Charisa Stories

Tag: grace

  • Time To Implement The Grace Rules of Engagement

    I made a conscious decision a few years ago to focus on communicating the message of grace and identity in Christ. With that I decided to avoid the polarizing path of politics. Some have told me that is cowardly but I can honestly say there is no message more important to me than the liberating freedom of grace. I want to share the joy of living out of what Jesus has already accomplished and what God says is true about me. 

    That I am a saint. A new creation. A beloved child of God. I relate to the mission statement of Paul when he wrote these words.

    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)

    I feel called to be a messenger of hope and grace. Plus I feel like the negative team has a pretty full roster of contributors. 

    I still believe that is my calling with these humble ramblings. But how does grace enter into the conversation when we have sincere disagreements over cultural and political issues?

    It is fascinating how two people can look at the same information and reach completely opposite conclusions. So I am going to offer the “Grace Rules of Engagement” as a roadmap for civil discussion. 

    • Sincere followers of Jesus can look at cultural or political issues and have very different opinions. Jesus loves His children on both sides of the argument.

    I know I have changed my views on some cultural issues over my years of walking with Jesus. I was a child in the era when divorce was a mortal sin. I absolutely am committed to the idea of a husband and wife taking their vows seriously. But I learned that the cultural shame of divorce caused many Christian women to feel trapped in relationships of abuse. Clearly that was not the desire of a loving Heavenly Father who ordained marriage. In those sad situations it is necessary to divorce an abusive spouse. In the pulpits of my youth the message was no divorce outside of adultery was ever justified. I had a blind spot about how a declaration that appeared Biblical could foster abuse. So many issues we discuss have similar and complex nuances. We need to discuss, not demonize.

    • The goal of a discussion should not be to win.

    Thoughtful discourse is impossible when one of the participants only cares about winning the debate. The goal of any conversation should be graceful exchange of ideas without rude interruptions, condescending gestures, or angry exchanges. I would rather have a goal of being winsome instead of winning. That attitude fosters conversation. 

    • People of different viewpoints should commit to listen. Nothing shows respect more than carefully listening to the arguments of those with whom you disagree and then gently offering thoughtful responses. 

    Listen to talking heads on television news shows as they “discuss” different points of view. As soon as one side starts talking the other shakes their head, smirks, and then interrupts and talks over the other person. How is that going to persuade anyone? Yet we tend to do the same thing when we have significant disagreements with people of faith. Listen. Really listen. Let them finish their point. Then respond in grace.

    • Ask questions.

    You will not influence another person by arguing. The way to connect is to ask questions and try to understand why they feel the way they do. I have found that many times people I talk with don’t have a solid reason for their feelings. That can be a opening to honestly discuss difficult topics. 

    • Climb out of your bubble

    Find out what the other person is reading and watching. Expose yourself to different points of view and encourage those you have disagreements with to do the same. If you are confident in your beliefs there should be no fear in being exposed to differing viewpoints.

    • All of us are a work in process.

    Every child of God is in process. I am a very different Christian than I was 20, 10, or even 5 years ago. I am growing (hopefully) in grace and truth. I strongly believed and said things years ago that I am grieved about today. Thankfully God was patiently working with my heart and gently shining the light of the Holy Spirit on my blind spots. I need to give that grace to others. 

    • Pray for wisdom and grace then leave the results to God.

    So what is the goal when you have sincere disagreements with another believer over cultural issues? Use the “Grace Guidelines” and relax. God may be using you to plant seeds in the heart of the other person. Maybe you have a blind spot that needs the refining work of the Holy Spirit. Share your heart with love and kindness and be open to the possibility that you may be the one who needs to change your heart.

    • Grace never cancels

    Grace does not “cancel”. Grace does not shame. Grace does not answer anger with anger. The person you totally disagree with may be crying out of pain and deep wounding. Perhaps a gentle answer will give hope. Grace does not lash out when challenged. Grace is kind and gentle.

