Even If i Walk Alone

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

How’s Your Reflection?

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We were created to glorify God through the use of the unique blend of talents and ambitions He has placed within each of us. We glorify Him by reflecting His love and His character to the lives of others through the way we live. Regardless of where we find ourselves, we are always reflecting something to the world around us. So at least as often as we check our reflection in a mirror, we need to check what we are reflecting to those with whom we come into contact. When we are faithfully reflecting Christ, our lives will be marked by the same things that characterized His life: love and service to others.

There are to be no exceptions to our love. Jesus loves every person with the same infinite and all-encompassing love with which He loves you. We all have people in our lives that we’d truthfully rather not be around, or people who only seek to do us harm. These are the hardest to love, of course, but if we want to glorify God with our lives, then we must reach out and love all people the same. It’s not easy to think of loving someone who has hurt you repeatedly or someone who may even want to kill you, but this is the love that was demonstrated by Jesus. Shortly before His arrest, which would lead to His crucifixion, we find Jesus eating a meal with the very one He knew would betray Him. Peter disowned Jesus when Christ most needed His support, yet only a few days later Jesus was cooking Him breakfast and appointing him to be the leader of His Church. Jesus holds no grudges and forgives all wrongs done against Him. He loves with a perfect love that has little regard for Himself, yet holds those He loves in the highest esteem.

Just as there are no exceptions to love, no one is to be considered unworthy of our service. We must guard against ever putting ourselves above another. In the most extreme example of humility, Jesus stepped away from His glory and into the messiness and lowliness of sinful human life. The price was not too great for Him, and He unabashedly pursued the opportunity to serve those He loved. Mere hours before Judas would betray Him, we find Jesus washing the feet of His betrayer. Even in His darkest hour, the focus and mission of Jesus was to humbly serve others in any way that He could. He spent His last hours of freedom on earth breaking bread and sharing a meal with those He loved, serving them one last time before His death. The life of Christ was marked by love and service from the beginning to the very end.

How do our lives compare? Do we forgive others for the wrongs they inflict upon us? Do we go out of our way to serve those who mean us harm? In doing these things, we reflect the love of Jesus and glorify our Lord. Love and service are not catchphrases of Christianity, but rather the very essence of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. If we will not love and serve others, then we cannot be followers Christ. If you pray a prayer to accept Jesus but then do not demonstrate His love and attitude of service to others, I believe you are in a precarious position, one that may find you gravely disappointed when your life is done. Remember, even the demons believe in Jesus and they shudder in fear (James 2:19). Don’t be a believer who cowers, one who never experiences the fullness of life that is found only by following Jesus. Be more than a believer; be a follower.

Determine today that you will no longer allow divine moments to slip from your grasp. Act with compassion and love toward everyone you encounter today. Remember that each and every person is of infinite worth to Jesus, and we must treat them with the same honor and respect that He ascribes to them. Don’t walk by an opportunity to serve someone. If you see someone in trouble, be the Samaritan rather than the religious person; cross over to them and care for their need. You have no better place to be at any time than in the midst of God’s will in that moment. Our lives should be marked by love and service to our Savior and King. Our lives should glorify and reflect Him with every step. Take a moment to examine what others see in you. How’s your reflection?

An Army of Love

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Every kingdom has an army, so I was thinking about what the army of the Kingdom of God would look like as we endeavor to bring that kingdom into reality here on earth. Certainly this army would not look like the traditional army. Jesus rebuked Peter when he lashed out with a sword to try and defend Him (John 18:10-11), so this would seem to dictate that superior firepower should not be a goal of our army. Christ taught that the meek would inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5), so the tactic of aggression appears to be out as well. Similarly, we are taught that we should not “lord over others” (Mark 10:42-45), so domination and conquest are also out. What then, does the army of the Kingdom of God look like, and how is it that they will achieve victory?

One of the clues is found in the second half of the reference in Mark we looked at above (Mark 10:42-45). Here we find Jesus teaching that if we want to win, we have to lose in the eyes of the world, in the prevailing viewpoint of our society. He teaches that we must become the servant to those around us. Instead of conquering our enemies, we are instead to serve them. This is a counterintuitive battle strategy, but it should surprise no one accustomed to living in the upside down Kingdom of Jesus Christ. The King James Version of the Bible translates 1 Peter 2:9 to say we are called to be a peculiar people, and it doesn’t get much weirder than this. The way we prepare for battle as the army of the Kingdom is to voluntarily lay down our lives in order to serve the very ones who are warring against us. How peculiar indeed.

