did you notice I centered the lyrics? No left or right justification. The only justification that matters is the work of Christ on the Cross. We all bleed the same. He bled for us. The color is red in every case.

    As a person with considerable mileage on my life odometer I am convinced the culture will never be healed by politics and programs. But I still believe the power of the Gospel of grace can heal our culture one heart at a time. We can be a part of that revival or we can give up and sullenly wait for eventual glory. May I grace challenge you to get out of your Christian comfort cave? Can I ask you to make an effort to break bread with people different from you? To quote the dating site…”it’s just lunch”! Take a chance and trust God. Go meet with a spirit willing to learn the story and heart of people who look and think differently. And here is the most important thing.

    Listen. Listen. Listen.

    I think you might be amazed at what God can do in those moments. The God who created this world can heal our hearts if we trust Him. The decision is up to each one of His followers. We can make a difference in whatever sphere of influence God has given us whether it is large or small. Only faithfulness matters and the question must be answered. Are you in?

  • The Legacy of a Loving Father

    The Legacy of a Loving Father

    Singer Dan Fogelberg was one of my favorite singer/songwriters. Today I thought about a song written about his dad called “Leader of the Band”.  Fogelberg’s father was a musician and he passed that talent down to Dan. Parts of the lyric made me think of my Dad in his final years..

    The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
    But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul 

    I thank you for the music and your stories of the road
    I thank you for the freedom when it came my time to go
    I thank you for the kindness and the times when you got tough
    And, papa, I don’t think I said ‘I love you’ near enough 

    My Dad knew how much I loved him. Still I wish I had told him more. But this is the portion of the song that continues to impact me as a son.

    My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
    I’m just a living legacy to the leader of the band

    My Dad was a wonderful, kind, loving, and flawed man. I have the flawed part down. I hope I am following his legacy of joy, kindness and love that he modeled so well. I realize with each passing year how much the leader of the pack impacted me. Every dad impacts the lives of their children. Children listen only sometimes but they are always watching. My Dad probably never realized how closely I was watching.

    The last time I saw my father he left me with a memory that will stay with me till I join him in eternity. His condition had worsened considerably after a stroke. When I walked into the hospital room Dad’s eyes came alive and he grabbed my hand with an intensity that clearly communicated that he knew me.

    Our family had encountered one difficult employee at the hospital. She had done nothing helpful and she had done nothing with a bad attitude. I looked at my sister Sherry as I held my Father’s hand and said, “We don’t have to take that crap!” To my surprise out of that shell that was my Dad came a very clear and loud response…”I taught you that!”

    Those were the final words that he spoke to me. And yes…you did teach me that Dad. And you taught me a whole lot more. You taught me that all of God’s children are to be valued unrelated to color or position. That everyone is important and deserves to be treated with dignity.

    You taught me the concept of grace. When I was in junior high I somehow manage to establish “credit” at a hobby store. I ran up a debt that was monumental in those days. When you found out I was terrified. But you taught me that grace means unmerited forgiveness for obvious guilt. You taught me there is a difference between mistakes of ignorance and willful wrongdoing. You taught me what forgiveness looks like and what it means for someone to pay for your mistakes out of unconditional love with no strings attached. I got a little foretaste of how Jesus would pay a debt for me that I could not pay later on in my life.

    You taught me that humor is a gift from God. That laughing at life and especially at your self makes it a whole lot easier to deal with daily frustrations.

    You taught me a lot Dad. And I will be forever grateful. Perhaps most importantly, you taught me what it looks like to be ready to die. You taught me how to put your family at ease by clearly and consistently letting us know that you were ready to meet Jesus.

    God’s Word consistently paints an image of God as our Father. Many people struggle with that picture because they can only relate to an angry, dominating or selfish father. I am so grateful that I had a dad that helped me to understand the real love of a father and what that means when God says I am His child. But I pray that you will believe the love our Father in Heaven even if the earthly role model was not ideal.

    How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
    And that is what we are!  –1 John 3:1

    That is what we are! A child of God our loving Father. That is a pretty good thing to meditate on today.

  • Please Play This Song BEFORE Posting or Tweeting

    Please Play This Song BEFORE Posting or Tweeting

    I have teased for years that I want to develop an app that asks you to pause and pray before you hit send. Failing that, maybe I can convince you instead to play a song recorded by Glen Campbell. The lyrics are from a poem written by Edgar Albert Guest in 1914. Guest immigrated from England in 1891 at the age of 10. He was a newspaper reporter for the Detroit Free Press before becoming a syndicated author of poetry. He became known as the “Peoples Poet” and was said to have published a new poem everyday for 30 years. His works were not critically acclaimed but they connected with the public. Fifty-one years after Guest published “A Creed” the words were put to music by Glen Campbell in a song titled “Less of Me”. (Click on the link to hear it)

    Let me be a little kinder,
    Let me be a little blinder
    To the faults of those around me,
    Let me praise a little more.