    Being graceful can be a pain in the hind regions but it is what we are called to offer to others. Paul addresses this to the church at Colossae. 

    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.

    Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.Colossians 3:12-17, NLT

    Perhaps the most important thing all of us can do to further the unity in the body of Christ is to memorize that passage and try to implement those words for 30 days. By the grace of God it could become a habit.

    Be kind to those who disagree and remember the words of author Alexander MacLaren. “Kindness makes a person attractive. If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.”

  • Hannah Taught Me The Joy of Being Unleashed

    It was thirteen years ago when Joni and I said goodbye to Hall of Fame canine companion Hannah. She was a unexpected rescued Labrador that God brought into our lives to help us through a challenging season. She inspired the initial book draft of Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace that included stories from another rescued Labrador named Maggie. Here is a chapter from the book remembering sweet Hannah.

    Hannah loves the morning walk. When she sees me grab my walking shoes, she begins to vibrate with excitement. If the Department of Energy wants to find an untapped green energy source, it should harness Labrador tails. I think Hannah could power a small apartment building when she gets excited and that tail starts oscillating. I love the morning walk as well. It is a time to meditate, pray, listen to good music, and enjoy God’s company.

    The walk is pretty much the same each day for Hannah. She checks for new messages left by other canine friends along her social network. Sometimes she leaves a reply. She gets excited when she sees another person, dog, or anything breathing, really. Hannah loves life.

    As I clipped the leash to Hannah’s collar this morning, I couldn’t help but notice her enthusiasm. She was happy just to get out and walk. The leash didn’t spoil the anticipation of heading out the door, and despite its restriction, she still found abundant stimulation along the way.

    When we got to the park, it was empty. As usual, we started out by a sign that sternly warned miscreants not to let their dogs run free. Today we were in temporary violation of city code 5544.

    We entered a wooded area on the back side of the park where I felt comfortable letting Hannah run free. She became visibly energized by her liberation.

    She ran ahead of me, spun around, and sprinted back. She spotted a squirrel several yards away and instinctively froze. Her body tensed in anticipation; she crouched down and took a few slow, deliberate steps, stalking her prey.

    Then she bolted full throttle at the squirrel, ears flying in the wind.

    The squirrel darted up a tree and Hannah stopped, looked up, and then turned with an expression of complete satisfaction as she trotted back toward me. She had a doggie smile from ear to ear. Hannah was fully alive when she was off the leash. Her freedom gave her such joy and energy. The squirrels weren’t as keen with the idea.

    When we reached the front part of the park, I called her and reattached the leash. Her body language was still happy, but there was not quite as much spring in her step. The leash again restricted her freedom.

    Hannah’s joyous foray into freedom made me think about my journey with Jesus. I was introduced to faith in Christ in a church that put a legalistic leash on my daily Christian walk.

    Our church leaders reminded me of characters from the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We did not have the dreaded knights who said, “Ni.” We had the dreaded pastors who said, “No.”

    I’m certain there were several volumes filled with things that were forbidden. Here is a sample platter of no-no’s I was asked to follow.

    NO movies.
    NO drinking.
    NO movies.
    NO television.
    NO playing cards.
    NO rock-and-roll music.
    NO slacks for women.
    NO long hair for men.

    You get the idea. It’s not surprising that it took me a long time to figure out grace and freedom in Christ. Ironically, there are a few noes in the New Testament that our moralists somehow overlooked. This little “no” verse would have come in handy (capitalization and italics added for emphasis).

    There is NO condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:1-2

    That would have been a refreshing mist of grace to our parched flock. Or how about these “no” verses (capitalization and italics added for emphasis).

    This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is NO fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.
    (1 John 4:17-19, NIV)

    “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” There is NO commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30-31, NIV)

    Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps NO record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. (1 Corinthians 13:4-6)

    I have been crucified with Christ and I NO longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Galatians 2:20-21, NIV)

    That is a very different “no” list than the first one.

