Even If i Walk Alone

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

Rebounding From Discouragement

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It happens to all of us. Despite our best efforts, circumstances in and around our lives leave us feeling defeated, let down and discouraged. As children of God, loved immeasurably by Him, we know this is not the way we should feel. Jesus sacrificed Himself for us so that we might have life and a life of abundant joy at that. As H. Jackson Brown once said, “It’s not how far you fall, but how high you bounce.” The goal then is to determine how to keep from falling too far and how to maximize our bounce back up. I have three suggestions to help keep you motivated at all times. They are ways to keep you from getting too discouraged, and all provide elements of achieving a great bounce.

Select a role model. Find someone whose life reflects Christ in a manner you admire. This can be someone you know, an author, a pastor, a missionary, or an elderly acquaintance in a nursing home. There is no one definition of who can be a role model, just make sure it is someone who loves and glorifies God. If possible, talk to that person, as this will always lead to you being encouraged. However, most of us will never have the opportunity to actually meet our role models. Instead, study everything you can about that person. How do they react to difficult situations, how do they carry themselves, and what sort of language do they use? When you get discouraged or face a difficult decision, determine in your mind how your role model would react in the same situation; then act in the way they would. Jesus, of course, is the perfect role model. For some, particularly to those earlier on in their journey, it can be difficult to apply the life of Jesus to their modern problems. It’s okay to have human role models (past or present), as long as we recognize that the reason their lives look like they do is because they have themselves modeled their life after Jesus. Living like Jesus is the goal. Still, it can be beneficial to have other God-fearing people as role models if that makes it easier for you to relate.

Lean on your spouse. If you are married and have a relationship that is centered on Jesus, your spouse can be a tremendous source of encouragement. Always involve your partner in your plans, your dreams and your goals. If you are working toward a God-ordained purpose together, you will find great comfort in the company and help of one another. Nothing can diminish the struggles of a difficult day like the warmth of a smile or a hug from your husband or wife. As they perform little acts of kindness for you, your discouragement will melt slowly away as you retreat into the arms of the one to whom you have pledged to love and to cherish. If you are not married, remember that the church is the bride of Christ. Each of us shares an intimate relationship with Him. Jesus provides an unrelenting source of warmth and comfort to each of His children. Close your eyes and imagine His arms wrapped gently around you. He loves you and is there for you through sickness and health, good times and bad.

Surround yourself with well chosen friends. A friend can do wonders in lifting you up from your discouragement. Unfortunately, the converse is also true; they can so commiserate with you that you actually sink deeper into despair. Make certain you are surrounding yourself with Christ-focused people. Energy is contagious, so make sure your friends are radiating positive energy, not negative. I’m sure you have already experienced the phenomenon that it is virtually impossible to be down in the presence of a positive, upbeat person. Recharge your batteries by hanging out with folks who will lift you up and encourage you. Don’t wallow in self-pity or seek out those who will only feed your negative state of mind. Choose your friends wisely, because they are who you will become. Read positive books and listen to positive music. What we feed our minds is what determines our actions. Seek out the counsel of wise friends and avoid the negative people you know until you are again strong enough to be an encouraging voice into their life.

Discouragement is the result of circumstances, some self-inflicted, others beyond our control. Recovering from discouragement or avoiding it altogether, however, is a choice. We choose to be discouraged and we choose whether or not to bounce back. Circumstances do not keep us discouraged, attitude does; and attitude is always a choice. When I look at the life of Jesus, I do not see a discouraged man. I see a focused, driven person, always on mission, and always showing love. Jesus had many reasons to be discouraged throughout the course of His life; the people in His hometown thought he was a lunatic, the government thought He was leading a rebellion and the religious leaders accused Him of being the devil himself. Yet He didn’t let the misunderstandings of others or His circumstances keep Him down. He bounced back every time, and each time He bounced higher than the last.

Try using one or more of the suggestions above to shake off and rise above your circumstances. Always pray for the love of Jesus to so permeate your life that nothing else matters. Remember that you are loved and chosen by the King and Creator of the universe. In Him, we cannot be defeated. Stay focused and on mission, and always make sure to bounce.

Living Simply

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Jesus lived a life of simplicity. He did not clutter His days with unnecessary baubles, dress extravagantly or live in a huge house with a meticulously manicured lawn. None of these things were important to Him. All that mattered to Jesus was carrying out the mission of God. He lived His life diametrically opposed to societal norms. If we are committed to live a life that looks like His, we need to reflect on how we are measuring up to His simplicity.

We who live in the West live in the wealthiest societies that the world has ever known. Every day we take for granted what others around the world and throughout history have never known. On a typical morning, I will retrieve food from the refrigerator and cupboard, heat it in a microwave oven, and pour a glass of clean, cool water before heading upstairs for a long, hot shower. On a typical morning, half of the world’s population will wake up hungry and remain that way because there is no food; if they can find water, they must often walk for miles to access it, and then it may be anything but clean and cool. They live in filth because there is nowhere to bathe, nor any kind of bathroom facility in their one story, one room, and tin-roofed hut. They live in fear of the darkness because there is no electricity to illuminate their nights.

Yet the multitudes of blessings we find in our typical morning, if we would stop to consider them, are not enough. It’s not enough that we are blessed with comforts unimaginable for half the population on the planet. A typical Western household will have a couple of automobiles, several sets of clothing and shoes, and several pieces of electronic forms of entertainment. By contrast, the typical household for half the world will have no motor vehicle, one set of clothing but no shoes, and no useless gadgets with which to amuse them. Their days are spent working, farming, walking and helping out in their community. Meanwhile, we leave our houses only to go to work, shop or for the occasional barbecue.

Whose life more closely reflects that of Jesus? We have become a people dissatisfied with simplicity. We require excess and comfort. Oh, we’ll follow Jesus, we’ll live as He did, but we’ll do so in the context of the comforts and pleasures of our modern society. Jesus was countercultural, but we live a life of assimilation. An honest look will reveal that our lives look like anything but that of Jesus’ life. He modeled simplicity and we live in complexity. He modeled generosity and we live in selfishness. Yet still we claim to be His followers; still we claim to be striving to live a life that looks like His.

This is about the time when we generally hear the disclaimer of, “Now I’m not asking you to sell everything you have”, from our pulpits. It always amazes me that in almost every church I’ve ever attended, preachers will follow up a convicting statement with another that softens and perhaps even nullifies the first. For example, “You can’t spend all your time watching television or going to the mall. Not that there’s anything wrong with those activities by themselves, but…” So I’m not going to soften the blow here. The rich young ruler (perhaps a forerunner to you and me) asked Jesus what He needed to do to be like Him and inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor. There was no but, there was no follow up excuse, and there was no retraction later on in scripture.

Jesus wasn’t bogged down by earthly trappings or possessions. He lived a simple life of utter dependence on God. He did not give thought to what He might eat or what He might drink, but rather trusted His Father to provide for His needs. When was the last time you lived in such abandonment? When was the last time you placed that kind of trust in God?

It is no wonder Christ identified with the poor; their lives more closely reflected the manner in which He lived. Can Jesus recognize anything of Himself in our own lifestyles? I am ashamed and convicted by my own surroundings. I am blessed beyond measure and take almost all of it for granted. God forgive me. I want to live a life that looks like Jesus. I want to follow Him in every way. I have the desire, but do I have the will? It is the question I must ask myself, and it is the same question that I ask you. Are we truly willing to live a life that looks like Jesus? Are we willing and ready to walk in His simplicity?

Another Day, another Adventure

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Following Jesus is a lifelong adventure. You may have heard that before, but it is something I truly believe. Perhaps you aren’t the adventurous sort, or at least you haven’t been for years, and the prospect of adventure is not that appealing to you. Maybe you enjoy the safety and predictability of your life and adventure is the last thing you are looking for. Worse yet, you may be so burned out spiritually that life has become an endless string of monotony, a “holy grind”, if you will. Regardless of where you are, or what your inclinations may be, one truth remains: following Jesus with all your heart, mind and soul means you will engage in a lifelong series of adventures.

This should not frighten us, but instead it should invigorate. The life of Jesus was lived with purpose and passion. He knew exactly where He was going because He simply walked in the will of His Father. In the same way, we too can have a definiteness of purpose if we will but devote ourselves fully to following Jesus. I’m not talking about saying certain prayers, abstaining from a taboo list of activities or showing up at a church service for an hour each week. I’m speaking of an all out, unbridled, passionate pursuit of Jesus Christ. Jesus made radical statements to those who desired to walk His path. He told them He had no home and no place to sleep. He told them if they wanted to follow Him they needed to drop everything and sell everything they owned. He instructed them to forget the responsibilities of tradition and to forsake even their own families to join Him. On the surface, these are reckless statements. Followers of Jesus may have no home, no possessions, no money; they might be forced to live on the fringes of society and to be rejected by their families. What kind of plan is this? If we look a little deeper, we will see that there is indeed a method to the perceived madness, a strategy of divine proportions. Peel away the outer layer of uncertainty and you will find that everything Jesus demanded of His followers was for the purpose of leading them to a life where they had no one and nothing to depend on except Him. He told them not to worry about what they would eat or drink or what they would wear; God would provide. Herein lays the great adventure. All bets are off, and all of our plans are cast away. We throw ourselves into the love and mercy of Jesus Christ, not knowing where we are going, but trusting in Him to lead us there. To have no plan other than to devote our life to Jesus means we trade in our false sense of earthly security for eternal peace. It means we surrender our plans and dreams in exchange for freedom like we have never known. No longer will we be held back or enslaved by traditions or societal pressures. We are free to live the life we were created to live.

As with all adventure, the reward is not without its peril. Following Jesus is both difficult and dangerous. It is not for the half-hearted or the uncommitted. The work can be treacherous and heavy, but the results are both freeing and fulfilling. Jesus doesn’t promise a life of ease or security. He prayed for our safety; why would He do that if He was not fully aware of the dangers we would face? We are called to carry on His mission, and if we follow in His footsteps we should expect trials similar to what He endured. In my mind, the trials are more than worth the rewards. Trials last for such a miniscule amount of time, while God’s presence lasts an eternity. We may sacrifice a little now, but we gain a lot later; isn’t that the lure of all adventures?

Following Jesus means we always know where we are going but that we will rarely have any idea of how we’re going to get there! We can’t foresee the trials or joys that will invade our path, nor can we scarcely imagine whom we might meet or where we might travel. These very facts are what make the journey so exciting. We know where the path ends and we know who waits for us there. Everything between the then and now is simply the grand adventure of a life spent following Jesus. Today is the start of a new piece of that same adventure. Attack this day with vigor and passion, knowing that wherever it leads will be one step closer to Jesus.

Unity and Peace

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My dad is a retired pastor (contradicted by the steady number of Sundays he continues to preach at various churches around the area!), so I have seen more than most of what goes on behind the scenes in churches. The backbiting and sniping, the conniving and planning, and the outright wickedness and lies; I’ve seen it all. Don’t misunderstand me; those engaging in these activities are always a small minority of the people attending church. This group does, however, point out how easy it seems to be for Christians to be anything but unified. There is as much discord in your typical church as there is within your typical political party. This isn’t how it is supposed to be. We are instructed to diligently seek unity. Diligence is defined as “constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken”. This is not a word that means to nonchalantly give lip service to our efforts. We must be constantly seeking unity. Unity is difficult to achieve, division is easy. It’s far less work to complain about someone else than to work towards a solution. It’s far easier to criticize the ideas of others than to present one of your own. It seems like most of our efforts result in tearing apart rather than building up. As long as we are pulling in disparate directions, our effectiveness will be significantly hindered. Cooperation yields incredible power by sheer quantity of scale. As the saying goes, “None of us is as smart as all of us.” In the same way, none of us is as strong as all of us. As Jesus Himself said, wherever two or three are gathered together in His name, He will be there with them (Matthew 18:20). There is great power in unity.

In Ephesians 4:3, we find the key to unity: peace. If we live in peace with one another, unity will come easily. The problem is we live in anything but peace. We are far more interested in establishing our own superiority. We want to be the one everyone else looks up to or seeks out in times of trouble. We want to be seen as the wisest and most spiritual person in our group. Whenever anyone else appears to be taking on that role, we are quick to attack them. Suddenly we see it as our duty to expose their every fault. As a result, we give them no peace, nor do we have any of our own. If we would follow Jesus then we must follow His pattern of peace. He did not react violently when violence was being inflicted upon Him; He did not reject others though they rejected Him. Instead, He chose to respond in peace and with tender love to all. He was a man of peace, consumed with a passion for God and people, but determined to demonstrate victory through love and not force. He succeeded beyond all comprehension. Jesus began the largest and most enduring movement in history without ever “firing a shot”. Jesus won the war of eternity through the use of His love and with an attitude of peace. He is all inclusive and will never berate or look down on anyone. He simply loves you, and in His love, He brings perfect peace to all who ask. Live in peace with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Diligently, and without exception, work at building unity with one another. Peace will draw us together into unity, and peace will hold that very unity together.

