Even If i Walk Alone

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

Discipline

Intensity

by

Each of us has a finite amount of time in which to live our lives; this is a given. As followers of Jesus, this should be a cause for rejoicing. We get the privilege of serving Him in this life to be followed by the far greater joy of serving Him throughout eternity once our time in the physical realm is over. However, we are not to simply wait around for this life to end. We mustn’t disregard the privilege of service on this earth in anticipation of the joy of seeing Him. There is a reason we were created as physical beings; that reason is to serve and glorify God as His loving creation. There is no higher call, nor any larger responsibility. It is up to you and me to bring the reality of God’s kingdom into the world in which we live. It is a massive assignment, one that is made even more so by the realization that we have an extremely limited amount of time with which to work. How can we possibly hope to carry out the mission of Jesus?

The answer is intensity. We will need to be fully surrendered to God in every area of our life. Each and every moment will need to be lived as one of total commitment to Him. Taking our eyes off of Jesus for even a moment will jeopardize our mission. This race requires laser like focus and unwillingness to compromise. Loving Jesus, serving Him, living for Him must so permeate our lives that we can think of doing nothing else. This is serving with intensity; this is what it looks like to live out loud for Jesus, to be a true follower of Christ. We must breathe Him in with every single beat of our heart. We must move toward Him with every step that we take. There is no time for seeking self-centered activities. When we work, we must work for Him. When we seek pleasure, we must find it in Him. When we rest, we must rest in Him.

Living with that kind of intensity can appear to be exhausting and perhaps not even possible. If that is your opinion then might I suggest that you are forgetting that God surrounds you at all times; He is present and surrounding you at this very moment. His Spirit weaves in, through and all around you. You have the power of God at your fingertips; it waits simply to be exercised by you. We limit God so frequently that I think we have forgotten how powerful He truly is and that all of that power is available for us to bring to bear on any circumstance. It is He who gives us the power to live; it is He who sustains us. He gives us breath, so breathe Him in. He causes our heart to beat so move in rhythm with Him. He has created and gifted us to accomplish His work on earth. He has sent us out to be His witnesses into the entire world. We have been equipped with everything we need, and we have no excuse to not make use of those blessings in a way that shines the love of Jesus to the ends of the earth.

Embrace the power of God. Seize all that He has given to you. Our time is short, but our mission is clear. Be the hands and feet of Jesus. Care for the poor, the sick and the hungry. Serve the orphans, the widows, and the elderly. Love everyone; serve everyone. Never turn away from someone in need. Walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Live with intensity.

Measuring Up

by

Being a follower of Christ is more than just proclaiming yourself to be one. Following Jesus is an active pursuit, not suitable for those more comfortable sitting in the stands or even on the sidelines. To be a follower of Jesus requires purposeful action and a definiteness of direction. Ultimately, whether we are or are not a true follower will be determined by our actions. You can believe in Jesus right where you are, but you cannot follow Him until you move from where you are to where He is.

We should always be working to improve our character, moving ever closer to the life modeled by Jesus. The way we follow Jesus is to do the things that He would do, to go the places He would go. The entire life of Jesus was marked by integrity. He was always focused and stayed on mission. While some of the religious leaders of His day questioned His character, they could never find any flaws with Him. Try as they might, they always went away from conversations with Him having their tail tucked between their legs. Jesus never had to worry about people seeing Him doing something questionable, because there was no room in His character for questionable activities. We can live the same way. Having first determined to be a person of integrity, we can spend the rest of our days strengthening that same resolve. All questionable activities must be immediately rejected; all negative and derogatory speech must be stopped before it leaves our lips. These are not impossible achievements for us. They are matters of choice and discipline.

Modeling our life after Jesus requires that we act with kindness and generosity towards others. These “others” would include everyone we meet. Jesus loves all people equally and so we must strive to do the same. Become know as a person of compassion, one whom can always be depended on to provide an encouraging or comforting word. People long for someone to listen to them, to share their pain. Let’s be that person they turn to when life has them down, regardless of the circumstances. Following Jesus means we will be living a life that looks quite different from the world around us. What better way to start than with a tender and compassionate heart for everyone we meet? Make certain the love you share with others is genuine and not forced. With practice – lots of practice – loving others can truly become second nature.

It’s easy to claim that we are followers of Jesus. It’s easy to articulate our beliefs and encourage others to join us in those beliefs. The difficulty arises when we realize that we must put those beliefs into action. Regardless of how deeply held your beliefs are they will be inconsequential until you take action on their behalf. You can’t love people without actually loving them. Love that matters is not simply a concept, it is an active verb. So it is with all our beliefs. If we do not act them out, they are ultimately useless.