    NO condemnation.
    NO fear.
    NO commandment greater than to love God and your neighbor.
    NO record of wrongdoing when you love one another.
    NO longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.

    Hannah’s foray off the leash reminded me again of my freedom from the burden of performance-based salvation. Remembering that restores the bounce in my step and spirit. In the freedom of grace, I am realizing and believing who God says I am. When I am unleashed by grace, I understand and trust who God says He is.

    Like Hannah, I could live on my leash of moralism and get by fairly well. I did it for decades. Most of you wouldn’t have noticed my constraints. I would still have fun and enjoy the journey, just as Hannah enjoyed the restricted part of her walk. But why should I accept partial freedom when God is offering complete freedom in His amazing grace?

    Take off whatever leash is holding you back today and run freely in grace. Choose to believe that there is no condemnation in Christ for those who belong to Him. Don’t settle for some self-imposed leash of performance. Hannah would tell you that the real blessing is running with complete freedom.

    God’s grace unhooks the leash and allows you to run unfettered and worship. God loves watching your exuberant liberation in Him. And He enjoys it when you turn and smile toward the heavens with complete satisfaction.

    Enjoy the grace-filled romp of freedom just as Hannah did. Walk (or run with ears flying) to Jesus. Approach Him with confidence, not in fear and shame. Having that relationship allows you to give up your burden of self-sufficiency and let Jesus lead. Thanks, Hannah, for helping me see that.

  • What Is The Reason To Attack Thoughts and Prayers?

    I have written about this social media trend but I think it is worth revisiting. After a tragedy occurs it is a common social media reaction 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 prevent future violence. Our culture seems to have lost the ability to recognize two things can be true at once.

    I honestly believe I can desire cultural improvement while praying for hope and comfort to victims and their families available through faith in Christ. 

    So here is the challenge for Christians in this season. How can we love those who assign terrible motives to what may be a completely sincere and caring response? Perhaps 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 but it is vital to see if there is a valid critique hiding in the vitriol. 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 belief that there is more hope in Christ than just this earthly existence I would likely be just as frustrated and angry. 

    To demonstrate 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 as followers of Jesus 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)

    Loving one another is clearly step one. But prayer is a valuable gift to people of faith. Joni went through a difficult cancer journey. Some could only offer prayer. It meant a lot. Some offered prayer and help. That meant a lot. We didn’t judge the first group because they only prayed. We knew they cared and we knew their hearts.

    I am absolutely fine with sincere expressions of thoughts and prayers when people are hurting. I understand the frustration we all feel over terrifying acts of violence. Those who disagree with someone’s faith or political opinion too often assign the worst values from the most extreme people proclaiming that message. Without knowing a single thing about the person’s story, their heart, or their background we are prone to throw down the gauntlet of judgment. Broad brushing the motives of everyone without knowing their heart is painful and destructive.

    I am challenging myself and other believers 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.

  • Could Bella Add Some Good Content To My Book Stay?

    I often joke that I have been discipled by my dogs! Some accuse me of being “dogmatic” in my beliefs. The truth is God can teach us in so many ways. I have learned from Scripture, church community, good Biblical teaching, and serving others. But I have also learned from God’s creation and especially my canine companions. My book Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace was written about two precious rescued Labs.

    Joni and I had to say goodbye to both Hannah and Maggie. We weren’t sure if we could find another dog like those two.
    Through an unexpected God connection we found another canine companion with a heart just as big as Hannah and Maggie but contained somehow in a much smaller body. Bella is a 15 pound Cavapoo with a giant personality that entertains, makes you smile, and warms your heart.
    I was wondering recently what Bella’s contribution might be if there was a rewrite of Stay. Here is the first draft.

    Sometimes I wish that churchgoers would adopt some canine characteristics of Bella. Her love is unconditional. She has yet to meet a person she didn’t wish to greet with joy.

    Bella is forgiving. You can disappoint by leaving her behind or not having a moment to play when she desires it. Bella instantly forgives and forgets when you return to her.

