Charisa Stories

Tag: paul

Ready for the Spiritual Battle? You can be.
This week I taught a lesson from Ephesians about spiritual battles. You likely know the passage about putting on the armor of God.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
(Ephesians 6:10-18, NLT)

The idea of a cosmic heavenly battle is daunting and a more than a little scary. The good news is that God, as usual, has prepared a plan for us. The plan involves consciously and consistently putting on the armor of God representing the list below.
- Truth.
- The righteousness of Christ.
- The peace that comes from the Good News of the Gospel.
- Faith.
- Salvation.
- And the powerful Word of God.
When we put on those things we are armed for battle. A couple of things really stood out as I studied this familiar passage.

I have always focused on the battle part and for me that meant a scene from Bravehart. You put on the armor and then you charge bravely to defeat the enemy. That is not what God says to do. What Paul tells us to do is counterintuitive. He tells us to stand.

Ephesians 6:11…stand firm.

Ephesians 6:13…Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

Ephesians 6:14…Stand your ground.

That really hit me. Satan spends so much time telling us we are not doing enough or not doing it well enough. We have been taught or we believe we have been taught that spiritual maturity is measured by activity. Sometimes we are told to follow. Sometimes to pursue. Sometimes to flee. Again, activity and works are critical to the functioning of the body of Christ but this time there is a new strategy. Paul is saying the battle is already won and we just need to stand. Don’t go all Bravehart and charge. Stand your ground against the enemy.

Stand.

You don’t have to charge into a conflict that has been decided. We are conquerors because of Christ. Jesus has already done what we don’t have the strength to do and we don’t have to charge forward with a spiritual suicide mission. Jesus has already won the victory.

Paul knew a lot about the strategy and techniques of Roman soldiers. He might well have been chained to one as he wrote this. Roman military historian Vegetius writes that the smallest Roman security force was a unit made up of 16 men spaced evenly over 36 square yards. Each soldier had about 6 square feet to defend. The soldiers focused only on that six foot square and not allowing a single enemy soldier to enter their territory.

I love this image. This principle was so helpful for me when I look at the spiritual battles in the world. It is so overwhelming to look at all of the unrest, disunity, and lies in the world. I don’t have to do be responsible for all of that. I have to defend my six square feet of spiritual influence. Stand my ground. Don’t worry about the entire battlefield. Focus on my assignment. I am responsible for my six square feet of family, friends, workmates, social media interactions, and treatment of others.

It is not me against the forces of evil. That is God’s battle. He has equipped me to stand firm and defend my space with confidence and boldness. I am confident and secure in His plan.
January 25, 2021
Reviewing the Jesus Contract

When Joni and I recently purchased a new house we visited the title company to sign the official documents. The person from the title company relentlessly pushed papers in front of us along with a brief description of what we were signing. My memory may not be exact but it was something like this.

This one says that the builder is transferring the deed to you. And this one says that you have paid the taxes that you owe to Caesar. This one says that you agree to let the HOA control everything you think and do. This one says that you are paying us random fees that you have no idea what they are or why they are needed but you have no choice. This one says a lawyer gets a lot of money for cut and pasting into a standard document. It was a mind-numbing process and by the end I probably would have signed anything put in front of me.
Title Company: “This one says you will give us a kidney if we ask you.”
Me: “Okay…Where do I sign?”

Seriously, we had carefully looked over the papers beforehand because we wanted to understand the significance of each document.

Later I wondering how a process like this could work when we decide to enter into a relationship with Jesus. What if we sat across from Jesus and signed off on everything He offered for our salvation? Would it help us to comprehend the amazing number of spiritual transactions that took place when Jesus became our substitute on the Cross? What would that closing appointment look like?

I imagined sitting down across from Jesus to close the deal. His smile was welcoming and kind as he arranged the papers on the table.

Jesus: I am rejoicing that you have decided to follow Me. Let’s start with this document. This is the Forgiveness contract. In this one all of your sins are forgiven. Past, present, and future. God the Father will remember them no more. Let me paraphrase how my servant Paul put it to the Roman believers.

