Even If i Walk Alone

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

Your Words Define You

by

If we are going to live lives that look like Jesus, then we must live in such a way that it is obvious to others. It is not good enough to simply have the head knowledge or even the heart knowledge. We need to put what we know into action. While our activities will certainly go a long way towards defining who we are to others, perhaps nothing will say more about us than the words we choose to speak.

One of the most compelling verses for me in regards to my choice of words is found in Ephesians 4:29, where we read that our talk should only be in a manner that builds up someone else. Everything we say must be for the good of others. We are not to negatively criticize, gossip, or intentionally hurt another by what we say. Every time we speak, we should be speaking words of encouragement, of optimism and of love. People should feel better about themselves after speaking with us. That is what it means to build someone up. Leave them better and stronger than they were before your conversation. A little further in the chapter, in verse 31 we find instructions against being bitter and for putting aside anger, insult, slander, wrath and wickedness. I know for too many years in my life that would have left me with nothing to talk about. It can still be a struggle at times; when you are surrounded by people talking in negative terms, tearing others down, it can almost become contagious. That is why it is very important to not only guard your own speech, but also to be very careful about with whom you are choosing to associate. If you hang out with negative people who always put others down, you will find yourself leaning towards the same inclinations.

As you begin to change your patterns and habits of speech, prepare for others to take notice. Some will make fun of you and perhaps you may even lose a few friends. My experience is that most of these friends will come back over time as you continue to model a life that looks like Jesus. Most people are drawn to love and light, and as long as we are reflecting the glory of God, that is what they will see in us. Don’t worry about what others may think, simply live a life that Jesus will find pleasing. When you are criticized by others, ask yourself if you would rather behave in the manner that they do. If you wouldn’t then why would you even think of accepting their counsel as to how you should live your life? Accept instruction from wise people, those who love and fear God. Don’t get caught in the trap of emulating those who live in ways that are contrary to the mission of Christ.

As you begin to change your speech patterns to only build others up, this is the perfect time to seek out those who most need an encouraging word. Smile and speak kindly to those whom most simply ignore: for example, the cashier at the store, the janitor at your place of work, the homeless person you pass on the street. Words are free, they cost you nothing; but they can be of immense value to someone who is struggling. All of us can afford to give away the love of Jesus. His love is vast and there is plenty to go around. Develop a new habit of really seeing those you encounter throughout the day. Give them your undivided attention as you listen, look behind the stories to see their pain, and then speak an encouraging word into their lives. Be genuine, smile, and marvel at what God can do through your simple act of kindness.

Be careful of the words you say. You never know who might be listening and how they may be affected by them. Use only words of encouragement, words that will build up someone in need. Put away gossiping and insults forever; determine to only speak in positive and uplifting ways. Surround yourself with others who are also committed to building up others. As you genuinely speak love into the lives of others, you will find your own life changing in wonderful ways as you move ever closer to living a life which truly reflects that of Jesus.

What if this was your child?

by

Earlier this year I attended a summit on poverty. A special attraction was a photography exhibit entitled “Fighting for the Forgotten”. These pictures depicted real homelessness in America, unedited and raw. From the rural roads to busy city streets, countless images of what it looks like to be poor and homeless were on display. These are human beings, men and women who have unsurpassable worth in the eyes of Jesus, and yet they live in a manner unfathomable to most of us. One of the more sobering and haunting images was of a family walking along the street, pushing a shopping cart of presumably everything they owned. The family consisted of a father, mother, and three children. My best guess would place the ages of the children at two, five and eight. What must it be like to live their life? We are somewhat accustomed to seeing the homeless man on the steps of a building or on a street corner. When I see pictures of homeless women it seems a bit more disturbing to me because of the increased vulnerability factor. Seeing the children, however, was something that I had not encountered or contemplated before. It would be easy to quickly move on, to go to the next picture and pretend that homelessness is for runaway teenagers and out of work adults. The startling truth is that families exist on the street, much as they do in your neighborhoods. Regardless of how they got there, these families are just like ours. The parents have dreams for their children and they desperately want to provide for them, to give them a better life. While it may be easy to ignore when it is not happening to us, take a moment to pause and ask yourself, “What if that were my child?”

Children on the street often are not able to go to school. The ones that are show up in dirty clothes, the same clothes they wore yesterday and the day before. You remember what it was like to be in school, right? Children that age (and let’s be honest, children of our age as well) are absolutely merciless. The teasing and bullying such a child endures will wreak untold damage on their self worth and self esteem, thus pushing them ever further down their spiral of despair. In order to have a meal, homeless children in school often subsist on special lunch programs provided by the government. These programs also lead to ridicule from other students. “Your daddy’s a bum”, “Your parents are poor and smelly”, and “Can’t your parents even afford to buy food for their own kid?” It goes on and on; tears well up and pain drives ever deeper into the heart of the ridiculed child. It’s unfortunate and sad when this happens to someone else’s kid; but what if this was your child?