    Bella doesn’t spend all of her time with a clique of familiar faces. She greets everyone in her path whether she’s met them before or not.

    Bella’s early discipleship lesson is one that both Hannah and Maggie showed me but this little girl takes to a new level.

    Live in the moment!

    Bella is so good at this gift! She doesn’t waste one second pouting about missing a walk yesterday or getting fed late this morning. And she has zero anxiety that tomorrow’s schedule might not be perfect. She is ALL IN the moment! What’s the lesson here for believers?

    Satan wants us to live in regret of the past and fear of the future, preventing us from contentment and living in the moment with God and those we love.

    I began to learn that part of being content on the journey with Jesus is simply trusting Him one day at a time. You can’t live in regret of the past. It is forgiven. You can’t live in fear of the future. It is in God’s hands. Without regret or fear you are free to live in the moment.

    Jesus proclaimed that exact message in the Gospel of Matthew.

    “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matthew 6:25-26)

    That is so true. Jesus continued to teach His early followers.

    “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:31-34)

    First discipleship reminder from Bella? Live in the moment, seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and the rest will take care of itself. I pray that will be my mindset for my remaining days.

    Live in the moment.

    Bella lives that every day. She can be sleeping soundly when a door opens. She springs up and bounces ready to play. What a picture of spontaneity and joy! She is living completely and freely in the moment. She may have been tired but unexpectedly she has a chance to play with her friend. The message conveyed by her eyes and body language was clear: “Let’s do this!”

    That is my desire as I live out my Jesus journey. I don’t want to dwell on the past. It is gracefully forgiven. I can’t be anxious about my future because my hope is in God. So I want to embrace each day with joy and anticipation of God’s amazing grace.
    Let’s do this!


  • For Years I Fought A Battle That’s Already Won

    I love the worship atmosphere at my church, Waterbrook Bible Fellowship in Wylie, Texas. Some mornings the songs and spirit impact my heart in unexpected ways. Recently a familiar song from Shane and Shane titled “You’ve Already Won” nearly floored me. The lyrics summarized my decades long struggle where I felt like I had to do more for Jesus or I would not receive His love, forgiveness, and eternal security.

    I grew up in legalism. We were taught accurately that you are saved by grace. And then it went doctrinally South. We were taught that sanctification came through grit and not grace. You had to work extra hard to stay in good standing with God. And if you sinned and didn’t immediately repent your salvation might (probably would) be compromised. So I served God out of anxiety instead of confidence and trust.

    I was wrongly convinced that to grow in my faith I had to do more. Try harder. Pray more. Read the Bible more. Have more devotional time. All of those things are good when properly utilized. But there is a problem if self-effort is your sanctification strategy. Our self-righteous busyness does not please God. It is our faith that pleases and glorifies Him.

    We are saved by grace and we grow more like Jesus by abiding in His grace.

    The lyrics of this song penetrated my heart as I remembered my years of unproductive self-effort.

    There’s peace that outlasts darkness
    Hope that’s in the blood
    There’s future grace that’s mine today
    That Jesus Christ has won
    So I can face tomorrow
    For tomorrow’s in Your hands
    All I need You will provide
    Just like You always have

    If I believe that Jesus is Lord then today, tomorrow, and the rest of my days are covered by God’s plan and infinite love. God is sovereign. The one thing I can control is trusting Him.

    But here is the game-changer I finally understood in my faith journey. Everything was given to me at the moment I put my trust in Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Everything.

    I felt that spiritual growth and change can only happen when you work hard for God. 

    The truth is that a dramatic change already happened at the moment you make your faith commitment to follow Jesus. Let’s just hit the highlights. Your sins (past, present, and future) are forgiven. You have a new identity in Christ Jesus. You are literally a new creation with rewritten spiritual DNA. You have the imputed righteousness of Christ. God sees you as righteous because of your relationship with Jesus. That’s it. Nothing you have done or ever will do earns that righteousness. You are adopted as a child of God. You have the constant presence and power of the Holy Spirit indwelling in you. There is no condemnation in Christ. His unconditional love is not based on your behavior. You have guaranteed eternal security when you genuinely put your trust in Jesus. All of these incredible gifts of grace were granted at the moment you decided to follow Jesus.

