Even If i Walk Alone

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

Discipline

Spiritual Leaks

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I believe most people who decide to become followers of Jesus are very sincere in their desire. We all start out very excited and determined to follow Him; generally after making the commitment we are quick to tell others about our decision as well. Then life sets in and the day to day doldrums that encompassed everything we did before prove to have not magically disappeared. Our excitement may wane a bit as we find less and less time to devote to praying and studying the Bible. Convincing ourselves that our commitment will override the need for concentrated effort, we continue on our path, much as we did before giving our lives over to Jesus. It’s not that we intend to fall away or even that we are mired in sin; it’s simply that we’ve lost our focus, let down our guard, and allowed the pressures of life to steal our enthusiasm and our zeal. We’re drifting and we’re not even sure how it happened.

Like a tire with a slow leak, we can go about our way for quite some time without ever realizing there’s a problem. When we do notice something amiss, we read a good book or listen to some music to pump us back up and head out on our way again. But just as ignoring a tire with a slow leak will eventually leave us broken down with a flat somewhere in the middle of nowhere, so too will unattended spiritual leaks leave us feeling dissatisfied and wandering in the wilderness of life. A little slip here, a loss of focus there, and suddenly our once devoted life has succumbed to the temptations of the world and we are no longer living for Christ at all. It is vital that we do not let our guard down for even a moment; small cracks become big problems down the road if we don’t tend to them. As soon as we recognize we have gotten off course, we need to immediately repent and pray for direction to get back on the right path. It’s also important to take a few moments and reflect on how you got pushed off track. What deceptions and devices were used? Learning the tactics of the enemy will help you fend off future attacks and help you recognize your vulnerabilities; this informs you of the areas in your life that need improvement.

It’s rarely the huge, cataclysmic events that cause us to veer away from following Christ but rather the small, barely perceptible shifts of focus that are our downfall. It’s the friend who hurts our feelings and so we harbor a grudge; it’s the boss who squashes our enthusiasm until we decide to no longer excel and simply do an average job; it’s the everyday things in life that lead to discouragement, jealousy and anger. When you are experiencing emotions that are not part of God’s character, you are causing cracks to form in your life, cracks that allow the spiritual leaking to begin. Remember that no one can cause you to feel any of these negative emotions without your permission. You must discipline your mind to reject feelings that do not align with your purpose in life. If someone wrongs you, forgive them and move on. Life is too short to waste time dealing with the thoughts thrust upon us by others. We have a mission to carry out and have no time left to lose. Ephesians 5:15-17 tells us to make the most of the time because the days are evil so we should discern what the will of the Lord is. The will of the Lord is to put aside petty differences and to go into the entire world telling others about Jesus while serving those in need. That is how we are to live our lives.

Be careful about letting cracks form in your heart. Spiritual leaks are silent and insidious killers of the soul. Without diligent focus and attention to our emotions and reactions we can easily find our joy depleted and our lives broken down and useless. Constantly recharge yourself through prayer, study and associating with others who share your beliefs. Salve your wounds by serving others; there is no quicker way to patch a crack than to be about the mission to which you are called. Staying on purpose hardens our resolve and makes the cracks less likely to appear.

Are you suffering from spiritual leaks? Take an honest look at your life and ask God to patch the holes and get you back on the road toward pursuing Him. Mind your focus and steel your resolve; guard your thoughts and learn to improve the weak areas of your life. Preventing the cracks in the first place is the best defense against spiritual leaks.

The Little Things

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Following Jesus is a massive undertaking. It’s hard to imagine anything more monumental than dedicating one’s life to following any one person, much less the Creator of the Universe! When we decide to forsake everything to follow Jesus, it is not a trivial matter. This decision is not a momentary whim for true followers. This is an agonizing realization that we are nothing without Him and we can no longer live for ourselves, but rather must expend all our days to glorify Him. In this magnitude of a decision, it is easy to get lost and feel overwhelmed. We can see what the finish line looks like, but we often are clueless as to how to get from where we are to there. The old axiom of “How do you eat an elephant (the answer is – with apologies to my fellow animal lovers – one bite at a time)?” comes into play here. If we try and do everything Jesus commanded us to do in one fell swoop, we are destined to fail. In fact, I think many of our failures arise from our trying to do too much at once and perhaps too much too soon. God’s Sovereign story has been unfolding for thousands of years. There is an element of divine patience woven throughout history. The key movements are in the subtleties of life. Jesus is constructing His Kingdom from the bottom up rather than from the top down. He is building His dominion through the freewill of those who love Him rather than by dictating to those who do not. God is in the little things, the details, of life.