Christmas and birthdays are joyous occasions for most children. I’m sure you have a favorite holiday memory from your childhood. What if all you got for your birthday was something your dad had scavenged from a dumpster? What if your only toy was falling apart at the seams, dirty, and smelled like a sewer? What if Christmas meant simply that your family would need to huddle closer together to beat back the biting wind that was ripping through your threadbare coat? For homeless children, Christmas is often a time of despondency as they watch happy shoppers with an armload of bags briskly pass them by. It is the season of giving, but for the homeless it is yet another reminder of their plight. For parents of homeless children, it is an unstoppable ache that burns deep within. For the child it is a reminder of a life they will never know. Seeing such a child on the street at Christmas is “heart-breaking” to us and we might even spare some extra change at this time of the year; but I ask you again, what if this was your child?

It has become far too easy to isolate ourselves in the suburbs. No longer is it necessary to expose ourselves to the reality of homelessness on the streets. Making the assumption that street people are tough and can take care of themselves misses the point entirely. The poor are not necessarily tough, and they don’t have some magic ability to survive. They need our compassion and our help. They need us to recognize that they are worth every bit as much in the sight of God as we are. These are our brothers and sisters; these are the ones whom Jesus called us to serve. The next time you see someone in need, remember they may also be a parent. Hidden in the shadows somewhere may be a child. This isn’t just tragic, this is a crisis. What can you do today to help a child in need? What will you do? What would you do if this was your child?

No Exceptions

by

Every person who would be a follower of Jesus has the same responsibility. We must love Jesus with all that we are and all that we have. Our love must be expressed in the way we live our lives, the things that we do. Each one of us is accountable for how we spend our time and how we invest the resources that God has entrusted to us. It’s not just a select few that are called to the heavy lifting of living out our faith. Jesus never placed classifications on His followers. He never said that some were to feed the hungry while others could relax at home and indulge in their own excesses. No, Jesus said that each and every one of us was to go and tell others about Him, to care for the needs of others.

In our Western culture, there is a pervasive attitude that once we have accepted Christ we can pretty much coast through the rest of our lives. While some will embrace what it means to truly follow Jesus, far more will carry on with life as usual after professing Christ as their savior. It’s easy to lose sight of the urgency to build the kingdom when we live in comfort and freedom. We’ve been conditioned all our lives to aspire to modern conveniences and abundances. This is what success looks like; it’s the American dream. People accept Christ, live a moderately moral life and attend church regularly; and that’s it! That is the extent of their Christian life. Living a life that looks like Jesus is so much more than this. It’s more than sporadic acts of kindness. It’s more than being a joyful and generous person. A true follower of Jesus is one who actively seeks to be the hands and feet of Jesus in each moment of the day.

There is no excuse for any Christian to not live a life that looks like Jesus. In every activity we must do a heart check to determine if it is an activity in which Jesus would engage or one that would please Him. We are His servants, slaves of the King. Our freedom is found in doing the will of God; beyond that we have no latitude. We are not free to engage in activities that contradict our calling; this is disobedience. I have no problem proudly proclaiming myself to be a slave to Jesus. I am happy to give up everything I have for Him. There is no shame in slavery when we are yoked to Jesus. We are His servants, yes, but we are servants inundated with a love that is beyond our comprehension or measure. This is servanthood by choice. Why would someone choose to be a servant of Jesus and then show such disregard for His commands?

In Ephesians 5:15-16, Paul tells us that we must make the most of our time because we live in evil days. Making the most of our time does not include sleeping away our life, sitting on the couch for hours on end or engaging in entertaining but ultimately useless forms of recreation. I don’t want to stand before God and tell Him I could have done more for Him, but then I would have had to watch less television or hang out less with my friends. Jesus said that we could not be His follower if we didn’t hate our friends and family. This simply means that He must come first in all things and at all times. I firmly believe that God established the law of the Sabbath to allow us times of refreshment, a time to catch our breath. But the Sabbath is only set up as one-seventh of our time. Can we honestly say that we only spend that small amount of time on our own personal entertainment and relaxation?

There are no exceptions allowed for being a follower of Jesus. Your age, race or gender makes no difference. If we would follow Jesus, we must do those things that He told us to do. We must feed the hungry, care for the single mothers, the homeless, the sick and anyone else in need. We must give generously to those who have less than we do. We must shine the light of God on everyone we meet and tell them of our love for Jesus. We must not rest, we must not tire; we must press on and forward at all times. This is how each of us must live, not just a few, not just some. No one has an excuse to simply profess Jesus with their lips and then lead a life of leisure. We are called to service and to action. There are no exceptions.

A Time for Reflection

by

How long has it been since you did a reassessment of your life in general, and your spiritual life in particular? Study after study has shown that taking some time each day to simply think, reevaluate and plan will have a significant positive impact on your life. Those who engage in these activities, almost without exception, lead more successful and satisfied lives. The vast majority of us won’t engage in these activities even once a year, much less every day. As the saying goes, if you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting. In other words, without reflection and redirection, growth will be excruciatingly slow at best and more than likely will be non-existent.

