Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Archives for December 2009

Goals for the New Year, part 3

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With the new year upon us tomorrow, I wanted to share a few more thoughts on goal setting. It’s important that we do not face the new year without a plan. If we do not articulate a plan for ourselves, we allow life to affect us rather than us affecting life. Jesus always had a plan, and He impacted life more than any other being who ever walked on this earth. Okay, He did have the advantage of being God, but even mortals such as us can learn from His perfect example. Let’s not only learn from His example, but as far as humanly possible, let’s conduct our lives in the same manner as Christ did.

Before getting too far ahead of ourselves and setting goals for next year, I believe it is important to reflect on 2009. Reflecting on last year helps us gain some perspective. Think back and write down 5-10 accomplishments from the past year. What was your proudest moment, your greatest achievement? Also take a moment and make a list of lessons you learned in 2009. These are perhaps things you attempted but did not succeed at, or maybe things you were too afraid to try and you missed the opportunity. Thinking back on what you accomplished last year can provide a spring board and some healthy momentum as you plan for 2010. Learning from the actions of last year can help not only determine new goals, but also to avoid pitfalls as you make your action plans.

It’s important to remember that even with the information I have been sharing, there is no one tried and true formula for achieving your goals. Specifically defining what your goals are, writing them down and breaking them into bite size tasks certainly helps and gives you a great advantage over those who do not do these things. But ultimately, successfully accomplishing your goals is somewhat of an art form. How you get from the starting gate to the finish line is up to you. You know yourself better than anyone. Passionately, creatively, discover how you can achieve the goals you set for yourself. Determine to succeed and let nothing get in your way. Review your goals regularly and adjust accordingly.

Finally, anything you wish to accomplish will be meaningless if it does not align with the character of Jesus. One easy question I ask myself is, “Is this something that would make Jesus smile?” My ultimate goal is to serve Him with every ounce of my life. I choose to accomplish this by spending regular time in prayer with Him, studying His life and the heart of God, and using my gifts to further His kingdom. It is a lifelong pursuit, but it is a pursuit of love. I will not stop until I achieve the life He intended me to live. We have one life, and it is short. How will you spend your days? What will you do with your life? What will you do for Him? A new year is upon us; dedicate yourself to Jesus and plan a powerful life of love for next year. This is the year that everything changes. This is the moment to decide. Let’s make 2010 the best year of our life.

Goals for the New Year, part 2

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Are you excited as you look toward the upcoming year? There is something marvelously cleansing and refreshing about January 1st. As long as we’re still breathing, we get a “do-over” for the previous year. While it’s true that we can start our do-over on any day (or every day for that matter), there is something invigorating about a new year. This will be the year we finally kick that bad habit, attempt something we’ve never done before, get in better shape, live a life wholly devoted to Jesus. The New Year brings with it endless possibilities, we simply need to grab hold of those things we want to change and not let go until they are accomplished.

As we’ve discussed in previous posts, one of the greatest things you can do to ensure you achieve your goals is to write them down. This does not mean to simply make a list of things you want to accomplish, although this can be a great starting point. A list is just a list and does little to bring you closer to your goals; it is unfocused and lifeless. While a list can bring a little clarity, what we really need to do is to put action behind the items on that list. Without action the list will remain a bunch of lifeless wishes. A plan of action will turn a wish list item into a goal, and executing that plan will turn a goal into an accomplishment. Your goals should not be too easy (save that for daily tasks) nor too difficult (break these items down into smaller achievable goals). What is it you really want to accomplish over the next year? Ultimately the greater question is “What sort of person do you want to become over the next year?”

Given the focus of this blog, I’m going to concentrate on spiritual goals, but the concepts translate into all areas of life. Indeed, if you are not achieving excellence in areas such as your health, relationships and xxx, you will find it difficult to achieve your spiritual goals. When your life is out of balance, much as a car that isn’t firing on all cylinders, you will find your life to be inefficient and breaking down. We need to honor God in all areas of our life so we may perform optimally for Him.

Back to our question: “Who do you want to become in 2010?” When the calendar shows December 31st next year, how will your life be different? Take some time to write a brief description of the person you wish to become. Do you know of anyone who already demonstrates the life that you desire? Study that person, observe how they talk, the things they do and how they respond to various situations. Take plenty of notes and review them daily. Reflect on how you handle the same situations you’ve seen them in and make a note of what you need to change, to do differently. Model your speech after theirs; endeavor to emulate that person in every way possible until their good habits become your good habits. Compare yourself regularly against the description you wrote of the person you want to become. Are you making progress? Make adjustments as needed and continue to model your life after the person (or persons) who demonstrate the qualities you desire to have.

As Christians, our perfect role model is Jesus Christ. If we truly desire to live a life of total devotion to Him, we must model our lives after His. Don’t just read about His life in the New Testament, really study it, taking notes as needed to guide you as you develop the specific areas of your life that need to be changed. Study the character of God in the Old Testament. Adjust your description of who you want to become as you learn more about His character. Pray for His help and guidance as you strive to live a life modeled after Jesus. If you will focus daily on becoming a person after God’s heart, you will find amazing things happen in your life. I don’t mean you will suddenly find great wealth or never get sick, although these things could happen. But the greatest changes you will see will be internal. You will find yourself becoming more humble, gentler and more loving. You will develop a sense of peace and calmness in your soul that will be a place of great strength when you encounter trials. There could be no greater goal for 2010 than to become more like Jesus. It will take work. Make this your goal, not simply a vague wish. Determine today that this will be the year you let go of the temporal pleasures of this world and devote yourself wholly to our Lord. This will be the greatest year of your life.

Goals for the New Year

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I can think of few greater disappointments than to live the next year exactly as we have lived this one. To think of living next year as a year of maintaining the status quo, or worse yet to live it in a way that would see us move backwards in our spiritual lives, is a tragedy of profound proportions. Following Christ is not a call to a level of comfort or to a relaxed plateau. We are called to excellence in all areas of our lives and that will simply not be possible unless we are truly living a life in endless pursuit of Jesus.

If last year was a breakthrough year for you spiritually, that’s tremendous, and you should use it as a spring board to do bigger and better things for God this year. If last year was a veritable disaster, be encouraged, because a new year brings new opportunities. The past is over and done. Start with a clean slate, determined to make this year the best of your life as you seek to live a life of justice, faithfulness and humility before our Savior. If you fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, don’t let that happen again in the upcoming year. Cast off your mediocrity and determine that you will excel in everything you do this year. Commit your heart anew to living as Jesus lived, walking in His footsteps and demonstrating love to everyone you encounter.

Over the next couple of posts we will dig into some specifics of how to ensure that this year will be a year defined by great accomplishments in your spiritual life. It is our duty and responsibility as followers of Jesus that we do the good works that He intends for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). These good works are to act justly, without prejudice, to every soul we happen to meet throughout the year. These works are to not only act justly to everyone but to also respond to their needs in love. Sometimes this may cost you a few dollars, but more often it will simply cost you a few minutes. Doing these things allows us to walk faithfully before our Lord. Finally, remember to demonstrate great humility in everything you do and say. Christ is greater than all, and He loves all people equally. We have nothing to boast about, we are nothing without Christ.

Prepare now to have an amazing 2010. Begin praying, asking that God would show you the areas of your life that need improvement. Resolve that you will do whatever it takes to excel in the good works He has planned for you to do. Whatever your circumstances, you can choose to follow God in faithfulness, to live in humility and justice, and ultimately to love everyone with whom you come into contact. The upcoming year can be your best yet if you simply yield all that you have and all that you are to the Creator of the universe, the Lover of your soul.

Christmas is for Losers

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I may never understand the reason God chose to send His son to earth as a human baby. I struggle to think of Jesus in all His perfection being helpless and having to be taught the basics of life such as walking and talking. Why did it have to be this way, surely there was some other way God could have brought salvation to our world?

While certain aspects of the salvation story may be incredible and imponderable, there is one thing I know for certain: I could not be more grateful. I am thankful that Jesus chose to experience the same things I did growing up, that He chose to identify with me in the most tangible way possible. As Geoff Moore wrote, “He was one of us, somehow like you and me/The God we serve breathed the air that we breathe”. Our Lord gave up everything so He could experience the same things we do. He faced socio-economic, peer and financial pressures. He faced the temptations of sex, greed, pride and selfishness. He knows exactly what we go through, every trial we face. He chose to make this knowledge an intimate rather than anecdotal knowledge. He knows exactly how we feel at all times because He has been there as well.