Rather than trying to make great strides in our walk with God each day, we should instead strive for small, consistent steps. As Dave Ramsey is fond of saying, “When I read the story of the tortoise and the hare, the tortoise wins every time!” There is great wisdom in that old story. While it is very important to not only see the big picture but to also keep it clearly in focus each day, it is equally important to concentrate on the small snapshots that make up that bigger picture. Every day we are faced with situations in our life that force us to make choices. Many times these choices will cause us to choose for Christ or against Him. We must choose between lying and telling the truth. We must choose between acting justly or unjustly. We must choose between compassion and selfishness. Each of these decisions and countless more are the details of life. They are the minutiae that form our character and determine the integrity of our devotion to Jesus. While none of these choices on their own appear to be of much consequence at the time, the truth is that it is the accumulation of these choices that ultimately determines whether or not we will live a life of following Jesus.

Never underestimate the weight of little choices. These choices are creating who we will become tomorrow. It is vitally important that we take captive every thought, every choice and every emotion as we determine to follow Christ. Nothing must slip through the cracks. While this is of course nearly impossible in application, it is through disciplining ourselves to monitor the moments that we will develop into the image of Christ. It is by focusing on Him every second of our lives and in every opportunity. Following Jesus is not a onetime decision, but rather a life long journey of countless steps. Each step either brings us closer to Him or it moves us further away. Take care of the little things in life, the details of every day. By choosing Christ in the small, unseen moments, we will mature into a true and devoted follower of Jesus. The big things in life will take care of themselves if we are slowly and steadily building a life that looks like Jesus in the small decisions of our everyday lives.

Achieving the Goal

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Many wise men have said, in one form or the other, that a goal not written down is merely a fantasy. I have proved this out in my own life. As followers of Jesus, our ultimate goal is to live a life that looks like His. We know this to be true at our core, and we express this fact to others. Have you ever taken the time to write down this goal? As long as it is just something we want to do or achieve, and as long as it remains only in our mind, the chances of obtaining the goal are almost zero. When we don’t write our goals down, they become elusive and our attempts at accomplishment are haphazard and scattered. Once we commit our goals to paper, they become more tangible and we can begin to develop plans to bring them to fruition.

The achievement of any goal essentially boils down to what we are willing to begin doing, what we are willing to stop doing, and how much self-discipline we are willing to bring to bear to achieve the desired outcome. Desiring to live a life that looks like Jesus has one distinct advantage over any other goal you may set out to achieve. That advantage is Jesus Himself. He loves you beyond measure and desires you to know Him more deeply than you already do. He excitedly waits to help you discover more of Him and to live in a manner that reflects His glory. Instead of disciplining ourselves out of duty, we discipline ourselves out of love. This makes working towards this goal far more pleasant than most others. Every step closer to Jesus improves the rest of our life exponentially. We may not gain financially as a result of our pursuit, but we will gain incredible joy and peace. Achieving the goal is rewarding, but the person you must become to achieve it is far more rewarding still.

Once you have determined to go all in and pursue Jesus at any cost – and you’ve written it down – you must then write out your “why”. Why is it that you want to live a life that looks like Jesus? Why is it that you want to give up everything to follow Him? What is your motivation? Following Jesus is hard, and you will face many times of discouragement. These are the times when many will turn back and make the tragic decision that it simply isn’t worth it. When you face trials, refer back to your “why” to discover again the reasons you have to push through the storm and emerge strengthened on the other side. Having clearly defined reasons for wanting to follow Jesus will help you keep everything in proper perspective and enable you to stand fast against the attacks of the enemy.