In the end, we may have talked a great game. We may sound like the holiest person on the planet. But if we haven’t given of ourselves to live out our faith, if we haven’t lived sacrificially in order to share what we have with others, we will have missed the entire point of God’s love. It will be up to us whether or not we believe the cost is worth it. However, if we would be a follower of Jesus, this is a price we must be willing to pay. So how well are you measuring up to Jesus? Are you merely practicing a tired rhetoric or are you living your faith out loud and in full view of everyone? All that matters is what we do with our faith. We are known by our confession but measured by our works for Jesus. Are you a true follower? How do you measure up?

Your Support System

by

We were not meant to walk this path alone. As Christ demonstrated by engaging a band of friends to walk with Him, so we also must surround ourselves with those with whom we can share the journey. Sometimes it is hard to admit that we need help, and we attempt to go it alone. Indeed, there are times when none will go with us, but that is merely an opportunity to meet new friends who are already further along the road than we are. Remember, the goal is to model the life of Christ, and He chose to walk with a group of friends. Having established this, we must be very careful and intentional about whom we will choose as travelling companions.

It is very important that we select friends and role models that have a positive outlook. I’ve talked much about a positive attitude recently, but that only underscores the importance of having such an outlook. We live in a fallen world; evil and despair surround us. We are besieged every day by negative input from others and from our own experiences. When we are discouraged or depressed it is vital to be able to turn to those who can provide some clarity to our situation and help us walk through the minefields. We have more to look forward to than any other people on earth; we know how this ends, and it ends in the arms of Jesus. Therefore we need positive, faithful and Christ loving friends to help keep us motivated and to restore our perspective when we become lost.

Don’t choose to travel with those who are content with mediocrity. Jesus is the standard of excellence, and we must strive to reach the bar He has set for us. If your friends are the types who believe doing something “good enough” is indeed good enough, then you need new friends! Imagine building a house for someone who is homeless and deciding to build it just “good enough”. That is not the standard of service to which Jesus calls us. Jesus demands our all… all the time. Do everything you do as if you were doing it for Jesus Himself. Would you really cut corners or settle for “good enough” if you were doing something directly for Him? No, of course you wouldn’t. Besides, whatever we do for anyone in need, it’s the same as doing it for Christ. Keep this in mind as you go throughout your journey.

The Christian life is hard, and we will face many trials and defeats. Failures are merely the lessons of success. Don’t run from failure, but rather rejoice in it because with each failure you are one step closer to success. Since we are victors in Christ, failure is not a valid reality. Don’t focus on your failures. Learn from them, certainly, but do not linger too long in their midst. Instead, at regular intervals recount your blessings and the successes God has brought to your life. This was the Israelite tradition in the Old Testament. They would often gather together and tell the stories of the various trials God had brought them through and rejoice in the victories He had given them. There is no failure in Christ, only victory. We cannot focus on Christ and failure at the same time; they are polar opposites.

Find some companions with whom to travel as you follow the path set before you by Christ. Choose them wisely. Choose those who will encourage you and help you through the trials. Don’t accept or associate with mediocrity, but rather serve mediocrity with excellence. Be excellent for Christ, do everything with the knowledge that you are doing it for Him. Make a habit of looking back over the road you have travelled. Praise Him for the success He has given you, and thank him for the lessons of what, at the time, looked like failure. Surround yourself with like minded followers of Jesus. Stay focused on Christ; enjoy the adventure of walking together in the footsteps of our Savior and our King.

Your Mental Attitude

by

Being a true follower of Christ means that our lives will be lived in such a way that others cannot help but notice. We will touch the ones that Jesus would touch, and be a servant to all. We will be filled with such passion that we will glide easily through our days, and our nights will be filled with restful sleep. This is the goal to which we aspire. How do we achieve such a state; how do we reach this level of commitment? It begins by changing our attitudes about life; we must change our personal philosophy if we are ever to achieve a close fellowship with God. Our culture has conditioned us to acquire many habits and beliefs that are simply incongruent with following Jesus. Today I want to discuss some destructive mental attitudes that will keep us from living the life we desire to live.

In Western culture in particular, we have become a very selfish people. One of the first questions we need to ask ourselves is “Do we consider the feelings of others, or are we more often concerned only with ourselves?” Take a moment to think back over your day; in fact make a habit of reviewing the day’s events each night before you go to bed. How did you treat other people? Did you put the needs of others before your own? Were you selfish in your actions, operating out of a mindset that was self-seeking? Did you behave in a manner in which you would want others to behave towards you? Jesus lived a life of service to others. He put the needs of others ahead of his own desires. How are we measuring up to the standard He set for us?