We all want to lead lives of excellence and feel like we’re making a difference in the world. Followers of Jesus take this to a whole different level as they seek to live a life that looks like that of Christ. One cannot achieve a Christ-like life without consistent and noticeable growth. Jesus stood out; wherever He went, people took notice. Because of the words He said and the things He did, Jesus drew attention to God and His glory. If that description does not match that of our lives, then we still have plenty of opportunity for growth. The question then becomes, “How do we achieve growth in Christ?” Finding good teachers, listening to powerful sermons or reading something challenging and encouraging are all good steps. However, head knowledge alone will not produce the radical growth for which we are looking. A relationship with God is an intimately personal relationship, so ultimately the growth we seek must come from within us and through His power.

Since the Spirit of God lives in those who trust in Him and follow Him, the power of Jesus is readily available to change you from the inside out. Reflection is a great means of tapping into this power. Take some time (fifteen minutes to an hour each day) to prayerfully look back over your day, your week and your life. In what ways have you successfully reflected the love of Jesus? In what ways have you failed to shine for Him? When have you felt the closest to God, and when have you felt the furthest away? What have you done that made you feel like you were successfully following after Him and what have you done that resulted in you falling away? Examine your answers honestly; this is only between you and God. It is often helpful to write down what you discover so in the future you can more easily look back over your life. After gathering the information, plan out your next day, week and month. Determine which things you need to do more of, or to what areas you need to give greater focus. By the same token, make certain you identify and cease doing those things that have negatively impacted your walk up to this point in your life. In reflecting over your past day or week, is there someone to whom you need to say “I’m sorry” and ask their forgiveness? Were there situations in which you overreacted and hurt someone else over something trivial? Go to that person and ask forgiveness. Forgive those who hurt you and realize that by so doing you are becoming more Christ-like. Perhaps nothing grows our faith more quickly than the asking for and the giving of forgiveness.

We can’t grow if we don’t know where we’ve been and who we’re becoming. Jesus often withdrew to be alone and pray. We should follow His model and use this time alone to allow Him to work in us so He might help shape us into who we were created to be. It’s a simple discipline that yields tremendous results. We take the time to get routine checkups for our dying physical bodies; is it not even more important to take the time for regular checkups of our eternal soul? Start with just fifteen minutes a day, perhaps when you first get up or right before you go to bed. Get alone with God, be still and reflect. I guarantee you will be amazed at how much this simple exercise will do to stimulate your growth. Jesus wants nothing more than for you to become who He created you to be. Take some time each day to make certain you are moving towards that goal.

Kindness and Compassion

by

As followers of Jesus, one of our hallmarks is to show kindness and compassion to everyone we meet. Jesus modeled this beautifully when He was here on earth. He had compassion on the weak, the sick and the criminal. He showed kindness to the poor, the outcast, and the foreigner. Ephesians 4:32 tells us we should be kind, compassionate, and forgiving of one another. In Colossians 3:12-13 we read that not only are we to show kindness and compassion to each other, but also to be gentle, humble and accepting. Living life in such a manner would be a beautiful reflection of God. We want to live a life that looks like Jesus, so why is it so hard to behave in this way?

Forgiveness is always difficult. Our reaction to being hurt, whether emotionally or physically, seems to always be to respond in kind. It takes great discipline and maturity to restrain from lashing out. Above all, it takes great love to react appropriately. Unless we truly love others, we will never be able to successfully and consistently forgive them. Love is the key and the enabler of forgiveness. Further on in Ephesians (chapter 5, verse 2), we are instructed to walk in love, just as Jesus walked in love. Jesus loved us so much that He sacrificed everything He was for each one of us. This is true beauty. Without love, everything else is useless (see I Corinthians 13). Without love we cannot clearly demonstrate kindness and compassion; you can’t fake these things. When you offer a helping hand to someone, if it’s not genuine, it will more than likely be dismissed. No one wants to be condescended to and few will want your pity. Genuine kindness, however, is a rare and beautiful thing with almost universal acceptance.

What can you do today to demonstrate kindness to someone else? Ask the Lord to burn compassion deep into your heart, so that you may see others as He sees them. As Bob Pierce prayed years ago, beg God to break your heart with the things that break His. When your heart is broken by what you see, don’t weep and pass by; don’t simply become angry at the injustice that surrounds you. Rather, compassionately embrace the hurt that is front of you. Offer and employ genuine assistance out of pure kindness. Do the thing that Jesus would do; touch the untouchable, hug someone who smells of life on the street, and care for the needs of someone less fortunate than you.

Becoming angry at injustice is a good thing if the response is genuine and winsome. We mustn’t respond to injustice with hate, but rather with love. Compassion does not need to be a passive word. Compassion mixed with zeal can rescue children from the horrors of trafficking and can feed hungry refugees displaced from their homes by natural disaster or national genocide. Kindness and compassion require the active verb of love before they can be fully engaged. Without love, our actions are worthless. Without action, our love is hollow and disingenuous.

A simple smile, a small gesture or an out of the blue compliment can do wonders for the outlook of another. In a world filled with pain and sorrow, a little kindness will go a long way. Never become too busy to notice the needs of those around you. Never become so self-absorbed that you become blind to those in need to whom you can show compassion. Discipline yourself to never let an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus pass you by. They will know we are Christians by our love. Love is activated by our kindness and compassion toward others. Make certain you find someone to love today.