Charisa Stories

Tag: Jesus

  • Where Am I?


    This floor sticker was amusing but not particularly helpful. It did make me remember how long I stumbled around trying to figure out where I was on my spiritual journey. Was I going to Heaven? Was I a good, bad, or indifferent Christian? Was I loved by God? Was I significant? The question of where I was as a follower of Christ and who I was as a person consumed and confused me.

    The always present Enemy answered the questions above on a regular basis. Maybe not going to Heaven. Definitely a bad Christian. Not really loved or bad things wouldn’t happen to you. Totally insignificant. The following is a little excerpt on this topic from my book Waking Up Slowly.

    For too many years I believed the accusations, without considering the question that Philip Yancey asks.

    Sociologists have a theory of the looking-glass self: you become what the most important person in your life (wife, father, boss, etc.) thinks you are. How would my life change if I truly believed the Bible’s astounding words about God’s love for me, if I looked in the mirror and saw what God sees?

    I am learning to look into the mirror and see someone that I accept by faith and not by my feelings. I see a saint. That’s right. Many (maybe most) of Satan’s accusations are true. But what I now see is a man who is a saint. I found forty references to saints in Paul’s writings in the English Standard Version. From his additional descriptions, I am pretty sure that the recipients of his letters were not always behaving like saints. They were saints because of Christ, and not by meticulously following the law.

    God sees those who trust Jesus as righteous, no matter how many accusations are thrown at them. Amazing.

    All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.

    (Ephesians 1:3-5, NLT)

    That is my (and your) identity as a follower of Jesus. Holy and without fault in His eyes. I will be accused again, probably sooner than later. But I am learning to simply say this to myself: “That is not who I am anymore. I am holy because of Christ.”

    When I forget that truth, I allow doubt, confusion, shame, and sadness to creep in. Not leaning on the finished work of Jesus as my strength and identity sets me up for a frustrating masquerade of faith.

    There may be no element more important to living fully in the moment with God than accepting that I am loved by Him right now just as I am. That is so counterintuitive to how “love” so often works in my experience. I have talked with too many men who justify their extramarital relationships by saying they deserve more than their current marriage provides. It always hurts my heart because those they hurt deeply do not deserve to be wounded by betrayal. I try to never forget what I said on that July day more than forty years ago to my bride. I made vows to Joni Lynn Banks before God. I did not sign a contract with escape clauses based on my happiness at any given point in time.

    The world speaks a different love language. “I will love you while you are attractive.” “I will love you when you make me happy.” “I will love you when you do what I ask you to do.” Human love almost always includes conditional elements. That is not God’s love.

    The Lord your God is in your midst; he is a warrior who can deliver.
    He takes great delight in you; he renews you by his love; he shouts for joy over you.
    (Zephaniah 3:17, NET)

    The attributes of God’s love are mind boggling. It is personal. You and I can relate to God the Creator of the universe as our Father. Think about that. I mean really think about that. I am conditioned to believe that if something seems too good to be true, then I am being deceived. That is what Satan would have me believe. But the stunning radicality of grace is that what seems to be too good to be true is more true than I can imagine.

    (Reprinted with permission of Tyndale Publishing, All Rights Reserved)

    So where am I today? No matter what my physical location might be I have both feet firmly planted on the foundation of my identity in Christ. I am putting my full weight on His Grace. No matter where I am that is who I am! And it is a really peaceful place to be after all these years.

  • Savoring My Walk “Home” Celebration

    I recently recalled a comment one of my colleagues made during a meeting. I was joking about my age and remarked that I was no doubt well into the fourth quarter of my life. He said with a smile “you may be in sudden death overtime! I laughed and agreed. Later I thought about how accurate that exchange could be. One big change in my reaction to that possibility is I no longer dread the prospect of my time ending.


    One of my favorite authors, Randy Alcorn, gets right to the heart of the matter.

    “Many Christians dread the thought of leaving this world. Why? Because so many have stored up their treasures on earth, not in heaven. Each day brings us closer to death. If your treasures are on earth, that means each day brings you closer to losing your treasures.”