Are you doing all you can to live in peace and unity with all those around you? Are you living that way among your Christian brothers and sisters? It is paramount that we who profess to be followers of Jesus love one another, care for one another and seek unity in all things. The devil takes great delight in our infighting because it frustrates and hinders our effectiveness. We must remember at all times that we have a common enemy. The battle for the Kingdom is not about us, but rather about Christ living through us. The next time you are tempted to gossip, to berate or to lash out at your brother or sister, stop and ask yourself if it is the way Jesus would react. Ask yourself if your words or actions will work toward an environment of unity and peace. Take yourself out of the equation and let the peace of Christ reign among us as we live in unity for His name and His glory.

Humility, Patience and Love

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Humility is a hard thing in a selfish world. As the old saying goes, “It’s hard to be humble when you’re so great!” The entire world around us is conditioned to self-centeredness, and we have bought in fully. To be certain, humility does not come naturally. We like to be the center of attention and to receive credit or recognition. As long as we see ourselves as the most important person in the world, we will never achieve humility. The key to being humble is to see others as more significant than you. True humility occurs when you see yourself as the servant to all, not just to a select few. Jesus was humble beyond belief. He who had more power than anyone who ever walked this earth was not too proud to wash dirty feet, touch filthy sores or to remain stoic in the face of false accusations. As with all things, Christ is our model. If He could be humble in every circumstance, then so must we.

Patience is incredibly difficult for some, and I often struggle with it. We have grown up in a world that has become increasingly “instant”. My generation has seen (so far) the advent of the personal computer, the microwave oven, the internet, the iPod, etc. I could go on and on. Every new invention seems to be geared to providing instantly what once took considerably longer to achieve. We no longer need to wait for food, entertainment or answers; they are all at our fingertips. Advertising has become a blur of images made to match (and quicken) our pulse. The world is frenetic, somewhat chaotic and ever changing. It is everything except patient. I don’t know if it was easier for earlier generations to be patient, but it certainly seems like it would have been. I have often yearned for a simpler, slower life. It seems as if this world will no longer allow it, yet still some seem to achieve it. What is the secret? How can we learn to be patient? Jesus, again, is the answer (are you sensing a theme?). He taught us to take the long view of things, to keep everything in perspective. This is the key I believe. Things that we must wait for are always sweeter than something acquired in an instant. Without patience there is a lack of appreciation. There is no bar to achievement so there is little keeping us from later easily discarding the very same thing we once “had to have”. I believe that something truly worth having is something worth waiting for; we will then have a greater appreciation for it, and we will cherish and care for what God has entrusted to us. We rarely think of impatient people as attractive; on the other hand, patient people are beautiful. They have a quiet grace about them. I believe this is why we are instructed to model this trait.

Loving one another is an old subject for those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus. We must be careful not to simply gloss over the word. Jesus said we are to love Him with all of our heart and soul. This is the same love we are to give to others as well. Its one thing to give total devotion to our Lord (though if we are honest, we must admit we fail far more often than not); it is quite another thing to love a total stranger with the kind of love that dictates you would die for them. Yet this is central to being an authentic follower of Jesus. Without love, our words are useless; our actions are futile. God is beautiful because He is love. We are to reflect the glory and beauty of Christ. We can only do this if we model His love to others. Without love, you may as well not even strive for the other areas of Christ’s mission. Without love, all else is wasted and useless. Judging others is something we all do far too frequently. Jesus told us not to judge, but rather to love. Never look at anyone else as something less than yourself. Accept everyone just as they are: beautiful creations of God. Each one of us was created for a purpose and to bring glory to God. We are invaluable and priceless, each one of us. Not one soul has any more worth than another; nor do they possess any less worth. We are truly equal in God’s eyes. Show love to one another; accept every person recognizing what a marvelous creation they are. By accepting and loving others, we bring glory to God. We love as He loves.

By modeling the traits of Jesus, by incorporating His habits into our own lives, we will glorify Him and reflect His light to others. These three traits – humility, patience and love – will go a long way toward transforming your life into one that looks like Jesus. Determine to begin to work on each of these areas in your own life. Speak the words to yourself as you go throughout your day, especially in times when you are tempted to respond in a way that is contrary to these attributes. Choose to respond as Jesus would. Repeat daily. As you pursue Jesus and the life He lived, you will find that demonstrating humility, patience and love become wonderful habits in your life. In this way you will glorify God and prove yourselves worthy of the calling you have received (Ephesians 4:1, 2).