    Just implementing that stanza alone would change the tenor of Twitter immeasurably. I have been thinking a lot about how Americans have allowed social media to divide us. It is especially disappointing that followers of Jesus demonize people over social media posts. Allow me to make my point before canceling me. I know that outrageous and often mean things are posted on social media. Sometimes they are posted by people that I consider to be acquaintances or even friends. Here is the strategy that I am proposing to deal with such posts.

    1. Pray for the person posting it. A social media post is an unfortunately permanent reminder of a moment in time. It could be something said in a moment of anger, sadness, frustration, or hurt that doesn’t represent the heart of the poster.
    2. Snooze a friend instead of lose a friend. Facebook allows you to snooze a friend for 30 days. You won’t see their posts for that period of time. I snooze them because I do not want to unfriend someone over a post I don’t like.
    3. Remember that person is created in the image of God. Maybe they are saying and acting in a way that is disappointing but they are loved by their Creator.

    Those on the other side of angry social media discourse are not unlike us. When we fight the cultural war we need to remember that the whole purpose of Jesus invading our space and time was to love and ultimately die for those on both sides of the battle. God’s grace is available to everyone and every single person reading this blog today has thought, said, or posted something that they regret (or should regret).

    Perhaps the biggest lesson for Christians should be how the power of a unified focus on Jesus can unite even bitter enemies. My heart aches as I see Christians splitting ranks over things that don’t amount to a hill of beans on an eternal scale. I picture Jesus weeping over the churches of America like He wept over Jerusalem. I picture Him weeping over how Christians in this country divide over non-essentials and fail to communicate the joy and life-changing power of the good news of the Gospel. The culture war is important but temporal. The war for our soul is eternal. I sometimes wish I could excise this passage from Scripture but here it is and I can’t ignore it.

    ““You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. (Matthew 5:43-45, NLT)

    How is that even possible? It is not possible in my own power. I must trust God for that to occur. I must believe that He is working in the heart of those I disagree with, in my heart, or maybe both of us to focus on what matters. I need to trust that God will ultimately see that justice prevails. I am called to love and be a light for the Gospel.

    If Paul were writing to the church today he might change this verse a bit from the original version to the Galatians.

    For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, progressive or conservative, complementarian or egalitarian. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

    The point is that our only unity is in Christ. The hill that Jesus died on was the hill of salvation by grace. He allowed Himself to be put there to accomplish God’s plan for salvation. That is the hill worth dying on.

    The poem continues with these words.

    Let me be a little meeker
    With the brother that is weaker,
    Let me think more of my neighbor
    And a little less of me.

    C.S.Lewis wisely said this about humility.

    “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”

    The poem finishes with this stanza.

    Let me toil, without complaining,
    Not a humble task disdaining,
    Let me face the summons calmly
    When death beckons me away.

    When death beckons me away I pray that my legacy will be proclaiming grace and displaying grace. My final lap mission statement agrees with Paul in the book of Acts.

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

    Want to join me?

  • God’s Lessons from HGTV?

    God’s Lessons from HGTV?

    During the pandemic I was forced to expand my television viewing experiences. Joni loves HGTV and I slowly began to embrace it as well. Don’t worry men, I balanced it with the NFL Network. I loved to watch Hometown with Ben and Erin Napier as they restored old homes in Laurel, Mississippi. One of their signatures is taking an item that would normally be trashed and repurposing it into something beautiful.

    I watched Ben and Erin see the beauty in something I would throw away without thinking twice. And then it occurred to me that God is the ultimate repurposer. God can take lives that are broken and even ugly and repurpose them into something beautiful. Satan lies that God can’t use someone like you. The author of lies says you have no value to God. But our loving Heavenly Father sees the beauty in your broken life. In fact, it is times of brokenness when He is most ready and willing to repurpose your life. Just when you are feeling like your life is worthless here is what the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit whispers to you.

    You are my child.
    I love you.
    You are uniquely designed for a role only you can fulfill.

    In Ephesians Paul encouraged the new followers of Jesus with these words.

    For 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, NLT)

    Did you get that second part? God isn’t scrambling to come up with some trivial task for you to feel better about yourself. God planned before you existed things that only you can do for the advancement of His plan. How exciting is that? Another amazing gift of grace.