    I believe so many of my treasures are in heaven. My dad, my mom, my nephew Dean, and my beloved grandmother are among the many people who have gone ahead of me and whom I long to see there. My daughter, Katie, is waiting for me. So many dear friends have transitioned to eternal life with Jesus. What will that experience be like?

    It brought to mind a moment from my television directing career with the Texas Rangers that might offer a glimpse of my heavenly reunion someday. It was a sports director’s dream moment. The Rangers had many “walk-off” wins during my tenure, scoring the winning run in the last at bat at home. When a game is over, both teams walk off the field but with very different body languages.

    In this particular game against the Los Angeles Angels, the score was tied in the bottom of the ninth with two outs on the board. Rangers’ catcher Geovany Soto was at the plate. I was in a TV truck that had dozens of monitors filled with camera shots, graphics, and replay sources. I orchestrated the broadcast from my seat in front of a huge bank of camera monitors, communicating by headset to camera operators what to do next. I selected a shot from the monitors in front of me, and the technical director pushed a button that put it “on the air,” instantaneously sending it into your home.

    I scanned the monitors, focusing on Soto’s intense concentration. The Angels’ closer was trying to send a tie game into extra innings. The Ranger players were hanging on the dugout rail, hoping that Soto would come through. The count went full. Two outs. And then it happened. The ball was driven deep to left field. The Ranger players started to jump up and down as the ball headed toward the stands, then left the park. Pandemonium ensued inside the park.

    Ranger players Elvis Andrus, Adrian Beltre, and others leapt over the rail and sprinted toward home plate to greet the hero of the moment. Soto rounded third, flipped his helmet in the air with joy, and sprinted toward a throng of teammates encircling home plate. They were smiling and waiting anxiously for Soto to get “home” so they could celebrate. As he neared home plate, Soto made a gigantic leap and disappeared into the dogpile of teammates. What a picture. That is the drama of sports. Even the apostle Paul used sports as an analogy for spiritual things.

    I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 

    1 Corinthians 9:23-25

    I reflected on that passage and the thrilling finish of that Rangers-Angels game. As electrifying as it was, that victory is nothing compared to holding the eternal prize that will not fade away when I finish this earthly race. I began to imagine my heavenly homecoming and how it might resemble that “walk-off” moment. I saw myself rounding third and heading toward all of the loved ones who had gone ahead, the joy of their faces compelling me to run faster. I jumped into a dogpile of dear friends and family who had shared my journey. When I finally emerged from the ecstatic group, I saw Jesus. He hugged me warmly. I was safe at home. 




  • You Can End Groundhog Day Faith

    You Can End Groundhog Day Faith

    Every year they rudely awaken Punxsutawney Phil long enough for the reluctant rodent to let us know if six more weeks of winter awaits. Phil always looks as happy as I do when when I am disturbed in the morning. Twenty-eight years ago a funny and underappreciated movie came on the scene. Groundhog Day told the story of a self-absorbed news reporter (redundancy alert?) that finds himself stuck in an endless repeat of the same day. Bill Murray is perfect in the role of reporter Phil Connors.

    The premise of the movie is that Phil Connors is doomed to live the same day over and over and over. For Connors, Groundhog Day begins each morning at 6:00 A.M as Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” blares out from his alarm clock radio. The twist is that his (and only his) memories of the “previous” day remain intact, trapped in a seemingly endless “time loop” to repeat the same day endlessly. 

    I thought of another famous Bill Murray quote…this time from Stripes.

    And then depression set in.

    So what is the point of these ramblings? Is it to impress you with my cerebral movie tastes? The point is that too many followers of Jesus are stuck in a Groundhog Day life of their own. They wake up every day and feel trapped in a repeating pattern of frustrating behavior. And then, depression sets in. Why is that? I lived a Groundhog Day kind of faith for years. The Apostle Paul wrote about this very thing (not the giant rodent part…the repeating behavior part) in his letter to the Romans.

    I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. (Romans 7, The Message)

    Wow…can I relate to that. A bit later Paul writes…I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?

    That is the real question. And there is a real answer offered by Paul.

    The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

    So what can you do to get out of this sin spiral?