Romans 8:1- So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Me.

Do you accept this offer?

Me: Absolutely!

Jesus: Next are the Adoption Papers. These say that you are now a child of God. You are no longer separated from the Father. Paul told the Galatians we are all children of God through faith. (Galatians 3:26) Just sign right here and know that now you are His beloved child. Trust me, that is a wonderful position to be in.

The next document is the Eternal Warranty. This says that I guarantee my work on the Cross forever. There is nothing Satan can do to change this agreement. I remember when I said this to John and he wrote it in His Gospel account.

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. (John 10:28-29)

This can never be voided. You understand that I am guaranteeing this and you have to do nothing to keep it in place?

Me: I do. This is amazing.

Jesus: Sign here and I will tell you about our kingdom HOA agreement. It is a little different from your earthly version. It says here you have a home in Heaven and that you are part of the worldwide community of believers. That all of my followers will live together in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Paul explained it to the Corinthian Church…

For by one spirit we were all baptized into one body-whether Jews of Greeks, whether slaves or free-and have all been made to drink into one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13)

The next thing we need to look at is the Name Change document.

This one says you will have a new title. You are still Dave but you will be DBA (doing business as) with a new name. Saint. That’s right. All of my followers are saints because of their relationship with me.

Let’s talk about Dwelling Rights next. This document says the Holy Spirit will come to dwell in you. This is such good deal because the Spirit seals you and guides you every moment. You have the presence of God in you by simply agreeing with this truth. After you initial and sign that we will look at the Identity Protection contract.

This document says that you have a brand new identity and it cannot be taken away or hacked. It says that today you are spiritually regenerated as a result of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Gospel message that my Father gave to you through my life, death, and resurrection. Paul put in this way.

This means that anyone who belongs to (Me) has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Cor. 5:17)

You doing okay? You look a little overwhelmed. Let’s look at the Inheritance Clause. By agreeing to follow Me today you are now entitled to everything that the Father promises to Me. I know. That is amazing. There may be some trials along the way but it will be so worth it. Read what was written to the Roman Church.

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. (Romans 8:17)

The next document says you don’t need to add anything else to complete this agreement. My sometimes impetuous child Peter said it very well.

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. (2 Peter 1:3)

Everything is being given to you at this moment and it further states that you are complete and lacking nothing. You have power over Satan and you don’t need to be a slave to sin. But never forget where that power comes from. You can’t do it without Me.

Any questions?

Me: This is unbelievable. Surely I have to bring something to the table to complete this deal?

Jesus: Did you bring your sin?

Me: Yes. Lots of it.

Jesus: Do you recognize that you are separated from God by that sin and need a Savior to be reconciled and made right with Him?

Me: Definitely

Jesus: Do you believe that I took on your sin, went to the Cross, was killed, buried and rose again on the 3^rd day? Do you believe I am the way, the truth, and the life

Me: I do believe.

Jesus: Then you are paid in full. The contract is in effect and cannot be voided.

Me: Your grace is incomprehensible.

Jesus smiles and stands up. He moves toward me and embraces me.

There is one more thing I need to say. Welcome to the Family!

November 23, 2020
One Thing Grace Doesn’t Cover

I talk about Grace so much that the auto-suggest on my phone pops up the word as soon as I hit “G”. I suspect that sometimes you faithful readers wish I would mix up my topics. The truth is I cannot. Understanding grace rocked my spiritual world and changed my walk with God in dramatic and wonderful ways.

I regularly extol the virtues of grace for a follower of Jesus. Grace compels you to trust others with you. Grace compels you to trust Jesus with your sin because you can’t manage it yourself. Grace compels you to forgive because you have been forgiven. Grace compels you to accept others and not judge them. Grace compels you to move toward the unlovable and not away. Grace compels you to sacrifice when you desire security. Grace compels you to love when your heart is hateful. Grace compels you to trust God when you are afraid and weak.

The amazing thing about God’s grace is that He is not a God of a second chance. He is a God of chance after chance after chance ad infinitum. We are never outside God’s redeeming grace, no matter how much or how often we blow it.

But there is one thing that God’s amazing grace does not cover.

The consequences of intentional sin. Paul makes it very clear.

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. (Galatians 6:7, NLT)

I have been deeply saddened and sometimes angered by followers of Jesus who blithely act in ways that are clearly against God’s Word and then proclaim that His grace will cover them. Some call that cheap grace. I cannot label a gift bought with such a price “cheap”. Indeed there are grace abusers and I wrote about that very topic in my book, Waking Up Slowly.

To borrow from my brother Saint Paul, here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: grace can never be viewed as a cheap gift. It cost Jesus everything. I challenge you to kneel at the foot of the cross and look up. There is nothing cheap about the transaction that Jesus suffered for you and me. Nothing causes me to lose my Sunday school lesson quicker than the cheap-grace posse. And yes, I know that some people misuse grace. There is a word for that.

Sin.

The truth is that grace is the only real antidote for sin and should never, ever, be the excuse for sin. Paul addressed the heresy that grace gives me license to sin, and he was rightfully dismayed (you might even say ticked off).

Sin will have no mastery over you, because you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?

Absolutely not!

Romans 6:14-15, NET (emphasis added)

Here is a sampling of other translations of Paul’s undisguised chagrin expressed in Romans 6:15 at the very thought that the sweet grace of the Gospel would be abused:

God forbid! (KJV)
Of course not! (NLT)
May it never be! (NASB)
By no means! (ESV)

Clearly Paul is appalled by the idea that we would even consider using this sacrificial gift of unmerited grace as cover for selfish behavior and sin.

Frederick William Faber is credited with this observation.

“God does not save us by grace so that we may live in disgrace.”

Grace will provide forgiveness for sin but not escape from it’s consequences. Betrayal of a spouse may make you feel better but you do not escape the weight of that sin on those you hurt and on your own heart. Just read the terrible consequences of David’s adultery and you recognize that even a king described as a “man after God’s own heart” cannot dodge the effects of sin. Anytime you rationalize sin by saying that grace has you covered you have bought a lie from the Enemy.

Grace was costly. Grace was painful for God the Father to implement. If you are tempted to abuse that grace perhaps you should review if you really understand the cost paid to make it possible. Grace covers everything. Except the pain left behind in the wake of selfish sin.

October 5, 2020
Twitter Rules from Jesus and Paul

Social media is depressing. After a taking a recent sanity exit from Twitter a song from my (much) younger days triggered the musing for this week. The song Easy to be Hard was written for the musical Hair but it became a big hit as a cover for Three Dog Night. The lyrics could have been written today about the disappointing interactions on Twitter, Facebook and other platforms.

How can people be so heartless
How can people be so cruel
Easy to be hard
Easy to be cold.

I could sing those lyrics almost anytime I cruise through the comments section on Twitter. The dialogue is often mean, unforgiving, and disheartening. I get particularly distressed when people of faith descend to that level of discourse. People who have proudly labeled themselves in their bio as followers of Jesus use language on social media that once would have made a sailor blush. Regular readers of my musings know I am not a purveyor of guilt in my writings. I am just asking a question. Is this the way we should be communicating as a public follower of Jesus?

One push back I hear is that any words other than taking the Lord’s name in vain are merely words. There is some truth to that. Jesus made it clear that what is in our heart is really the issue. So if you have profanity in your heart you might as well let’er rip. Right? Paul moves from meditation to meddling with these words to the church at Ephesus.

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29, NLT

That makes it pretty clear for a Christian. Words do matter. Perhaps the biggest issue is how do Christians, who clearly are called to a higher standard, react to an increasingly coarse culture? It is so easy to get angry and caught up in emotional debates when you are being goaded by an unkind person.

Here are some more annoying words from Paul to the Colossians.

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Colossians 4:6, NLT

How do Christians respond to those who oppose them? It is certainly easy and temporarily satisfying to respond in kind. But here is what Jesus said we should do.

“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Luke 6:35-36, NLT

Not a lot of room to rationalize my “righteous” anger. For my fellow followers of Jesus I suggest the following. Set a higher standard but don’t be self-righteous about it. Just live it. Defend your position with intelligent arguments and don’t descend to ugly name calling. Pray for the heart of those who offend you with mean spirited responses. Remember that the battle is the Lord’s and we are called to share His love and the Good News of the Gospel.

Words matter. A lot. So here is one safe word you can always default to.

Grace.

And love them like Jesus. Then you will truly represent the Father as His grateful child. It’s not easy. But it is right.

September 21, 2020
Time for a Family Conference!

While our three sons were living under our roof there were five words that struck fear in their hearts.

“Time for a family conference”.

They knew that I was about to have a conversation with them and I was going to do most of the talking. I suspect they felt I was being punitive when I called for a conference. The truth is I was pursuing protective love and not punishment. Protective love sees a family dynamic that is hurting someone in the family and when one in the family is hurting all of us are hurting.

When I see the current dynamics of my Christian family I wish I could call a family conference with a heart of protective love. I see social media posts from friends who identify with Jesus that are downright mean and ungraceful. Some repost things that are supposed to be funny but are disrespectful. Others repost sensational stories without verifying them. All of those actions dim the light of our witness.

I totally understand that there are cultural trends that dismay followers of Jesus. I support standing up for the truth. But I am convicted more than ever that the only way to have an impact is to communicate that truth in love.

I already know the push back from some readers. They remind me that Jesus got angry and even destructive when he overturned the tables in the Temple. Fair point. So I have compiled a brief survey to complete. Please check each statement that is true about you.

_____ I have never sinned.

_____ I know with 100 per cent accuracy the heart and motives of those I disagree with.

If you can check both of those statements then I will happily grant you the “Jesus Exemption”. For the rest of us I would suggest that we concentrate more on following the words of Jesus.

“Do to others as you would like them to do to you. If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that?” Luke 6:31

Or maybe we should follow the example of Paul. He found himself in Athens surrounded by people that had to upset him. His strategy was brilliant and instructive for social media today. I wrote about it in When Bad Christians Happen to Good People.

What if we decided to be a kinder and gentler culture warrior, fearlessly and boldly confronting the culture with a great and incomprehensible love? I can tell you in advance that the results would be mixed. Acts 17 documents the apostle Paul’s visit to the city of Athens, a city that caused him great distress (the Greek word, roughly translated, means “ticked off”) because the city was full of idols. Yet, instead of arguing with or maligning the Jews and God-fearing Greeks, he reasoned with them and others who came to listen. Paul was introducing them to some strange ideas, and they wanted to know more. Verse 21 notes that residents of Athens spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas. Their pastime could be considered an ancient version of our talk-radio format. I love what happens next. Paul met his audience where they were. He stood up and said, “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship [notice no condemnation of the idols that Paul obviously found distasteful], I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you” (verses 22-23).

Brilliant! In broadcasting this is known as packaging your idea. You set up a common interest and then tease the audience with the coming payoff to keep them tuned in. But what if Paul and the early believers had approached Athens with some of the strategies we use today? Several believers would march throughout the marketplace defiantly holding up placards:

“If you think you are stoic now, wait till the Lord returns!”

“Hey, Epicureans…the party’s over!”

What if Paul had stepped up and announced, “Repent, you pagan, godless sons of the devil, before you burn in a fiery hell. Take your idols and put them where the goddess of sunlight doesn’t shine.”

I don’t think Paul would have had much of an audience, let alone success. When he finished speaking to the crowd in Athens, the Bible records the box score. It’s pretty much what you and I can expect when we sincerely and lovingly explain our faith. Some of them sneered. Some of them said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” And a few “believed.” Paul endured all that he did for those who believed and those who wanted to hear more. He could not have enjoyed the sneers. While that response is not unexpected, it is never fun.

The early church had no chance to “win” the culture war. Instead they built a community of believers that infiltrated the culture.

Winning hearts almost always works by communicating the truth with grace and love. Truth communicated as law will harden hearts. Truth communicated with grace and love has a chance to soften and change them. To wit, I have never seen one single example of a person persuaded by a Facebook rant. I have seen hundreds hardened in their beliefs (right or wrong) by those tactics.

Change happens when the God’s love breaks through the hurt and confusion of the past and shows the future hope of grace and forgiveness. I will buy you coffee if you can show when a change of heart happened by being harangued and called names. Change happens when the gentle and quiet voice of the Spirit touches a wounded heart. So my plea to my fellow followers of Jesus is to realize you represent Him when you proclaim your truths in the name of Jesus. If you can’t be graceful you might prayerfully consider removing the Jesus tags from your bio. I don’t say that to be mean. I am simply saying if you are representing Jesus you have this standard to follow.

God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9

And I might call in Paul for backup at my family conference.

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Colossians 4:6

I know how easy it is to get riled up with internet threads. Remember who you represent and respond accordingly. Jesus makes it clear.

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. Luke 6:45

All followers of Jesus need to prayerfully examine our hearts before we hit send.

July 13, 2020
The Cancel Culture and Grace

Cancel used to be a fairly straight forward transaction. You canceled a reservation to dinner. Your flight was cancelled. Now cancel can mean your reputation and very career can be ruined if you offer an opinion that is controversial or unacceptable in the crazy court of social media. The normal sentence is shaming the person who dared offer some thought counter to the prevailing cultural trends. I understand pushing back against hateful stereotypes and name calling. That needs to be called out. But more and more this technique is being used to silence the heartfelt convictions of people who simply have a different world view.

Questioning a cultural trend now results in public shaming, bullying, and harassment.

I loathe the strategy of organized shaming to silence speech and cultural discourse. One of my personal hypocrisy tests is to examine my own propensity to “cancel” others that I don’t agree with. I might not launch an online attack but the reality is that refusing to entertain the viewpoints of others can effectively cancel them in your own heart.

Sadly the church was canceling before canceling was cool. I grew up being taught that if you did not hold a particular doctrine you were not a real Christian. You were “canceled” from fellowship. If you partook in activities that were not sanctioned by the denominational rulebook you were canceled. These rules often were not biblical. They were man made convictions that had nothing to do with the redemptive work of Jesus. For example, our church said we couldn’t go bowling because alcohol was served at the bowling alley. These kind of legalistic rules became as important to some in the church as actual Biblical teachings about forgiveness, serving one another, and loving your neighbor. The result of a “rules religion” is brilliantly summarized by Tim Keller in his book Prodigal God.

“We tend to draw conservative, buttoned-down, moralistic people. The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church. That can only mean one thing. If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did.”

Our culture says you have to act correctly and you will be loved. Jesus said you are loved no matter what you have said or done. The culture says clean up your act and you will be forgiven. Jesus says you can be forgiven by simply accepting His gift of grace and redemption with no clean up required. It is one hundred percent His work on the Cross and nothing that you or I bring to the table.

A song by one of my favorite artists, Andrew Peterson, reminds me of the mystery of grace. Peterson beautifully illustrates that I am like every sinner who ever lived or will live. Peterson’s lyrics hit home and remind me that I am saved by grace alone. I was a sinner in need of a Savior. Andrew Peterson’s lyrics describe it well.

I am the woman at the well, I am the harlot
I am the scattered seed that fell along the path
I am the son who ran away
I am the bitter son who stayed

I am the angry men who came to stone the lover
I am the woman there ashamed before the crowd
I am the leper who gave thanks
I am the nine who never came

Paul tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I used to feel superior to those who violated my denomination’s “Top 10 list of things not to do if you are a real Christian”. But I came to realize that having less repulsive sins on my resume than someone else only mattered to my miserable band of legalists. I still fell short.

I have come to understand why legalism is so much easier than grace. Legalism allows me to assess the situation and then apply a verse or assign a task. If that person rejects that Biblical admonition or task then legalism allows me to withdraw because they are disobedient. Grace does not give me that option. Grace demands that I move toward the struggle of my brother or sister and not away in judgment. No wonder grace is a tough sell.