    In His infinite mercy God does not reveal the ugliness of my heart in one gigantic and loveless revelation that would destroy me. He chooses instead to gently chip away at the rough edges of pride, selfishness, and disobedience. The famous artist Michelangelo would often select a block of marble that others thought unworkable and then begin carving that ugly hunk of rock.  He once remarked, “I saw the angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free.” That is what God’s grace means to me. He sees the beauty in the stubborn piece of rock that is me. And He sees the beauty that no one else sees. He lovingly and gently carves away the ugliness until a little beauty begins to come through. But He never gets angry and gives up if another strata of ugly crops up.

    As I was writing this an old song from my past came to mind.

    Something beautiful, something good
    All my confusion He understood
    All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife
    But he made something beautiful of my life

    For five decades God has been oh so lovingly and patiently making something beautiful of my life. If my time ends soon and folks have anything kind to say about me please let them know this truth.

    It was Jesus who made something beautiful of my life.

    Waking Up Slowly is a 21 Day Journey to become more connected to God and one another. Check it our here.

  • How To Have An Eternal Impact

    How To Have An Eternal Impact

    This week one of the men I have most admired in my journey died at the way too young age of 57. His passing was sudden, shocking, and completely unexpected. Brad Johnson was one of those people who made you smile every time you saw him, talked to him, heard from him, or even thought of him. I met him when he was a Student Life Pastor in Garland, Texas. I used to call him the Golden Retriever of Pastors because he greeted everyone with enthusiasm, joy, and that signature smile of his.

    We became friends at a much deeper level when he joined us as a staff member at Waterbrook Bible Fellowship. It was a church plant that Joni and I helped initiate. I got to see the character of Brad Johnson on a much deeper level because church plants are hard. Brad was a consistent confidant and encourager through some challenging times. Most of all he was one of the most selfless servants I have ever known. When portable church needed to be set up Brad was the first one there and the last to leave. Someone needed to move? Brad brought his considerable strength to help out.

    During the most difficult season of that church plant Joni was diagnosed with breast cancer. We were stressed, scared, and emotionally exhausted. We wondered if we could continue with this church plant.

    Very early one morning Joni and I arrived at the hospital for her first chemotherapy treatment. It was a surreal moment of uncertainty and wondering what the road ahead would be like. Suddenly this bear of a man walked in and gave us the kind of hug that only Brad Johnson could give. His presence was calming and he told us he really wanted to pray with us. It was a defining moment in our journey of reorienting our emotions away from fear and back to trust in God. Brad’s commitment to us in a frustrating season made us determine to commit to him and this church project. The praise report is that fifteen years later both Joni and the church are thriving.

    When you read the social media memories of Brad you will find that there are literally hundreds of servant heart moments like that. Brad Johnson did not have a high profile ministry career in the pulpit or media. His ministry mirrored his role as an offensive lineman at the University of Nebraska. He was an important contributor but not a star. Offensive lineman learn early in their careers that their efforts are the primary reason that quarterbacks and running backs make headlines. But the backs get the glory while the linemen get dirtied and banged up. Offensive linemen are great teammates who don’t care about themselves. It is about the team being successful and moving toward the goal. That was Brad. He was always the one willing to do the work no one else wanted to do.

    Brad left our church plant to take a senior pastor role in his home state of Nebraska. I remember how sad I felt the day that he and Deb left. We had been on a journey together discovering the impact of identity and grace in our journeys with Jesus. It was game changing stuff for both of us.

    When that pastoral role in Nebraska didn’t work out Brad was faced with a dilemma. Should he uproot his family again to find a church job somewhere? I remember laughing and crying on the phone with Brad as he agonized over what to do. You will not be surprised to hear that he took the selfless role of putting his career on pause to get a job at a local ethanol production facility. He worked long and inconvenient hours at a job that many men would have deemed beneath their calling. Not Brad. His priority was his God and his family and he kept those two as his North star. I remember him sharing stories of talking to the men at the plant about Jesus. We laughed at the irony of his new role. He had often visited my television production work environment and had seen it could sometimes be a bit rough. We laughed that we now shared another connection of work in the real world. But his heart for Jesus never changed whether it was in a pulpit or doing a late shift at an ethanol plant. God can use a willing and serving heart no matter where you find yourself. Not in your dream role? If you are a follower of Jesus there is ministry all around you and maybe you are there for exactly that reason. That was Brad’s heart.