    Nothing.

    Wait!  Don’t let depression set in. This is good news! You and I can’t do it. I am incapable in my own efficacy to escape my spiritual Groundhog Day. Only Jesus can enable me to escape this endless loop of frustration. Further advice from Paul follows in Chapter 8 of his amazing letter to the Romans.

    But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. 

    Allow the truth of that verse to soak in.

    Want to get out of your Groundhog Day existence? Most readers of these humble ramblings realize they couldn’t deal with their sin separation from God on their own. We needed Jesus. So why do we think we can deal with our ongoing sin issues on our own? When the Father looks at me on my very worst day this is what He sees.

    Jesus.

    That is step one. I don’t have to clean up the sin to please God. He loves me already because of Jesus. Step Two. I am learning daily to recognize that the Spirit of God has taken up residence in my life. I am learning that I am the one who limits His power by restricting access and not trusting Him with my thoughts and actions. I am learning that I don’t need to wake up to the frustrating effects of repeated self-effort. I can wake up trusting God, trusting that Jesus has my sin covered and trusting that the Spirit of God will allow me to resolve that sin. Trusting God and what His Word says to be true allows me to escape the Groundhog Day syndrome.

    The moral of the movie Groundhog Day was that Phil Connor needed to learn that he was self-absorbed and dependent on his selfish efforts to get ahead. The moral of the spiritual groundhog day is to learn that we cannot depend on our self efforts to live a joyful and free Christian life. I come to Jesus by grace and total dependence. I live for Jesus by grace and total dependence. While the other groundhog is busy predicting weather I would suggest you try this for the next six weeks.
    When the alarm jars you awake remember this truth. Instead of the Sonny and Cher song you can sing “I Got You Lord”. The two of you can end this “Groundhog Day” of frustration. I can’t help you with the weather.

  • Jesus and Politics

    Jesus and Politics

    Nothing like starting out the week by discussing two of the three forbidden topics: politics and Jesus. I used to be a rabid political guy. I once believed we could change the culture with the right political leaders. I was right to have the dream but wrong about the method. Even if I could get my “dream team” elected we would still have a problem in our culture.

    Sin.

    Politics and law don’t change the inconvenient truth that we have an inherent human heart problem. Jesus gave us a perfect example of what it looks like to be a good citizen while recognizing what really changes the heart of man. The religious legalists (the Pharisees) were trying to trick Jesus to get Him in trouble with the Roman government. Nice try.

    “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?”

    Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.”When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”

    “Caesar’s,” they replied.

    “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

    His reply completely amazed them.

    Tim Keller brilliantly identifies what happens when we make politics an ultimate thing.

    If you center your life and identity on a “noble cause,” you will divide the world into “good” and “bad” and demonize your opponents. Ironically, you will be controlled by your enemies. Without them, you have no purpose.

    We have taken demonizing to an art form in this current climate and both sides of the aisle believe they have a noble cause. We have seen the devastation to our country when we demonize our opponents. We must not fall into that trap as representatives of Jesus. Love those who oppose you and show them that grace is a bipartisan gift from God. Let me say that I take my responsibility as a citizen very seriously. I do my homework and I vote in every election. That is a privilege I treasure. Who is in power has been an issue throughout history.

    Paul wrote to a church in Rome that certainly had to deal with some political issues.

    Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.  (Romans 13:1, NLT)

    That can be a hard one for believers right, left, and center to stomach at times. But I didn’t write those words in Scripture that remind me that God is in control and I am not.

    Philip Yancey wrote these words.

    Jesus and Paul spent no energy on trying to clean up the Roman empire, despite their terrible practices of abandoning infants, pederasty, and gladiator games.  Indeed, the people Jesus denounced most harshly, the Pharisees, were some of the most moral people on earth.  He did not give us the challenge of imposing our morality on others, but rather of spreading a far more radical message: that God loves sinners.  Politics is based on power, and power always causes divisions.  It is very difficulty indeed to get across a message of love and power at the same time.  One of them always loses out, and we are called to emphasize love.

    I agree. Jesus spent zero time trying to change the political culture. He spent all of His time changing hearts. The real power to change our broken world comes from the finished work of Jesus and the transformational power of the Gospel.

    My book, Waking Up Slowly, can be used as a 21 Day Journey to become more connected with God, one another and yourself.

    Waking Up Slowly_Cover

  • Sorting the Voices in My Head

    Sorting the Voices in My Head

    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 often have terrible ideas”.

    I suspect that is true for some of you as well. Some of the bad voices in our heads are formidable foes that come from emotional and spiritual baggage.

    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. 

    Jesus had to deal with Satan’s lies face-to-face. Three times He was tempted by the devil’s alluring promises (see Matthew 4:1-11). He rebuked the lies by leaning on Scripture. As the time neared for His time Jesus comforted His followers with this promise of a guiding voice.

    26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. (John 14:26, NLT)

    If we believe that promise how would you expect the Spirit of God to communicate while teaching you? Through intimidation and shame? Of course not. Paul pointed out the incomprehensible love of God is his letter to the Romans.

    But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8, NLT)

    That kind of love communicates truth with grace and patience. Jesus followed that promise of the Holy Spirit with another promise. Peace of mind and heart.

    27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27, NLT)

    Our minds get hacked by the enemy. The voice I tend to hear first in the battle is the loud one. I need to step back, be still, and listen for the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. 

    Satan’s voice is predictably negative. So many times I listen to the lament of friends and I recognize the voice they are hearing is not the tender Spirit of God. Here is just a partial list to evaluate to see if the voice you are hearing is from the Holy Spirit or the enemy.

    • The voice of God convicts in love to help us grow. The enemy condemns.
    • The voice of God is calming and reassuring. The enemy creates anxiety and unrest.
    • The voice of God comforts. The enemy judges and shames.
    • The voice of God clarifies and directs. The enemy sows doubt and confusion.
    • The voice of God brings reassuring peace. The enemy peddles fear.
    • The voice of God gently leads you to trust Him. The enemy says to trust yourself.
    • The voice of God offers moral courage. The enemy promotes ungodly compromise.
    • The voice of God encourages. The enemy discourages at every turn.

    I have a simple question I ask myself when negativity floods my mind. Does the voice I am hearing reflect the grace, love, and character of Jesus? If not I redirect my heart toward His Word. Want another wonderful promise today?

    And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. (John 14:16, NLT)

    The Advocate is the Holy Spirit. He will never leave you. The Holy Spirit will always teach you and remind you of the love and grace of Christ. The Advocate will plant peace in your heart and mind.

    I cannot imagine what my life would look like in this crazy culture without that comfort. Those voices of past sin and failures and hurt are no longer who I am. The voices of accusation that I might hear when facing loss and trials don’t define me anymore. The quiet voice of God is always available to you and me. I pray you will seek that comfort today. His tender voice is there. Always.

  • EVERY Day is Sacred

    EVERY Day is Sacred

    Please forgive me because this week’s musing is directed at a very specific target audience.

    Me.

    Feel free to eavesdrop.

    Last week I watched Monday Night Football with great interest because my Fantasy Football championship was at stake. A few minutes into the game that became the most meaningless thing in the world. I witnessed along with millions the terrifying collapse of Buffalo Bill defensive back Damar Hamlin. It was obvious from the players reactions on the field that this was not a typical injury situation. We learned that CPR was being administered to restore Hamlin’s heartbeat. Millions united in prayer as he was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

    I was encouraged by the unity shown by people around the world as they joined in prayer and support for Damar and his family. As I write this the prognosis for Damar Hamlin is very encouraging.

    I was once again reminded of the uncertainty of my days on earth. I may have 20 years or 20 minutes and only God knows that number. Time and time again over the years I have had similar moments where I determined to be more aware of how precious life is and to live out of that mindset.

    But I always forget and allow myself to fall back into reacting to meaningless annoyances and worthless distractions. Here is my take away from the incident on the field in Cincinnati last week.

    Every day is sacred. Today is sacred.

    I started running that through my mind each morning this this week and throughout the day. I was driving Friday when a car cut me off and I had my normal not kind initial reaction. That momentary reaction is not necessarily sin. Dwelling on that feeling and allowing it to change your spirit is sin. I remembered my morning emphasis.