A typical army is financed and outfitted from the support of the nation through taxation. Supporting the army is not an option, it is rather the law. By contrast, financial support for the army of God is totally voluntary. Those engaging in battle rely on the generosity of their fellow soldiers to provide the means to furnish their supplies. In this way, we are more of a brotherhood than an army, a family that looks after one another. This is a good thing, because unlike the typical soldier who can count on the support of His family, God’s warriors are more often despised by their families for their participation in the war. Jesus told us that He came to bring division not only to the earth, but also within families (Luke 12:51-53), because not all would be willing to accept His mission. Without the support of our earthly families, we must rely on our spiritual brothers and sisters to encourage us on in the fight.

The one area where the army of God is very much like a traditional army is in the arena of battle. Make no mistake, there is a very real and very deadly war being waged in the spiritual realm, and you and I are in the thick of it. People are hurt, maimed and killed as a result of the wounds inflicted in the war in which we are engaged. Satan seriously wants to destroy you and Jesus has set in His heart to redeem you. This spiritual battle is often manifested in physical ways through oppression, possession and redemption. Do not make the mistake of believing that what happens in the spiritual realm does not affect your everyday life. You are being influenced by one side or the other in every moment, and it is up to you which way you will choose.

Though we may lack traditional firepower, we possess the greatest weapons of all: faith and love. The Bible tells us that faith can move mountains (Matthew 17:20) and can extinguish every attack of the enemy (Ephesians 6:16). Love is the ultimate weapon in that it can diffuse discord, counteract hate, and turn an enemy into an ally. Jesus said that the greatest expression of love was to lay your life down for another (John 15:13). As we seek to carry out the mission of Christ, we must daily be looking for opportunities to serve others to the point of giving our lives for them. We must invest ourselves authentically into everyone we meet. As we demonstrate the love of Christ to others, we win victory after victory for Christ. Every act of kindness and servitude brings His Kingdom on earth one step closer to fruition. Together our selfless acts of love combine to amass a movement of love that cannot be stopped. This is what the army of God looks like; this is how the war will be won. Not by acts of violence or through weapons of force. God will rule the day by beating back the darkness with His unstoppable light. As we join Him in the battle we will find victory through our acts of service and mercy. We are His army, an army of love.

The Curse of Affluence

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Blessings from God are often measured in terms of material wealth. It has been so throughout most of recorded history, and it remains the prevailing thought in much of Christendom today. Whether that wealth is measured in flocks and herds or money and cars is irrelevant; possessions are seen as a harbinger of the blessings of God. Indeed an entire subculture has sprung up around this teaching, the so-called “health and wealth” theology. Subscribers to this thinking believe that the Bible actually guarantees that if you will follow Christ with all your heart you will become rich and experience an abundant life. This teaching is of course in direct contradiction to Jesus’ teaching of forsaking your earthly possessions and that the poor would be blessed, not the rich (Matthew 19:16-28; Luke 6:20; Luke 16:19-25).

What if we have it all backwards? What if instead of our possessions being a blessing they are actually a curse? The more material things we own, the more we have to lose. The greater our collection of stuff becomes, the harder we work to keep it all. Suddenly we wake up one day and realize that instead of being the lowly and humble servant of Christ we intended to be, we have become the rich young ruler who cannot let go of his possessions. Before we go further, let me be clear that I am not saying that wealth and possessions are necessarily a curse or even inherently bad; just humor the thought for a moment and open yourself up to think about this in a different way. Ultimately whether or not the goods entrusted to our care are a blessing or a curse depends on our attitude toward them and our willingness to release them for the service of Jesus.

When we are generous with our resources I believe it becomes easy to get lulled into a slumber where we dream we are not controlled by money. Meanwhile, regardless of how extravagant our giving may be, the probability is that we continue to pad our savings account and add to our retirement funds. We give much away, yet we also store away considerable sums for ourselves. But what if we stopped being concerned with saving for ourselves and instead poured all of our resources into building the Kingdom of God? What if we kept only enough money for ourselves to cover our food, shelter, clothing and transportation? Simply doing that would still place us in the top 15% of the richest people on the planet. Yet if we would so simplify our lives, how many more resources could be released to feed the hungry, care for the sick, and take the message of Jesus into places that have never heard? It is a challenging and difficult concept to ponder, and I will tell you up front that I don’t have the answer to this paradox; it remains a burden on my heart about which I continue to pray diligently.