What must it have been like for Jesus to live among those who were so much the same, yet so much inferior to Him? Yet Jesus never put on the cloak of pride; instead He chose humility and gentleness. He identified with us, and in so doing allowed us to trust and love Him even more. We will never have to face something that He Himself has not faced. He blazed the trail, finished the race and defeated our enemy. Jesus faced it all and in the end won not only every battle, but He won freedom for all who would come to Him. No matter how you look at it, Jesus is the ultimate winner.

Here’s where it gets even more incredible. Jesus, the ultimate winner went through everything He did for the sake of evil, sinful folks like you and me. Just as Jesus is without a doubt the ultimate winner, there is no doubt that you and I are perennial losers. We fail over and over again, we swear allegiance to Christ and then turn around and deny Him. We claim to care for the orphans and widows, and then spend lavishly on Christmas for friends and family without giving a thought to the homeless and weak. If the truth be told, we fall far more often than we walk. We struggle and fail and plead for forgiveness from our perfect Savior. We are, indeed, ultimate losers. This is why God sent His son to redeem us. This is why Jesus came to set a perfect example for us to follow. This is why Jesus chose to empathize with our weakness. He knows who we are and loves us still. He came that our broken lives would find healing in His mercy. His humility covers our pride and His perfection cleanses our failures. So in this season when we celebrate the birth of Christ, we celebrate Jesus choosing to identify with losers like you and losers like me. Yes, Christmas is for losers and I couldn’t be more grateful.

The Little Drummer Boy

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My wife’s favorite Christmas song is “The Little Drummer Boy” (she’s partial to the Bob Seger version). Growing up I, being a drummer, favored this song as well. However, as I grew older I think I began to look at the song as shallow and as my taste evolved to an appreciation of much more lavish productions from the likes of the Trans Siberian Orchestra, “The Little Drummer Boy” pretty much landed on my dispensable list of things to listen to. Recently I picked up a new Christmas release from the worship band at my church, and the first track on it was, of course, “The Little Drummer Boy”.

As I listened to a fresh rendition of this old classic, I came to realize a great truth in the song. While realizing the lyrics are fictional, let’s examine the message within the words of the song. Here was a poor little boy who had the opportunity to see the Savior when He was just a baby. He knew that this was a magnificent event, one he did not dare miss. Yet as he travelled with those possessing extravagant gifts, he took inventory of what he had and found very little. However, he journeyed on, anxious to see Jesus. When he saw Him, the little boy knew that he would need to give something to this One who was his creator. So he did what came naturally; he played his drum. He used his gift to glorify the Lord. Surely this playing of an instrument (and a loud one at that!) would mean little next to the rare and expensive gifts that others had brought. I love the last line of the song. Jesus looked at the boy and smiled. He was pleased with the boy for simply doing what he had been gifted to do. Just a boy and his drum yielded a life-changing smile from Jesus.

Are you like the little drummer boy? Do you see your gifts as small and insignificant when compared to the much more visible and note-worthy gifts of others? Do you long for the approval of Jesus but wonder what you have that would warrant such approval? Learn the truth of the story of the little drummer boy. It’s not about what you bring to the Lord. It’s about you simply showing up; it’s about you coming to see Him simply for the privilege of being able to do so. It’s also about using that with which God has blessed you. Who are we to tell God that our gift is too small to be of any use to Him? How dare we presume that our gift could not possibly glorify the One who gave us the gift!

God has gifted you with abilities and talents that He intends you to use to glorify Him. He has not given gifts that are too small or too insignificant. He has given gifts of all shapes that they may work together to magnify and reflect His love and power to everyone on the earth. In God’s eyes there are no lesser or greater gifts, there are simply gifts. All that matters is that we use what He has given us. We must never feel small or insignificant for our gift was created and given by God Himself. Use your gifts; passionately play your drum for Him. Take joy in what He has put inside of you to share with the world. As you exercise your talents, look on the face of Jesus and see Him smile at you… just you and your drum.