    Brad and Deb getting ready for some Husker Football

    It gives me great joy that the leadership at Hillcrest Evangelical Free Church in Seward, Nebraska recognized the gifts that Brad brought to the table. They hired him to lead their small group, community connection, and counseling outreaches. He found his niche using his considerable relational skills in that setting. It seems only fitting that this servant of Jesus was counseling when he suffered a seizure and apparent stroke that ended his life. He served until his final breath.

    I think we will be surprised when we get to Heaven. The famous and noted religious leaders may have gotten their due here on this planet. I think we will find out it was humble and selfless servants like Brad Johnson that God used to make His Kingdom grow the most. I think this passage epitomizes Brad’s ministry.

    Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. (Philippians 2:3-4, NET)

    Some will say “I am sorry you lost your friend.” My response is one of hope and joy. “I didn’t lose Brad. I know exactly where he is.” And I know we will be together again.

    A patented Brad hug when he left for Nebraska.

    I look forward to one of those Brad hugs again someday. Maybe my glorified body won’t be so puny compared to his. And I pray that Brad Johnson’s blueprint to have an eternal impact will inspire others. It is not complicated.

    Follow Jesus faithfully. Be loving. Be kind. Be present. Be a giver of grace. Be a light in the darkness. Then trust God for the results.

  • The Impossible Dream 50 Years Later

    The Impossible Dream 50 Years Later

    Fifty years ago this past weekend a very talented group of cast and crew presented the annual Chillicothe High School musical. For reasons I still don’t understand I was cast as the lead. I had never acted and I was not a trained singer. That stellar resume got me the lead role of Don Quixote. Go figure. The play was called Man of La Mancha and I realize almost fifty years later how daring that choice was for small town Chillicothe, Ohio. Man of La Mancha was pretty edgy for that era. You may know that the play is based on Miguel de Cervantes’s seventeenth-century novel Don Quixote. The musical unfolds as a play within a play, performed by Cervantes and his fellow prisoners as he awaits a hearing with the Spanish Inquisition. Cervantes takes on the character of “mad knight” Don Quixote and he assigns roles for the other prisoners. The musical is best known for it’s signature song “The Impossible Dream”.

    As I look back I can see a spiritual lesson in the narrative. The gentle and naive Don Quixote sees the world through eyes of grace. He sees what people can become and not what they are at the moment. One of the characters is a self-proclaimed prostitute named Aldonza. But Quixote sees her as a lady and treats her with respect. He calls her Dulcinea, a name that is more befitting of a “lady”. But Aldonza lashes out with fury and hatred toward Quixote. All of her past junk pours out. A mother who did not know which of her many lovers was Aldonza’s father. Men who had used, abused and abandoned her. And now this man calls her a lady and gives her a new name and identity. Throughout the play Aldonza reacts with anger and fear. She hates what she has become but she is afraid to change. At least her identity as a strumpet is familiar. Don Quixote patiently sees her as a soul created with value who can be redeemed.

    As the play goes on Aldonza sees that Quixote is real. His attention is not another ploy to use and discard her. And gradually she begins to believe what the old man says is true about her. That she does have value. At the end the “Quixotic” world of the Man of La Mancha is destroyed and he draws his final breath. Quixote’s faithful squire Sancho turns to the grieving woman and calls her Aldonza. She looks at Sancho and gently corrects him as she says her new name.

    Dulcinea.

    Her identity had been changed by an agent of grace. A parallel can be drawn to what happens to those who place their trust in Christ. Jesus gives us a new identity and He calls us by a new name.

    Saint.

    We also tend to fight back and remind God of what we used to be and all that is wrong about us now. But Jesus patiently reminds us of our new identity. He tells us that we have been changed. That our spiritual DNA has been rewritten. That we are a new creation in Christ. That we are Holy. When you believe what Jesus says is true about you it will change how you live your life. You don’t need to work or strive to earn more of God’s favor. It is fully given to you at the moment you enter into a faith relationship with Christ.

    Paul writes about this mystery to the Church at Corinth.

    So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (NLT)

    So we are a new person. Righteous. That is not an “impossible dream” but a theological truth. Christ has imputed His righteousness to us. Paul continues in his letter to the Corinthians.

    And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

    If I may borrow from the Impossible Dream lyrics…

    This is my quest
    To follow that star
    No matter how hopeless
    No matter how far

    To fight for the right
    Without question or pause
    To be willing to march into Hell
    For a heavenly cause

    And I know if I’ll only be true
    To this glorious quest
    That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
    When I’m laid to my rest.

    My quest is to communicate the liberating message of grace till I’m laid to my rest. And that is a very possible dream.

    Parts of this article are excerpted from my book Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace.