Charisa Stories

Tag: Jesus

  • What Is The Most Challenging Command From Jesus?

    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.

  • A Rescued Labrador Taught Me How To Trust

    I have been blessed to hear that people are still reading and being touched by my book Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace. If you don’t know the premise of the book I shared the stories of two rescued Labradors. The first rescue was Hannah. She was a perfectly behaved canine companion. After Hannah passed away, we adopted another Lab to our home. We named her Maggie and she was not quite as well-behaved as Hannah.

    Okay…not even close.

    I described her initial story in Stay.

    For the first two weeks Maggie was pretty well behaved. But now she is showing some decidedly less attractive sides to her personality. She is independent. She is stubborn. She is affectionate only when she wants to be affectionate. She acts out on occasion. She chews things that are not approved for that activity. I am finding out that a “honeymoon” period is pretty common for rescue dogs. That was not mentioned in the brochure. Now that the honeymoon is over, I guess we get down to the challenge of making this relationship work.

    I wish we knew more of Maggie’s backstory. We found out from the veterinarian’s report that Maggie had a fresh gash on her leg when she was rescued near Van Alstyne, Texas. The exam showed that she was visibly undernourished and tested positive for hookworms. Everything else was a mystery. Was she wanted and ran away? Was she unwanted and abandoned to fend for herself? Was she treated poorly? Had she been socialized with other animals and people? The details of her story—who, what, where, when, why—surely have influenced her behavior.

    Maggie’s biggest issue has been trust. I certainly get that. She was captured, kenneled, and then fostered. If I had been bounced around as a child, I would have trust issues. Oh wait—I didn’t experience any of that, and I still have trust issues.

    Of course, Maggie isn’t a unique case. Many rescued dogs suffer from behavioral baggage. Some have severe separation anxiety that may have started when the pups were taken from their mother too early. If a dog has fended for itself, it can become dangerously territorial over food and possessions. When a dog flinches or cowers at the gentlest human touch, it breaks my heart. 

    Each day, I tried to read Maggie’s expressions and body language. Did she think we were just one more way station on her sad journey? She seemed appreciative of everything we gave her, yet she was still wary. Her personality was friendly at times, but then she’d become withdrawn and want to hide. She would accept affection but she rarely initiated it. The message she was sending was “It’s okay. I can make it on my own.

    “Stay: Lesssons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace”

    Those memories reminded me of my own journey. I came to Jesus with baggage. I wasn’t abandoned but I certainly needed Him to rescue me from my own selfish desires and stubborn insistence that I could “do it on my own”.

    I thought about my experience with Maggie and compared it with how Jesus could report His experience with me.

    Both of us could be frustratingly inconsistent in our obedience. We shared a penchant to react impulsively to certain stimuli instead of calming evaluating our next step. We both chose to be selective with our affection and caring for others. 

    When I remember Maggie I see how she matured. She learned to trust us and knew we would take care of her.

    Again, I compared that to my journey with Jesus. When I slow down long enough to reflect I can see how I have matured over the years. I have learned to trust Him. My obedience is no longer begrudging compliance but comes out of gratitude for the gift of grace and mercy I receive every day. 

    I can see how many areas of growth I have experienced. Satan wants me to focus on the areas that still need refining and ignore how much God has already done in my life. 

    I know that Jesus will take care of me today and forever. Because of that promise I don’t experience the anxiety that Maggie did on occasion. Jesus made this amazing promise in the Gospel of Matthew. 

    20 …And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
    Matthew 28:20, NLT

    I have the assurance of my eternity and that I will never be abandoned. 

    Maggie was a challenge compared to Hannah. But that is how relationships of love go. Some are easier than others, but all are worth the effort.

    The apostle Peter said it well in his first letter, words that we all should take to heart.

    Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.
    1 Peter 4:8

    We all fall short. We all sin. We all need love when we fail. We all need grace. My prayer for all of us is that we will become infectious carriers of God’s amazing grace. We played the long game with Maggie and she became a sweet and gentle friend. Jesus plays that long game with me and I can see how His patient hand is refining me over time. If you are a follower of Jesus He is doing the same thing for you. Even if you are in a bad season Jesus is patiently and tenderly waiting to be your strength and bring triumph out of trials. My prayer is that you will trust and embrace the process.

  • Lord, Help Me Pray Before I Post. Amen.

    It is so unnerving that social media can make generally kind people become hateful. I have watched with sadness as people I consider friends severely denigrated people they once considered friends. Sometimes the venom is directed at those who simply have a difference of opinion on political or moral issues. And the attacks on people who claim the title of Christian have broken my heart.

    Without fail the hypocrite word is used with smug satisfaction.

    And it is true. Let me make this personal since I can only speak honestly for me. I can be a hypocrite. I do not consistently live up to the teachings of Jesus. I fail. I sin. That is why I need a Savior and not a self-help course. I am confident not in my holiness but in the holiness of Jesus. I remember hearing a pastor say that “we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. But that doesn’t keep us from comparing distances.”

    That is exactly what I used to do and still do when I forget why Jesus found it necessary to die for me! I found it easy to judge those I condemned without knowing anything about that person’s wounds or struggles. I would self-righteously note that at least I haven’t said or believed something that offensive! I am not as bad as them!

    So what?

    Whether I fall a millimeter short or miles short of the glory of God is meaningless. I have fallen short. I am a desperate sinner in need of a Savior. Today I asked for the Holy Spirit to examine my heart. I am not responsible for the comments of others. I am accountable for my comments and thoughts before the One who went to the Cross to win my forgiveness.

    Many people have proclaimed that anyone who believes a certain political or cultural thing cannot be a Christian. So your beliefs are the path to salvation? Seriously? I have gone through seasons where I am now regretful for what I said or believed. God patiently changed my heart. The people you attack may be wrong but the Holy Spirit may be changing their hearts.

    May I ask you a tough question? How can you be a sincere follower of Jesus if you spew hate?

    “If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.”
    ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭20‬-‭21‬, NLT

    There is a familiar parable from the Gospel of John. I wondered how Jesus might respond to today’s condemning cyberthugs. Here is a modern version of a well known story.

    A crowd soon gathered, and He (Jesus) sat down and taught them. As He was speaking, the teachers of politically correct opinions brought a woman who had been caught in the act of hateful speech. They put her in front of the crowd.

    “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught posting intolerance and hate speech. We say she should be fired, disgraced, and shunned. What do you say?”

    They were trying to trap Him into saying something they could use against Him, but Jesus stooped down and looked at the device in His hand. They kept demanding an answer, so He typed a message that appeared on every device in the crowd simultaneously. They read the message on their screen.  “All right, but let the one who has never unfairly judged another and who has never said an ugly untruth about another post the first judgement!” Then he looked down and typed something else.

    When the accusers read this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

    “No, Lord,” she said.

    And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Remember that every person is precious in My sight and that I loved them enough to endure the Cross. Go and sin no more.”

    Forgive me for taking liberties with such an amazing Scriptural text. But I think it brings it home for us that I (and you) are just like that mob who dragged the woman to Jesus.

    Lord Jesus,

    Forgive me for my judgement of others. Forgive me for my ugly thoughts. Forgive me for my mean comments about those you love dearly.  And thank you for still loving me in spite of the ugly reality of my own sin. I fall on your grace today. Please remind me to use these gifts of communication only to edify, encourage, and inspire.

    Thank you for loving me. Help me to love others in the power of Your Amazing Grace.

    Amen

  • How Should We Deal With Today’s Chicken Little Fear?

    I remember reading Chicken Little when I was a child. The story tells that a young chick walking along was unexpectedly struck on the head by an acorn. With no further investigation Chicken Little came to the kind of well reasoned conclusion that floods our social media today.

    The sky is falling!

    Today Chicken Little would be an excellent politician or cable news anchor. Every time I violate my own personal mental health policy and scroll through social media comments I am plunged into despair. 

    I know is important to communicate information for our actions and safety. But the tone and sheer volume of fear mongering is depressing.

    When I survey social media I see overwhelming fear, anger, gloom, and apocalyptic doom. Again, I understand the need to be informed. But I am beginning to think that fear and hatred are the most consistent ingredients for too many sources.

    As a follower of Jesus how do I process this tsunami of doom? I need to remind myself of some fundamental truths that I hold true. I find myself doing this over and over because the noise from the culture can drown out the quiet voice of the Spirit of God. Here is a small dose of my faith vaccine for fear.

    These events are NOT a surprise to God. Violence, hatred, bigotry, and division are a product of a fallen world that will someday be redeemed. Jesus made it very clear that following Him is not a get out of grief card. 

    “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NLT)

    Yes, there will be troubles but He has overcome the world. What does that mean?

    It means even in my deepest fear and darkest hour I know that I am loved, adopted, redeemed, and I have the promise of eternity with God. I have hope to sustain me. I am not anxious to leave this world but I am also not afraid. I believe I have an eternal inheritance given as a free gift of grace awaiting me.

    I do my best to obey the laws the authorities lay out for me. I try to be a good neighbor and a responsible citizen. After doing all of those important things I stand on this conclusion drawn by David when he was afraid for his future. His lament sounds like he could have written it today.

    My heart is breaking
        as I remember how it used to be:
    I walked among the crowds of worshipers,
        leading a great procession to the house of God,
    singing for joy and giving thanks
        amid the sound of a great celebration!

    David was isolated. His days of joyful gatherings were just a memory as he hunkered down alone in fear. But he remembered the key to his joy and thankfulness. He remembered where he placed his hope.

    Why am I discouraged?
        Why is my heart so sad?
    I will put my hope in God!
        I will praise him again—
        my Savior and my God!

    In Psalm 73 the author laments how the wicked seem to prosper and he wonders if his efforts are in vain. Then he recognizes the problem is not the world but the bitterness in his own heart. He acknowledges that he may face troubles but his source of strength is eternal.

    My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
        but God remains the strength of my heart;
        he is mine forever. (Psalm 73:26, NLT)

    The next time the news or a social media influencer is causing your heart to be downcast remember the words of Paul to the church at Corinth.

    “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 
    (2 Corinthians 4:17-18, NLT)

    Today I choose to focus my gaze on the source of hope and light. 

    Jesus.

  • Can The Bible Still Change The World We Live In?

    I have a lot of relationships with friends, colleagues, and even family members who don’t understand my belief in the Bible as the inspired word of God. People who are unbelievers or even believers can use verses out of context to support beliefs that don’t express the love and grace of God. Sincere followers of Christ know that unloving misapplications of biblical texts have done harm and we often forget the incredible positive impact this book has had on history.

    The teachings of Jesus lived out by His early followers radically changed the status of women and children. Biblical stories and characters flow throughout great literature and art. Much of the true humanitarian work in medicine was born out of biblical conviction. But many people like to focus on a Scriptural direction that bothers them. Tim Keller said that should absolutely be expected if God is who He claims to be.

    “If the Bible really was the revelation of God, and therefore it wasn’t the product of any one culture, wouldn’t it contradict every culture at some point? Therefore, if it’s really from God, wouldn’t it have to offend your cultural sensibilities at some point?”

    Yes, it should. For example, God says to love your enemy in a culture that is being fueled by hatred. Seriously Lord? Love these people who I believe are so incredibly wrong? I have seen social media posts from believers that I know who celebrated the deaths of political believers they disagreed with.

    Heartbreaking.
    Wrong.

    Divisive.

    Not a bit surprising that the most consistent action that triggered Jesus was hypocrisy.

    A lot of people don’t think this ancient book is applicable to today’s world. I once went through that struggle as I honestly sought to see if God’s Word was what I needed to live the rest of my life.

    In that journey I personally came to believe that no volume addresses the most fundamental questions of humankind as completely as the Bible.

    Why am I here?

    Do I have a purpose?

    Is there anything after death?

    Is there a God?

    Can I know God personally?

    Is God a loving or vindictive force?

    Why is there pain and suffering if God is loving?

    How can I find joy?

    These questions are honestly examined in the Bible, through words and interactions in the stories of the people struggling with those same imponderables. People like you and me. The Bible does not sugarcoat the failings of the most revered biblical figures. Wouldn’t a human produced volume try to hide the failings of men and women who claim to be godly? Scripture honestly explores evil, sin, consequences, suffering, and pain. It sets forth the basis for true justice for the poor and oppressed, something that people still seek today. I have found principles for success in marriage, parenting, work, leadership, and friendship. I see hope for the future when others say it looks bleak. I realize salvation requires nothing to be sacrificed, other than my unwillingness to confess my need. I honestly believe that my relationship with Jesus built on the foundation of Scripture took me off a very bad path that I had started down.

    This Bible holds a power unlike any other I have encountered. Do I struggle with some of it? Of course. But I can read a passage that I have read countless times before and, without warning, find my heart pierced by a truth that changes my current situation, if not my very life. I have discovered this verse to be completely true:

    The word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two­edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (Hebrews 4:12)

    For that to happen, I need to drop the defensiveness and allow the light of Scripture into the darkest recesses of my heart. That takes time and relationship.

    Part of my own journey to reconnect with God and others, and disconnect from performance anxiety, is to intentionally spend daily contemplative time in the Bible. Being relaxed, not pressured to read one verse or five chapters. Digging out truths of theology or enjoying stories of flawed humans like me being used in God’s grand purpose.

    4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. (Romans 15:4, NLT)

    I used to read with a performance goal in mind. I need to read the Bible in a year. I need to finish this study. Now I read with only the expectation that God will meet me there and direct our time together. Expecting grand revelations each time I read the Bible instead of warm fellowship with God is one more way I stub my toe on the sacred. God desires to slowly mold me in His timing as I spend time with Him. Relationships take time and presence.

    16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NLT)

    Comedian George Carlin put it succinctly. “I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me. They’re cramming for their final exam.”