    Peter described the magnitude of that salvation moment in 2 Peter, chapter 1.

    “May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises…”

    You have everything you need to grow in Christ at the moment you put your faith in Him. You don’t achieve bonus spiritual gifts by personal achievements. I spent so long looking for the keys to growing my faith until I finally realized I had the keys in my pocket from day one.
    This chorus from “You’ve Already Won”overwhelmed me.

    I’m fighting a battle
    You’ve already won
    No matter what comes my way
    I will overcome
    I don’t know what You’re doing
    But I know what You’ve done
    I’m fighting a battle
    You’ve already won

    For years and years and years I fought a battle that had already been won with the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus. I was changed completely when I trusted Christ. Instead of feeling shame when I fall short I now see a different picture. 

    I see Jesus putting His arm around me and explaining that I have been changed. That I don’t have to grit my teeth and try harder to win favor and please Him.

    I think that is why Jesus can say this in the Gospel of Matthew.

    “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, NLT)

    That is my prayer for today. To let Jesus teach me with gentleness. To learn from His humility. And to find rest in Him. 

    Serving God is no longer out of anxiety but out of gratitude for the gift of grace. I don’t have to work my way into His favor like I used to believe. I am already there because of Jesus.

    Did I mention that the battle is already won? Thank you Lord!

  • How To Quieten The Negative Voices In Your Head

    I turn the volume way up every time Lauren Daigle’s song “You Say” plays. The lyrics perfectly describe the battle that most of us fight to believe that what God says about us is true. Here is a sample of her powerful lyrics.

    I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I’m not enough
    Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up
    Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low?
    Remind me once again just who I am, because I need to know…

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

    I am drawn to wounded and dysfunctional people like a moth to light. When I hear their stories, I see a familiar pattern. They tend to believe that all the old junk in their lives is still true about them in God’s eyes. Too many followers of Jesus cannot believe they are a new and holy creation.

    Recently I saw a T-shirt with this message: “Even if the voices in my head aren’t real they do have some good ideas”.

    I got an initial chuckle out of that one. But then I thought, Wait! The voices in my head rarely have good ideas.

    I suspect that is true for some of you as well. Sadly, the voices in our heads are real, formidable foes, voices that were programmed from childhood. Negative comments from parents, teachers, coaches, siblings, friends, fellow Christians, and assorted others have laid down deeply grooved tracks in my self-image soundtrack mix. Favorite cuts like these are always cued and ready to be played.

    “You will never change.”
    “What were you thinking?”
    “I can’t believe you did that again.”
    “What is wrong with you?”
    “I am so disappointed in you.”

    And the number one accusation on my personal Top 10 countdown . . .

    “How could you be so stupid?”

    When you mess up, the voices begin. And then your own voice joins the chorus. “It is true. I am not worthy. I am not enough. I am stupid. I don’t deserve to be loved.”

    When you face disappointment, rejection, failure, loss, and trials, self-incriminating remarks flood your mind.

    Why wasn’t I a better (pick one) spouse/friend/brother/sister/relative?”
    “If I had done (insert action), this would not have happened.”
    “Why didn’t I (insert missed opportunity) when I had the chance?”
    “Why did I (pick one or more) work too much/travel too much/whatever too much when I should have been there?”

    If I may lean on my sports background here, Satan calls the all-out blitz when people of faith go through seasons of trial and doubt. He delights in accusing and trying to rock the very foundation of your faith. Satan is, always has been, and always will be a liar. You have learned to never trust a liar at work or in other relationships. How much more should we pray to recognize and reject the lies that Satan attacks us with during adversity?

