Even If i Walk Alone

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

Finding True Success

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Each of us wants to be successful; we all want to win. There is an innate drive inside of us that compels us to compete and prove we are the best. Being the best means we are successful. If we drive the right car, live in the right neighborhood or have the right job, we consider it proof that we are winning and have become successful. For all those I know who have found themselves driving that car or living in that neighborhood, the vast majority are not entirely happy. If that’s all there is to their life, then a sense of emptiness remains; they lack a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Rabbi Harold Kushner once said, “The purpose of life is not to win. The purpose of life is to grow and share. When you come to look back on all that you have done in life, you will get more satisfaction from the pleasure you have brought to other people’s lives than you will from the times that you outdid and defeated them.

Life is more than keeping score, and this is especially true for followers of Christ. Our goal should not be to outdo someone else, but rather to out-love and out-serve everyone. Our heart’s desire must be to live a life that looks like that of Jesus. If we concern ourselves only with that, we will find our lives are far richer and more fulfilled than if we had achieved material success beyond measure. We are spiritual beings at our core, and spirit cannot be soothed or satisfied with the physical. Beyond what it does for us emotionally, anything we can touch, taste, smell, or hear will never fully quench the longing we have inside. It is only through spiritual communication with God and sharing His love with others that we will find peace and contentment. Nothing satisfies except Jesus.

It is incredibly easy to get caught up in the ways of our culture, but we are called out of a life of normalcy to live as strangers in this world. We are set apart to be different. If we chase after the things that society dictates we must have, then we are worshipping the material rather than the spiritual, and we are not following Jesus. Christ never cared for temporal possessions. He warned His followers that they would have no place to call home and sent them out into the world virtually empty handed (Luke 9:57-58; Luke 9:1-6). The reality was that while they may not have had anything they could physically hold, they were filled beyond measure because the spirit of God was within them.

True success is measured by how closely we are following Jesus. It is determined by our resemblance to Christ and by doing the things He told us to do. If we are continuing His mission on earth, then we are indeed successful. While it may not look like it to your friends, you know the peace and comfort that is within. You can’t put a price tag on the feeling that comes from being fully surrendered to Jesus. In the midst of the worst of troubles, He provides calm and courage. In the darkest night, He provides rest and comfort. Nothing is impossible through Jesus; nothing can stop us when we are truly following Him. There is no greater power than the power of God, and this power lives within you. You can keep your cars and your fancy neighborhoods. You can keep your physical power and influence. I have found all I need in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the true power, and true success is found only in service to Him.

You Are Loved

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Do you understand how much Jesus actually loves you? Almost every follower of Christ would acknowledge that He loves them, but do you fully comprehend the depth of that love? In John 15:9, Jesus says that He loves us just as the Father loves Him. That’s an incredible statement. Consider how much God loves His Son. Can you even fathom the enormity of that love? And yet Jesus says that He loves each of us with that same love, a love that truly goes beyond our ability to understand.

We serve others in order to reflect the love of Christ. We volunteer and sacrifice to love others as Christ loves us. But do we really get what that means? Jesus loves us with the same intensity that He is loved by the Father. Therefore, if we are to truly live a life that looks like His, we must lavish this same love on everyone we meet. No one is too insignificant, and we must never be too busy to stop and seize the divine moment in front of us. God would never pass up an opportunity to show love to His Son, just as Jesus would never overlook the chance to demonstrate His love to us. So too we must always be eager to share the love of Christ with everyone we encounter. This love is all consuming and it must permeate every cell of our bodies.

We’ve probably all gone through periods in our lives when we felt that no one cared and that no one would notice if we simply disappeared. The frenetic pace that our days are subjected to leaves us weary and frazzled by the time we lie down at night. More and more communication is happening via email and Facebook, and personal interaction is quickly becoming an afterthought. All of this leads to a feeling of emptiness, and it becomes easy to feel lost and alone. In times like these we need to quiet our hearts and remember John 15:9. Jesus loves us just as the Father loves Him. There is no greater love. We are not alone and we have a purpose to fulfill.

Jesus told us to look after the orphans and widows (James 1:27), to feed the hungry and care for the sick. He told us to visit those in prison and to take in those with no place to go (Matthew 25:31-46). How can we do those things unless we love people with a passion so consuming that it compels us to do more and more for others? Caring for the needs of another is exhausting if done out of necessity or duty; but it is exhilarating, satisfying and refreshing when done out of love. It’s all about the attitude with which we approach the situation. Are we choosing to love them as Christ loves us, or are we trying to earn our way to Heaven by doing good deeds? God does not only want us to do the things He commands, but to do it with the right attitude in our hearts (Ephesians 6:6-7; Colossians 3:23). When we serve others because the love of Christ in us allows us to do nothing else, then we are moving in harmony with His mission and purpose for our lives.