No longer storing away for a rainy day or our own retirement comes with great risk. What if we lose it all? Who will care for our needs? But isn’t losing it all exactly where Christ said we would find true life? Didn’t He say that we must forsake everything to follow Him? When did we determine that those words did not apply to us? Perhaps we in our affluence have molded Jesus into a God of our choosing rather than choosing Jesus for the God that He is. The message of Christ has not changed; His message and mission are the same today as they were when He walked the earth. As Jim Elliot once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose.”

We have been numbed and blinded, and now we are in the precarious position of trusting our possessions more than we trust God. Don’t believe me? Try this test: by the end of the week, withdraw all your money from the bank and cash in any retirement and investment funds you might have. Take all of that cash, drive downtown and distribute it all among the poor. Please leave a comment below and let me know how you did. Is that ludicrous? Is it irresponsible to take our earthly wealth and use it for the things Christ told us to do? The only reason we find this to be a crazy idea is that we have become comfortable in, and seek assurances from, our wealth. What we may have perceived as a blessing is now a curse and an anchor because it stands between us and God.

Again, I do not have the answer to this dilemma. I confess that I have not fully liquidated my assets and given it all to the poor. I am haunted by my own lack of faith and selfishness, and am seeking God’s answers and strength in this matter. How about you? Are you at the place where you can give absolutely everything away for His purposes? Have the perceived blessings in your own life become a curse, something that stands between you and God? I think it’s worth pondering this to determine just how tightly we hold onto our possessions, and to examine how ready we are to totally rely on God to provide for our needs. Let us boldly and prayerfully seek God and give serious consideration to what He would have us do with our resources. Praise Him for all He has provided; glorify Him in all that you do with those gifts. Hold loosely to your material possessions so they do not come between you and your faith in God. Don’t allow your blessings to become a curse.

All for One

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Too many Christians relinquish their role in the Kingdom to others whose gifts and talents they deem far more significant than their own. This is a tragic mistake and runs the risk of missing out on the life you were created to live. Jesus has gifted every single person who believes in Him with unique gifts for use in furthering His mission and making His Kingdom a reality on earth. It has been said many times that we are all different parts of the same body, and indeed we all must work together to accomplish the overarching purpose of glorifying God. If any part is not doing what they were created to do, then the whole body will suffer. When those who belong to Christ sit back and watch others engage in Kingdom work, they deprive the entire body of their much needed contribution. As relational beings, we were created to depend on one another, so it is vitally important to the health of the Church that we all do our part and work in unity as we carry out the instructions of Jesus Christ.

One of the most important jobs of all Christ followers is to demonstrate love in everything we do. Those who don’t know Jesus are constantly watching our lives to see if what we have might be of interest to them. As a whole, our mission is to lead others to Christ, going out into the entire world to tell them the good news of Jesus. When we do not demonstrate the love of Christ in our daily lives, those without God will turn away because they find nothing compelling about the way in which we live. We can work diligently to love someone else, only to have another Christian act harshly toward them and so undo all the work we had done. This is why it is of such importance that each of us fully live out our calling and commitment every single minute of our lives. It is not enough for some to be diligent followers of Jesus; we must all be totally surrendered together if we are serious about changing the world for His glory.

Satan loves to convince believers that they have nothing to offer the Kingdom. Judging from the malaise of the Western Church, his schemes of oppression are highly effective. I have met too many people who think their gifts will not make a significant contribution. They are convinced they have nothing to offer and so are content to live lives of non-significance, relying on others to do the heavy lifting so that they can follow along. To be sure, there are those who will do works that appear to be more substantial in the eyes of men, but every act of service to Jesus is of infinite worth in the eyes of Christ. Giving away your sandwich to a hungry co-worker is every bit as significant as preaching to a large crowd of unbelievers. God did not model a ministry of mega-events, but rather one of simple acts to the poor. I believe the reason so many feel they have nothing to give is because they are looking at the size of their gift through earthly eyes rather than through the eyes of Jesus. God can multiply your humble acts of service into earth shaking results. Remember, Christianity started with a handful of fishermen and spread to billions throughout history. Every gift, every act of service, every life, is significant and of great worth and value. No person is exempt.