    Every day is sacred. Today is sacred.

    That allowed me to change focus to the bigger picture. I am healthy and able to drive. God protected me from an accident. I don’t know what that driver’s story might be. So I simply breathed a prayer for that driver’s safety and those around them. I asked that God would be present in their life. What a difference that awareness made.

    This journey is full of frustrating situations and frustrating people. But I believe with all of my heart that there are sacred moments to be found in even the most mundane of days. Those moments don’t come up and tap you on the shoulder. You have to be in tune with the Holy Spirit to receive those sacred moments. Let me disclaim that I am not accomplished in this practice but I am praying that the Spirit of God will allow me to recognize these sacred events.

    Psalm 139 clearly and poetically proclaims that God is the middle of everything I do. I suspect that every day I am stubbing my toe on something sacred even as I complain about something insignificant.

    This week’s mental post-note is very simple.

    Today Is Sacred.

    David wrote about the constant presence of God in Psalm 139.

    You go before me and follow me.
        You place your hand of blessing on my head.
    Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
        too great for me to understand! (Psalm 139:5-6, NLT)

    If I believe that to be true then I have to believe there are daily sacred moments to be received and given away. They don’t have to be earth shaking in their scope. Just a simple act of love, kindness, service, or concern can be a sacred moment.

    I don’t want to live in a world of frustration, angst, and division. We witnessed with the reaction to Damar Hamlin’s crisis how empowering unity can be. Why can’t we as the body of Christ do better? I want to focus on who unites us.

    Jesus.

    I want to focus on what gives me strength and courage.

    God’s constant presence.

    I want to pray for open eyes to see and enjoy the sacred moments in every day.

    David concludes Psalm 139 with this amazing request.

    Search me, O God, and know my heart;
        test me and know my anxious thoughts.
    Point out anything in me that offends you,
        and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalm 139:23-24, NLT)

    Thank you for this day dear Lord. Remind me through your Spirit that today and everyday is sacred. Please use me as an instrument to show your love and grace today.

  • No Need to Pack Away Your Joy After Christmas

    No Need to Pack Away Your Joy After Christmas

    Dave Burchett

    This weekend we finished one of my least favorite tasks of the year. Taking down the Christmas decorations always fills me with melancholy. I love Christmas and the message of hope and joy it brings. That God entered human form and gave us hope in a Savior who understands our struggle.

    We packed up a treasured Nativity creche that has been a part of our family tradition for decades. That miracle in a Bethlehem stable is where I place my joy as I head into a very unstable New Year. I find my joy in the Messiah, the Lord – who was born in the city of David. It is so easy to remember the reason for hope during Christmas. It also easy to forget that when things turn dark.

    We also packed away a decoration that spells out JOY. Now that we are past this wonderful season it would be easy to pack away joy in the attic and concentrate on cultural concerns. The twenty-four news cycle feeds on negativity. Hearing the message of gloom and doom over and over has it’s effect on even the most steadfast believers. The news anchors peddle darkness and fear and I choose not to be paralyzed by it. The angel of the Lord told the shepherds not to be afraid. Jesus talked a lot about fear.

    “But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear! Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. (Matthew 10 – NLT)

    And these words from Jesus could have been in response to the news reporting hysteria we hear every day.

    “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?…Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.”  (Luke 12, NLT)

    So I have made some decisions. I don’t make vows because I know I will fall short at some point. Choosing a direction allows me to stumble off course but then get back on track.

    I have decided to direct my time a little differently this year. I want to spend less time watching and reading the news and more time reading and meditating on God’s Word. I want to Bipartisan pray for our leaders in Washington but I am going to trust God to provide my hope. I want to live joyfully in each precious moment that God gives me and not live in paralyzing fear of the future. I agree with C.S. Lewis when he wrote these words. “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.“

    We have packed away the decorations for this year but I want to continually unpack the joy that Christ can give me every single day in 2023. You can do that too. May you have a joyful New Year in spite of your circumstances. And remember where your true hope resides.

    Happy New Year!