Take a few minutes today to contemplate the love Christ has for you. Drink in the overflowing richness of that love and allow yourself to bask in the glory of it. Take a mental snapshot of the feeling; this is how you want to love those around you. When you serve them, do it because you are beginning to understand the depth of the love that Jesus has for you. Share that love with another and allow them to feel the warmth of God’s Spirit as it emanates from within you. Never take the love of Christ for granted, but at the same time do not underestimate the enormity of it. Dive in deep; swim in the ocean of His love for you. Walk in light and serve others in the name of the One who loves you beyond your wildest dreams.

Christianity and Warfare

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With all the unrest in the Middle East and Africa these days, there is a lot of talk about “just wars’ and killing in the name of liberation and justice. I have long struggled with taking the life of someone else simply because of their political ideology. Now I am not naïve and understand that many people in these parts of the world are being oppressed and treated in inhumane ways. I don’t think anyone would disagree with the need to help them. My heart breaks when I read the stories of those who are brutally tortured and killed simply because they follow Jesus. I find it repulsive that any leader would abuse his power and live in luxury while his own people starve. I can’t, however, believe that killing the perceived enemy is the way Christ would approach the situation.

The horrific fact of the matter is that most of the people being killed in these parts of the world do not know Christ. When their lives are taken, any chance of coming to know the love and life offered by Jesus is taken from them as well. We wield the weapons that forever separate them from God. I am not a pacifist; I grew up in a military family and was brought up to believe that America is God’s chosen instrument to dole out justice in the world. As an adult I now struggle with that idea and with the dichotomy of war. Killing seems senseless and contrary to the teachings of Christ. Every day, more die and go to hell. I shudder at what is going on in the world as it seems to spiral ever downward and away from God.

If you’ve read this far hoping to find answers, I’m afraid you will be disappointed; I don’t have any. It seems wrong to sit back and ignore the injustice, while at the same time it seems even more wrong to eliminate the chance for someone to come to Christ before they die. Surely there must be an alternate solution. Perhaps if the Church (and that includes both you and me) were truly doing what we have been called to do, then maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place. We are called to love our neighbor, but we are more prone to suspicion and jealousy. We are told to care for the poor, but our actions reveal that we keep far more for ourselves than we share. Individually we are too selfish, and collectively we have isolated ourselves from the world around us. Since the walls of our buildings were not designed to keep the members in, does it not follow that they were created to keep others out?

Wherever Jesus went, people were drawn to Him. They wanted to hear what He had to say, and be wherever he was going. What sort of following are we drawing? War did not spring up around Jesus and His disciples. In fact when those who did not believe in Jesus put Him to death, His followers did not rebel in violence. Instead they continued serving those around them which resulted in more and more coming to know the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. When His followers were themselves being put to death, they still did not respond in violence but instead were emboldened to take His message throughout the world.

Are we in the modern Church living worthy of our commission? We are called to demonstrate the love and peace of Jesus to all people, regardless of nationality or origin. It is tempting to get caught up within patriotism and to identify oneself with their country. Remember that we are a new creation, and as followers of Jesus, we now identify with Him alone. We have no weapons save for the love of God. It’s about time we started wielding that weapon in the world in which we live. We all are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. Let’s start the healing process one person at a time, and let’s fan that flame throughout the world. True peace is never established by the sword; it comes only through the cross.

Touching the Sick

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I’ll admit it: I’m a total germaphobe. It only got worse when I married a woman who was just as bad as I am! I unequivocally hate being sick. Now I know nobody actually enjoys being sick, but I absolutely loathe it. I work hard (and pray a lot!) at avoiding sickness and germs. If someone coughs coming towards me, I will head another direction. I’ll send sick people home from work. Whatever I can do, I do it. I want no part of being ill.

All of this might be okay and simply label me as quirky (or freakish), but it doesn’t play well in light of Jesus’ command to care for the sick (Matthew 25:31-46). It fares even worse when I try and model my life after Christ and I read the stories where He actually touched the sick people. He touched those who had serious infectious diseases. I don’t even want to be in the same room as someone with a simple cold. I am absolutely fine with giving money to organizations to care for the sick, but when it gets personal, I shamefully confess I am woefully inadequate. We all have our areas of weakness, and this is definitely one of mine.

