Even If i Walk Alone

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

Discipline

From Inspiration to Implementation

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Frustrated Businessman

I was recently attending a conference where I heard Bill Hybels say something that resonated deeply with me. He said that there comes a time when “we must move from inspiration to implementation.” We have more learning tools available to us than any other generation in history. Answers to virtually any question are just a few clicks away on the internet. The abundance of courses available through traditional, online, audio, and self-study courses is truly astounding. Lack of knowledge is no longer a viable excuse for a lack of action.

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Deny Yourself

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In Matthew 16, verse 24, Jesus tells His followers that “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” It is common among Christians to talk about “taking up your cross”.

Cookies and milk - a luxury

We generally pull that out whenever we are going through some sort of trial. Yet we don’t hear a lot in our modern churches about denying ourselves. It seems we’ve relegated that to the people of the past, the super-spiritual or the mystics. After all, denying oneself is a wholly un-American way to think.

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Defining Your Brand

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In my coaching business, there is a lot of emphasis on developing your personal brand. It’s important to define who you are and what people can expect from you at all times. As a follower of Christ, I think it’s equally important to be conscious of our brand in the eyes of the world. We need to be certain we are accurately portraying the message of Jesus in everything that we do.

Person in contemplative prayer

You shouldn’t need a sign around your neck to tell people what you stand for in life. Rather, if we are living consistently with the mission of Christ, it will be self-evident. [Read more…] about Defining Your Brand

Living with Passion

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What does it mean to live with passion for the sake of Jesus Christ? Those of us who seek to follow Him would probably agree that it is our desire to live a life full of passion, a life fully alive in Him. In practice, however, our resolve can wane and we end up swept away by the tides of life.

Living With Passion

As long as we are focused on ourselves, we will never come to terms with what it means to live a life of devotion. To experience the life of joy found only in Christ, our focus must be on Him and Him alone. [Read more…] about Living with Passion

Blind Spots

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What am I missing? In my pursuit of Jesus, what have I overlooked? Where are my blind spots? I think these are all fair questions to reflect on as we strive to live a life of service to our Lord. I certainly have no corner on the truth and I obviously do not have all the answers. That’s why I believe it is important to occasionally examine how we’re living and reevaluate if there is more we could be doing to reflect the love of Jesus to our world. We need the input of fellow traveler’s and eagerly accept course corrections when they are pointed out to us, as we seek His kingdom in everything we do.

Nothing is so clarifying as the Bible. One of my favorite mysteries in life is how I can read a passage I’ve read a hundred times before and somehow gain brand new insight. Examining the life of Christ helps me understand the ways I need to respond in various situations. Both the Old and New Testaments provide instruction on properly molding my attitudes towards others and give wisdom in dealing with everyday life. There is no substitute for reading the Word of God. This is our primary reference point for how to live and serve. By consistently immersing ourselves in Scripture, we will be constantly reminded how we can best serve those in need and bring glory to Christ.

Make a habit of reading books by authors who have studied the Word and have fresh insights to offer. If you aren’t a reader, listen to audio books. God has not stopped speaking through willing servants, and He inspires them to teach truth to the rest of the body. Prayerfully consider what you read and always check what you learn against Scripture. Someone else may look at a Bible passage from an entirely different perspective and allow you to learn many new things from their viewpoint. We all learn from each other in community; this is one of the purposes of the Church. God is a relational being and we are created in His image; therefore it is important to associate with other believers, both in person and vicariously through the writing of others.

Finally, we can learn much from gathering with our Christian brothers and sisters. As you gather together at your regular fellowship, glean all you can from the message that is presented. Drink deeply of any worship that you engage in as a body. These are rich times that we are privileged to freely enjoy in the Western world, and we must not take them for granted. Beyond the time spent at your weekly worship service, find friends who will join you on your journey. Nothing beats face to face interaction, but even friends made online can be very beneficial to helping you stay on track as you seek to serve Christ. Find an accountability partner, someone who will watch your life as you watch theirs. Agree to regular meetings or phone calls to check in with each other’s progress. I have found this one discipline can to lead to amazing growth.

Recognizing that we never know it all allows us to guiltlessly seek the help of others. Don’t neglect the resources with which God has blessed you. We are blessed to live in a country that affords us many ways to further learn about God; utilize all that you can. Study the Bible, read inspirational books that instruct you in the ways of Christ, and get involved with a group of people who are equally committed to living lives that look like Jesus. Reflect often on where you may be falling short and perhaps giving Satan an opportunity to attack. Doing these things will reveal your current blind spots and prevent new ones from forming in the future.