    There is another voice. It is much softer and requires more effort to hear. It is not a voice of shame. It is a voice of hope, love, acceptance, forgiveness, and grace. You have to slow way down and be quiet to hear this voice. That is the loving voice of God and His word.

    Lauren Daigle’s lyrics describe this voice poetically.

    You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing
    You say I am strong when I think I am weak
    You say I am held when I am falling short
    When I don’t belong, oh You say that I am Yours
    And I believe, oh I believe
    What You say of me
    I believe

    All of us hear those voices from the enemy. The voices from bad experiences in our past may require counseling to help erase them. But for the everyday challenges of the journey, I have learned that the voice we tend to hear first in the spiritual battle is the loud one. Step back, be still, and listen for the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit.

    Our God is a God of forgiveness. We need to fix our eyes on Jesus. Don’t lose heart. Don’t allow the enemy to keep you from leaning on God for comfort because of your shame. That is not from the Lord.

    In John we read this amazing promise.

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

    Don’t believe the lies. You are a child of God. Beloved. As Lauren Daigle sings this truth I pray that we will believe it today.

    The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me
    In You I find my worth, in You I find my identity,

    It is true. I believe!

    Excerpts taken from Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace

  • I Am Unashamed Of My Faith in Jesus

    Matthew West is one of my favorite Christian songwriter/singers. His lyrics are both inspiring and applicable to my journey. I need both of those.

    His song “Unashamed” hit my heart the first time I heard it. Matthew West opens with stories of faithful servants of God followed by a couple of challenging questions.

    So, what’s gonna be said of me
    When it’s all said and done?
    Will I stand for my beliefs
    Or will I turn around and run?

    Part of the challenge of being a follower of Jesus is withstanding the criticisms from many around you. I worked in a secular industry with many who doubted the reality or need for faith in God. Some felt you were weak if you needed Jesus. Some thought you were brainwashed or, even worse, braindead if you believed in God. They delivered accusations to defend their narrative and my response was always honest.

    Accuser: A lot of Christians fall way short of who they should be. They don’t act at all like this Jesus they talk about.

    Me: Agreed. Actually all followers of Jesus fall short of living like him. Part of the love and grace of Jesus is to patiently help sincere followers grow in our journey to be more like him. His love and forgiveness are the same on our best and worst days.

    Accuser: I know so many hypocrites.

    Me: Yep. Me too. Hypocrites also exist on the non-faith side. My message for 40 plus years is don’t reject Christ because of Christians. Your faith decision should never be based on whether Dave or churchgoers you watch prove to you that Jesus is real.

    Your decision is to personally and genuinely explore if Jesus Christ is who he said he is. The Son of God. Our Savior. The way to eternal life. Those are your questions to answer.

    I struggled with judgmental churchgoers. I understand the frustration that brings. I wasn’t raised as a Christian and I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit my life to something that didn’t seem consistent.

    Thank God I decided to honestly and intellectually seek the reality of God’s love and forgiveness. Jesus answered that request and radically changed my life in ways I never expected.

    And now I agree completely with this bold statement of Matthew West.


    “Well, let the whole world hear me say….”

    Say what? Here it is!

    I’m unashamed
    Of the gospel of Jesus Christ
    And the truth that changed my life
    For the name above all names
    I’m unashamed
    And I will live my faith out loud
    Take a stand and stand my ground
    For the One who took my shame
    I’m unashamed

    I agree with all of my heart! I’m unashamed. I can tell you with complete assurance that my life would have 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 in God. Any quality that you find positive in my life has been given or enhanced through my relationship with Jesus. Recently I looked at many of the crossroad moments in my life. God’s grace and mercy allowed me to fail and still find redemption. Anytime I have disappointed others 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 message to those who don’t think my journey with Jesus is legitimate.

    “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 review the crossroads moments I came to in different seasons of my life. I reflect on how God gracefully and lovingly rescued me over and over and over. That grace, love, forgiveness, and direction happened because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

    I’m unashamed.

    And so very grateful.