You have established your goal and determined your reasons; now it is time to plan. Write down what a true follower of Jesus looks like. How do they act? What sort of things do they say? Where do they hang out? With whom do they associate? Develop a clear mental image of what a true follower of Jesus looks like, and write it down. Be as detailed as possible. How do they spend their days? How do they interact with their family? Now take a look at your own life; how do you measure up? By looking at the description of the person you want to become, you should be able to see several areas where your own life needs to change. Work on one area at a time. Determine to change your life in that one area so that your own life begins to align with your description of the true follower of Jesus. What actions can you take today to start looking like that ideal picture? How will your life change over the next week and month to look more like that of a true follower of Jesus? Once you have established one area of your life to be more consistent with Christ, move on to the next. Always write down what needs to change and how you will accomplish this. Review these mini-goals daily, before going to sleep at night and when you awaken each morning.

The chances are good that if you are reading this blog you have a strong desire to follow Jesus with a reckless abandonment. It’s exciting and invigorating to know there are others out there who share the same passion. The difference between those who obtain this life and those who just wish they could, is simply a matter of focused discipline. Writing down what you want to achieve has a mysterious power to help you accomplish your goals; this mysterious power is called focus. Once you are focused you can move forward. Without focus, you will wander aimlessly, forever taking two steps forward and one step back. It’s time to move past wishful thinking and fantasy. It’s time to devote ourselves to the One who gave everything for us. Jesus was intentional and focused as He lived His life for us; now it’s our turn. Write down what you want to do; describe who you must become to do it. Then persist without exception, relying on God’s power to accomplish in you all He intends to do.

Finding Your Rhythm

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Much has been made about maintaining balance in our lives. We don’t want to be workaholics, but neither do we want to become lazy. We need to rest without becoming lethargic. We need to pray and study but we also need to take action. To be certain, we must figure out where all the different roles fit within the context of our life. I submit, however, that it is more about rhythm than it is about balance. Personalities are so unique that each of us will have differing capacities and priorities, and therefore what looks like a life that is wholly unbalanced to one person may in fact be the perfect balance for another. The key is how we allow the ebb and flow of life to pass through us; this is our rhythm.

As we read in the book of Ecclesiastes, there is a time for everything under the sun. God has created us to be a diverse people with varying tastes and styles. We have unique talents and abilities that we use in our own distinct ways that reveal the fingerprint of God on our lives. We pursue passions and a direction that God has instilled within us in ways that sometimes only makes sense to ourselves! God’s heart beats in a steady pulse that resonates in different rhythms for all of us. We must learn to tune into our personal rhythm and live in that flow.

The key to discovering your rhythm is to maintain your focus on Jesus Christ. When we are seeking Him first, we settle into an easy cadence that permits us to handle whatever comes our way. Did you ever notice that when you are focused on God that hard times or circumstances rarely seem so difficult? We are able to keep everything in perspective and understand that whatever befalls us on earth is truly a small thing in the grand scheme of eternity. When life begins to feel overwhelming or when we become depressed or unhappy, this is a sure sign that you have fallen out of rhythm.

I’m sure you’ve heard musical performances where the drummer “loses the beat”; his job is to supply the tempo and the rhythm for the group. When he falls out of time, the rest of the band loses their place and the ensuing cacophony is far from pleasant! God is the great cosmic drummer and supplies the tempo for our lives; He never misses a beat. However, if we stop listening for the beat, if we start playing our own rhythm, we get lost and start playing chaotic notes that don’t fit the song we have been given to perform. To carry the analogy a little further, when we are in rhythm, all of the various parts of the composition we are performing work together in beautiful harmony; when we get off time, all the parts come into conflict with one another and it takes great effort to pull them all back together again. As any musician knows, the way to get back on track is to relax and listen for the beat that is being laid down by the drummer. Once you hear it, you are then able to easily get back within the flow of the music. You have rediscovered your rhythm.

It is important that you pay attention to the tempo God is setting for your life. You keep in rhythm by focusing on Him so as not to lose your place. When our eyes stay focused on Jesus, all of the distractions of life are easily handled and put in their proper perspective. If you are feeling overwhelmed, chances are you have lost the beat in your relationship with Christ. Find some quiet time to get alone with Him and listen for the rhythm. Write down anything that is causing you stress. Putting it down on paper gets it out of your head and allows you to pray through the issue and determine tangible steps you can take to eliminate the problem. As you slowly decompress and spit out the cacophony of notes in your mind, you free up space to hear the divine heartbeat of God. Listen closely to the beat and find your rhythm. Relax and enjoy the beautiful song He is creating through the music of your life.

A Time for Reflection

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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.