    That resonates with me, since my final exam date could soon be on the docket. That sentiment of cramming to try to measure up reflects my early church upbringing that the purpose of salvation is primarily to avoid hell. Since I discovered grace, my journey has been dramatically different. Now Scripture sharpens, softens, refines, redeems, corrects, inspires, and comforts me.

    I suggest you sit down with Jesus and God’s Word, not to study it or check off a daily task. This is about relationship. Reading a Gospel parable, a psalm, or an encouragement from the Word is simply hanging out with your Abba Father. His Word has changed my life.

  • Love People Of All Colors Because We All Bleed The Same

    My heart is so sad as I think about the tragic death of a young man in Frisco, Texas. The families of both Austin Metcalf and Karmelo Anthony will never be the same. I have also been deeply saddened by the rhetoric from some people on both sides. Please read the rest of this blog before you condemn my statement. Sadly the previous sentence might actually be too late for so many respondents.

    I remembered a duet from Mandisa and TobyMac that touched me deeply. They addressed the heartbreaking issue of political division that affects our culture and often impacts the church.

    These lyrics immediately grabbed my heart.

    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? Martin Luther King Jr taught 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 can get caught up in the politics of our world and snuff out that light. I have been guilty of that in my journey at times. I pray it will not happen again.

    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. 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.

    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 denigrate our faith is to strike back. Jesus knew this would happen and He had some very radical instructions.

    “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Luke 6:27-28,  NET)

    I wonder what God could do if we followed those words?  And if we remembered that we all created in the image of God but our different experiences and stories can divide us. They don’t have to. The song lyrics have grace filled insight.

    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

    My prayer is that we do not focus on the multitude of political issues that divide us but on the one healing name that can unite us.

    Jesus.

    His blood was shed on the Cross for all races. If we believe that then why are we divided? We don’t need to be if we keep our eyes on the Cross.

  • Division Impacts The Power Of The Gospel

    My head explodes when I allow myself to wade into the political discourse between followers of Jesus Christ on Facebook, X, and other social media. There are important cultural issues that Christians need to prayerfully and gracefully seek God’s wisdom to address. What I read is rarely graceful and that makes me wonder how prayerful the messengers have been before hitting the send button. What gives you the right to judge the faith status of another believer because you disagree with them? I was wrong about many political things in my life but I did believe in Jesus (in spite of what some critics thought) and God patiently changed my heart.

    Because of the nature of social media a topic that should be thoughtfully debated instead becomes an us versus them. I can assure you that no one’s mind is changed by a name calling rant. If fact, that person is more likely to dig in even deeper to what may be incorrect opinions because of your unkind comments.

    These judgements of motives and personal attacks are so damaging to the message of grace that I hold so dear. Sometimes I try to imagine myself as a skeptical seeker looking to explore this Christianity thing. I am pretty sure if I stumbled on some of these mean-spirited threads I would run straight for the secular hills.

    The irony of this need to “win” the argument at the expense of Christian charity and love may be one more profoundly effective tactic of the enemy. The moment the Church is divided by culture instead of united in Christ is the moment our light for the message of the Gospel dims. Paul noted that God’s sovereignty can take any proclamation of the Gospel and use it for His glory.

    “It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.” (Phillipians 1:15-18)

    I hope that most followers of Jesus wish to communicate the incredibly liberating forgiveness of the Gospel. I hope that most of us wish to be accurate in that communication. But I also hope that most of us wish to be gracious, kind, loving, and thoughtful toward all in the body who desire to celebrate Jesus. 

    When asked what the most important commandment was Jesus replied without hesitation.

    “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.”

    And he added a second part…”Be accurate and angrily make sure others are accurate at all costs.”

    Hardly.

    His convicting command is well known.

    “The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” 

    Don’t hijack my point. Accuracy is important but you cannot love your neighbor as yourself by condescension, assigning of bad motives, and smug righteousness. 

    I wish followers of Jesus would proclaim what we are FOR more passionately than what we are against. What if we decided to spend all of our energy proclaiming that the Son of God came to earth as a human, lived a sinless life, was crucified as a sacrifice for my sin and yours and then was resurrected to show the ultimate victory over sin and death?

    What if we decided to be a little kinder, give a little more, serve a little more often, and commit to unity in our ranks?

    My concern is that the lack of unity is the single biggest problem in the universal church and, of course, in our individual fellowships. There is no more powerful community than a group of believers who live in unity. Nothing levels the playing field like genuinely following Jesus. 

    Famous preacher D.L. Moody had this warning. “I have never yet known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord’s people were divided.”

    The One that unites us is so much more important than the things that divide us. Can we commit to encountering others in grace based on our unity in Jesus Christ? 
    The choice is ours.