Another mental attitude we must check is our attitude toward the actions of others. Do we try and find the good in every person and in every situation, or are we quick to condemn others for their faults? It is much easier to find fault with someone rather than finding good. By finding fault we are able to mask our own shortcomings and exalt our own capabilities. Instead of operating with this mindset, what if we instead readily exposed our own faults while expressing admiration for the talents of others? Instead of finding weakness by default, let us practice the habit of praising the strengths of others as we converse with them. Instill in yourself the rule that you must offer something positive to every encounter before you allow yourself to say anything negative. Jesus lived a life in which He built up those around Him. He encouraged those without hope and brought healing to those in despair. Let us live our lives in the same manner.

Finally, what is our reaction when things go wrong, when they do not go as planned? Are we quick to find people or reasons on which to shift the blame? Do we lash out, making every excuse as to why we failed? Most do not like to be around negative people. Always placing blame on others is a very negative trait and does not lead to a winsome personality, a personality that reflects Jesus. Take responsibility for your own actions and failures. Seek solutions to the problems, learn from your failures and search for the root cause of your mistakes. What could you have done differently? Who could you have asked for help? What advice did you ignore? Always take full responsibility for yourself. Never place the blame on others because deep down we all know it is we who are to blame. By becoming constant learners and working diligently toward our goals, we will achieve them. Then we will need no one to blame. Jesus lived a life of full accountability, accepting responsibility not only for his own actions but for the actions of others as well. He is our model.

How’s your mental attitude? Are you modeling the life of Christ? Do you put the needs of others before your own? Do you seek to find the good in others rather than finding fault? Finally, do you accept responsibility for your actions or do you seek to place blame? Living a life that looks like Jesus is not easy. It requires asking ourselves some tough questions and being prepared to make the changes necessary in order to better reflect the love of God. Many will give up and say it’s too difficult. Many will refuse to change, and in so doing turn away from the One who gave His life for them. Don’t turn away; check your mental attitudes and make the necessary corrections. Diligently seek to live a life that looks like Jesus and you will find the life, the love, the peace, the rest and the joy that your soul has craved since your birth.

Go the Extra Mile

by

As Christians I believe we are called to live lives that are a cut above the rest of the world. I don’t mean to imply that we are somehow better than everyone else, but I do believe we are to act better than everyone else. We belong to no nation, but rather are citizens of the kingdom of God; this in and of itself should dictate that we be held to a higher standard.

A positive attitude will go a long way in setting yourself apart from the crowd. The world needs no more cynical, defeated individuals. We know Jesus; we have the antidote to a joyless existence! No matter how hard our struggles, we must always be mindful of the fact that Christ died for us. We also should always remember that no matter what’s going on in our lives, no matter how bad it may seem to us, there are millions in the world who are enduring worse things. You are blessed with life, and as long as you have that blessing, remember to be thankful for it and to smile! Smiling will make you feel physically and emotionally better. Smiling at someone else will have the same effect on them. Be the kind of person you enjoy being around. No matter the circumstance or conversation, always be positive and look for the good that is surely buried within the moment.

Jesus followed through on everything He said He would do. As His followers, we need to do the same. Whether the task is at work or at home, when we say we will do something, we need to see it through. Many are tempted to give up when what they are working on becomes difficult; do not be one of those people. Always complete the tasks you said you would complete, and complete it on or before the time you said that you would complete it. People are used to being let down by other people. You can differentiate yourself by simply following through for someone. Once you commit yourself to doing so, following through quickly becomes a habit. While it should be second nature to Christ-followers, seeing our tasks through will make us stand out in the world, thereby encouraging others to find out why we are different. Then we can tell them of the love of Christ and what He means to us.

In close relation to following through on what we say we will do, is doing everything we do with excellence. Always give more than is expected of you. Work a little harder or a little longer, don’t quit until the job is worthy of Christ Himself. Always do more than you are paid to do. You will gain a reputation among all who know you as someone who can be trusted and someone who everyone wants working for them! Again, attaining a reputation such as this will lead to many opportunities to share God’s love with others. Exceed expectations every single time. Jesus lived a life of pure excellence and I believe He demands nothing less from us. He has given us gifts and talents to do His work. With tools like these, how can our work be anything short of excellent?

Set yourself apart from the world as you serve others. Be humble as you do so, remembering you do what you do in honor of Jesus. Stay positive at all times, see all your tasks through to completion, and always give more than is expected of you. In so doing, you will demonstrate the difference that Christ has made in your life.