When I hear of someone in need who is sick, I know I must go to them. I generally pray for protection from illness before meeting with them and trust that God will keep me healthy so I can continue to minister to both them and others. By the time I leave, I am generally calm and believe that God will bless my effort and keep me healthy. I also know that I may indeed get sick, and I really am okay with that thought; the sacrifice is worth the pain. I would rather get sick helping someone than be healthy but accomplishing nothing for the kingdom. Mentally, I am good with all of this. Truth be told, I haven’t been sick in almost two years, so I wonder if my newfound courage in approaching the sick is a result of that or a true change in my heart. I know the Lord is working on me in this area and I truly hope that I am growing.

The point of all this is to say that we can’t pick and choose our way through the commands of Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46. The people He blesses and welcomes into His Kingdom are those who do all of these things. We can’t feed the hungry and ignore the sick. We can’t visit those in prison and turn a blind eye to the homeless. Following Jesus is an all or nothing deal, and we will all struggle with different elements of what it means to carry on the mission of Christ. God will surely stretch us in our areas of weakness and place opportunities before us where we must choose between our love for Him and our own selfish inhibitions. We need to encourage each other along the way, to pick up one who has fallen and walk with them through the trial. Ignoring an opportunity to serve Christ because it goes against our personality or lies beyond our comfort zone is not acceptable behavior for a follower of Jesus. We must allow our love for God to overshadow our fears and apprehension.

What parts of the mission cause you the most trouble? Where is God stretching you these days? Growth does not occur without stretching, so embrace the challenge and ask Jesus to give you the courage and the commitment to seize divine moments and reflect His love to another. We all have our weaknesses, but together we are stronger. Through Him we can overcome any challenge. It’s all or nothing; don’t waver in the face of discomfort or uncertainty. Pray for His grace that you might further His Kingdom and bring glory to His Name.

No Right to Complain

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I was recently out walking in the early morning hours and got caught in a torrential downpour about three quarters of a mile from my house. The rain was coming down so hard I could barely see, and the drops were thudding against me in a way that had exhausted me by the time I reached the front porch. After getting dried off and into a fresh set of clothes, I was reminded again of the plight of the homeless. How many times have they endured such storms but had no place to find suitable shelter? How long did it take for their only set of clothes to dry before they could once again move about comfortably?

Every day we take so many things for granted. We are blessed beyond measure yet always find something about which to complain. We get hungry and we grab something out of the cupboards to eat; we get thirsty and pour a glass of clean water from the faucet. When we are wet, we dry off with towels and change into a different set of clothing; when we are cold we turn up the heat and put on a sweatshirt or a jacket. All of these simple everyday things we do, we take for granted. We don’t give them a second thought because they are simply a part of the fabric of our lives.

What if there were no cupboards of food and no running water? What if there were no towels, no change of clothes and no heat? According to a 2007 study by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, this is a reality for over 3 million people in the United States of America alone. Perhaps even more startling is the fact that 39% of the homeless in America are children. Worldwide, the United Nations estimates that nearly 100 million people are homeless; worse still, up to 600 million live in makeshift shelters that threaten their health or even their life.

Despite our obvious blessings, we all find much too complain about every day. We complain that we have nothing to wear or that there’s nothing to eat. Our greed and self-centeredness has blinded us to the reality in which we live. We have plenty to wear and eat, but our appetite for both food and possessions is insatiable. We have more than most in the world, but it is not enough for us; we must have more. It appears it is not enough to have our needs provided for; we have the audacity to complain that what we have isn’t good enough because it isn’t exactly what we want.

As followers of Christ, we need to be content with whatever God has given us (Philippians 4:11-13). We also need to be generous and care for those in need (Deuteronomy 15:9-11, 1 Timothy 6:17-19). Jesus instructed us to provide shelter for the homeless (Matthew 25:31-41). This is not the job of the government; it’s the job of the church. If we as a body cannot house the homeless and look after the poor, then we are not following Christ. We build grand luxurious buildings for us to gather on weekends but we look the other way when we see someone sleeping on the street. We serve lavish meals to build community with one another but we can’t spare a piece of bread for the starving children on our streets and around the world. As for those big buildings and large meals, we usually find some reason to complain about those as well.

Picture what God sees when He looks at His Church, particularly in the Western world. He sees a people who have been blessed like none other, yet have become fat, lazy and apathetic to the needs of the lost and the poor. Christ did not die so we might lead happy, healthy and comfortable lives. He died to rescue us from our sin and asks only that we serve Him in return. Apparently, that was too much to ask. We must all repent of our selfishness and greed, and for taking His blessings for granted. Beyond that we must do something to care for the poor and homeless. Working together we can eliminate this suffering from the world; we only lack the will. I have turned away for too many years and suspect you have done the same. No longer can we feign either ignorance or innocence. We have no more excuses and no right to complain.