If you are one of those people who have bought into the lie that you have nothing to offer, I hope that you will be challenged to at least begin to consider thinking differently. Your faith family needs you; God needs you to fulfill the role for which He created you. If we are to reach the world with the truth of Christ, then we will need the thunderous multitude of all our feet marching to the ends of the earth. Every step adds to the glory of God, and to this we are all called. Imagine if every Christian were to put aside their insecurities, pride and selfishness; imagine if instead they were concerned only with demonstrating the love of Jesus through acts of service to others. You have been created to love others and in so doing to glorify your Creator. Only He is worthy of our devotion, and only He can bring us life. Recognize the person He has created you to be; realize He has purposed you to glorify Him and to carry out His mission. No gift is too small to gain the applause of Heaven. You are necessary and vital to God’s mission. Don’t deprive the world of the gifts He has placed within you. Join with your fellow believers and together we will achieve great things for His glory. You count, you matter; don’t let anyone ever tell you differently. You can bring glory to God this very day, simply by believing you were created to do so. Engage in the journey; we all need you. Welcome to the adventure.

God’s Will for You Life

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Does the fear of stepping outside of God’s will prevent you from making a bold leap of faith? Many waste their lives just waiting to hear from God, or to receive some divine direction that never comes. We can become paralyzed by all the possible good choices that surround us because we are afraid of missing the best opportunity. I submit to you that a heart that is totally devoted to God, a life that is wholly given to Him, cannot casually step outside of His will. If your driving passion is to see others come to Christ, how can your actions then be contrary to the will of God? God’s heart is for people, and so when our heart is for people as well, we are acting in concert with Him.

God has placed passions in our hearts so that we might utilize them to bring glory to His name; everything we do is for this purpose. One of the reasons we sometimes get stuck with indecision is because we are making too much of the decision about ourselves. We are not the point; a phrase that has become popular in recent years is that “it’s not about you!” The whole point of our life is to glorify God. We read the Bible searching for clues as to what to do with our lives because we are under the mistaken impression that the book is all about us. On the contrary, the Bible is God’s word given to us, but the book is all about Him. We are not the subject of our faith, He is. When we understand that it’s not about us, but rather about Him, our choices become less stressful and more clear.

Once we recognize our decisions should be based on what brings Him the most glory, then we can begin moving forward with confidence. Instead of framing decisions by what is best for us in our lives, we now understand that our choices are to be made based on what most glorifies God. Suddenly the pressure is off, because we now know that whatever we choose, we will be fulfilling our purpose in life, and that is to bring glory to the God of the universe. No longer will we be entangled by our own petty desires but rather we’ll be free to be the person we were created to be. As long as we are engaged in activities that bring Glory to God, we are in His will and are contributing to His mission as Kingdom people. We need not worry about doing the good but missing the best, because we are in His will and doing His work by glorifying Him.

Each day should be a fresh exercise in discovering ways we can honor and glorify Him. As we move forward in this manner, our lives will become a beautiful reflection of everything that He is. We will shine brilliantly with His incredible love and will demonstrate His mercy to those we encounter. This is the fulfilled and abundant life that He promised to us (John 10:10). Don’t be paralyzed by the fear of not knowing what God’s will is for your life. You were created to glorify Him through the use of your unique combination of skills and passions. If you will take care of the “why” (to glorify Him), He’ll take care of the “how” (the ways you will accomplish it). You need not be worried about finding some elusive perfect plan; you’ll never discover it. Instead, be surrendered and devoted to Him in every moment of your life and watch what unfolds before you. Jesus gave you your passions so that you would glorify Him through their use. If you will simply be willing to use your talents for Him, He will multiply both your ability and effectiveness.

Don’t be afraid to take bold steps as you seek to live out your calling. Continue the mission of God in ways that only you can, with your unique personality and passions. Stay focused on glorifying God in everything that you do, and you will remain firmly in His will. Every moment of your life is an opportunity to reflect His beauty and to express His love to others. Don’t be afraid to move forward; don’t be concerned with discovering God’s will for your life. Instead, seize each and every moment and glorify Him in that instant. As you manifest the love of Jesus by serving others, you will find that you are living the abundant life fully immersed in His will. Don’t fear and don’t hesitate; this is your moment. Seize it and glorify God.