A quote by Pastor Paul Donnan says it far better than I ever could.

Grace doesn’t treat us better than we deserve. It treats us without the slightest reference to what we deserve. Grace ceases to be grace if God withdraws it upon any human failure. If Grace is in any way tied to something you do, then it is no longer a gift but a wage, and that’s not grace.

Grace does not “cancel”. Grace does not shame. Grace does not answer anger with anger. That person is likely crying out of pain and deep wounding. Perhaps a gentle answer will give hope. Grace does not lash out when wronged. Grace is kind and gentle.

Being graceful is 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.

You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires. (Colossians 2:20-23)

It is time for followers of Christ to quit canceling one another over issues that don’t mean squat to those who desperately need to hear the good news of the Gospel. Hurting souls don’t care about our denominational divides. They need Jesus. It is time to focus on the One who unites us instead of the things that divide us. We need to focus on becoming a light in this terrible darkness. There are so many hurting and sad people who want our message of hope in Christ to be true. Why would they examine our faith if the church can’t be united as followers of Jesus?

One more thought from Paul.

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6)

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.”

Don’t cancel others. Give grace. Forgive. Love one another. Be kind.

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. (Ephesians 4:15, NLT)

June 15, 2020
21 Connect: Day 13 – Comparison is the Thief of Joy

Comparison is poison to the soul. I either contrast myself to someone doing something better than me and feel downcast, or I measure myself to someone failing and feel better.

Perhaps that is my cue to refer to the Instruction Manual again. Paul writes about this very problem that was happening in the church at Corinth:

Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant! (2 Corinthians 10:12)

Writer Ann Voskamp notes that we try to measure how we are doing with imperfect—and even dangerous—measuring sticks:

Measuring sticks try to rank some people as big and some people as small—
but we aren’t sizes. We are souls. There are no better people or worse people—there are only God-made souls. There is no point trying to size people up, no point trying to compare—because souls defy measuring.

At the beginning of my book Waking Up Slowly I quoted Psalm 139, detailing how God uniquely wove together each of our individual DNA to create the one and only me and the one and only you. He knew us before we were formed, and He has ordained our days. Paul unpacks that even more in Ephesians:

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. (Ephesians 1:11-12 , The Message)

I am not an accident. I have a purpose in God’s plan. I have a role in God’s overall purpose. And I have a specific calling as a gift of grace. Being content with who you are really is a heart issue grounded in the truth of who you are according to Scripture.

How I wish that I could see myself as God sees me. Because of what Christ did on my behalf, God sees me as a saint. Forgiven. Valuable. Needed. What I often see is the same old failure who can’t dance, fix anything, or live consistently for God.

We see those smiling families and couples on social media and think they
are experiencing some alternate life that has eluded us. I’m sorry to break the news, but there are no perfect people or perfect families.

My fear is that we have created a culture where we feel there is something wrong with us if we are hurting. If I am struggling, I must be doing something wrong spiritually. Shouldn’t God meet this need? What is wrong with me? The fact that God created me with a desire to be in community
tells me that part of His plan is for me to be helped by other members of the body of Christ. But I think I am falling short by comparing myself to false images of people who are not being real.

Anne Lamott weighs in with her typical, unvarnished
honesty:

“Everyone is screwed up, broken, clingy, and scared, even the people who seem to have it more or less together. They are much more like you than you would believe. So try not to compare your insides to their outsides.”

Being broken, clingy, scared, and screwed up is spiritual soil prep for the seed of grace to grow.

I am not sure if writer John Mason had a biblical worldview in mind when he came up with the title for his book “You’re Born an Original, Don’t Die a Copy”, but he is theologically spot on. We are uniquely and completely designed for our roles in the body of Christ. Don’t try to imitate another part. The biggest danger to missing our lines in the production
called life is comparison. Relax and be you. No one compares
to you!

Excerpts from Waking Up Slowly.

April 1, 2020