Even If i Walk Alone

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

Faith

Making the Big Decisions

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The biggest decision you will ever make in your life is whether or not to become a follower of Jesus. Beyond this, everything else trivially pales. Still, we will face many difficult choices throughout our lives. How can we be certain we are making the correct decision? Asking whether or not we are making the right choice is the wrong question; we should be most concerned with whether or not we are making a wise choice. The Bible tells us to ask for wisdom, and this is what is genuinely needed most when determining what we should do. We should seek the counsel of others, trusted individuals who have walked the path before us and have experience in the matters we are dealing with. Don’t ask broke people for financial advice or a single person for marital advice. You need to inquire of people who have been where we are and successfully navigated the storms in order to benefit from their experiences. Pray diligently for wisdom and peace concerning your decision. You may not ever hear a definite, unmistakable answer in your heart; but then again you just might! The Holy Spirit works within each believer to prompt us in the way we should go. We simply need to learn to be still and receptive to His leading. Ask others to pray on your behalf as well. Joining together in prayer around a common issue is powerful and one of the great and thrilling mysteries of God.

God created us as agents of free will. He has bestowed on us the honor and privilege of making our own choices. While there are certainly times in life where it would be great to just throw up our hands and have God make the decision for us, we recognize that life would be far less exciting if everything were dictated by someone else. Even though we are free to choose which direction we will go, we must realize that the path that leads to Christ is always the one we should take. Every decision has some spiritual element to it. We need to ask ourselves which choice will lead us closer to God, reflect His glory, or serve someone else in love. Learning to consider our choices in life through this spiritual lens will assist in making decisions far easier. If the choice in question involves money, which outcome will result in you being a better steward of God’s resources? If the decision is about a commitment of time, which choice will allow you to best utilize the number of hours to be spent doing kingdom work? When deciding between two potential job offers, determine which position will allow you to make a bigger impact in the lives of others for Christ. Again, every decision has a spiritual element. It is very important that we take the time to discover the implications of each choice in regards to our commitment to follow Jesus. The wise decision will always be the one that best positions us to serve others with the love of Christ. It may require temporary sacrifice, but it will reap eternal rewards.

We tend to get caught up in how our decisions affect us here and now in this present world. Instead, we should learn to make choices based on their effect in God’s eternal kingdom. This will remove much of the stress and trepidation we feel when faced with monumental decisions. It should never be about how choices will affect our own lives, but rather how they will affect the lives of those we are called to serve. Pray for wisdom and seek the counsel of others. Look at each choice through a spiritual lens; what makes the most sense for promoting the kingdom of God and His glory? Once we take the focus off of ourselves, the big decisions in life seem far smaller and we are able to move forward, confident that we are following in the footsteps of Jesus.

The Power of God

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What if we were to suddenly cease trying to do everything in our own strength? It is common in the Western world to strive to become all we can be, to set goals and have wild aspirations. We are taught from an early age that we deserve to have the best that life has to offer, and these things can be ours if we will only work harder than everyone else. We are bombarded by advertising that encourages us to reach for the gold and shoot for the stars, and so we set out to get our fair share of all that is good in the world. Even those of us who profess to be Christians can get caught up in this whirlwind of seeking self-satisfaction. We may couch it in spiritual terminology and demonstrate it by our countless works of charity, but still we are doing these things with little use of God’s power. Humans are a remarkable creation; we have been given the mental prowess and physical capabilities to achieve great things. How often do we stop to contemplate how small our power is when compared to the Holy God of the universe? What might we accomplish for Him if we would but abandon everything and trust solely in His power?

Too often we muddy our life message by determining to follow Jesus and then attempting to do so by our own plans and means. Sure, we’ll pray for wisdom here and a blessing there, but too often these are cursory prayers that lack focus and true devotion. The way we operate should be the exact opposite. While it is somewhat antithetical to our culture, it is critical that we spend great amounts of time alone with God, crying out to Him in desperation. We must let Him know that we realize we are nothing without Him. In our own strength we can accomplish very little. We may be a great planner and an overachiever, but there is nothing we can do on our own that comes remotely close to the smallest thing we can do through His power. A life lived in reckless abandonment to Jesus Christ is a life that will shake the world with the love of Jesus.

What exactly does it mean to live a life with reckless abandon for Jesus? It means coming to the point where we recognize that our best efforts lack vitality and pale in comparison to His majestic power. It means ceasing every attempt to accomplish something on our own. Instead of working diligently and praying for His blessing, we must pray diligently and be blessed by His working. Don’t confuse what I’m saying as being an excuse to be lazy and to do no work. Following Jesus is indeed difficult work, but it’s the kind of work that leaves one feeling well satisfied at the end of the day. We simply need to become a people who pray first and act second. We often get this reversed. Instead of trying to figure out how to overcome insurmountable odds, we need to simply move forward in prayer, trusting that God in His power will remove the obstacles from our path. As long as we are following in the footsteps of Jesus, living as He lived and serving others for the sake of the Kingdom, our path will be straight before us. Nothing can stand in the wake of God.

His power is available for our consumption right now. He is waiting to live through you. A true follower of Christ not only has Jesus walking with them, but they have the Spirit of God working through them. We have spent too much of our lives relegating Jesus to the passenger seat, or worse yet, the back seat. It is high time we handed Him both the wheel and the keys. Nothing we will ever do on our own can match what He will do through us. Begin today to seek time alone with Him every day, the longer the better. Cry out in desperation to Him, confess your knowledge of how weak and powerless you are. Ask Him to pour His Spirit into your life until you overflow with His glory and love. Walk in His power and leave all the details to Him. A life fully surrendered to Jesus is a life that will change this world.

Confessions of a Western Christian

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I have a few confessions to make. I have been a Christian for thirty-seven years now, but it’s only recently that I’ve begun to discover what it means to truly be a follower of Christ. I have bought into the false teachings of Western Christianity and have totally missed the point of what it means to be a believer in Jesus. I have practiced religious rituals that have little or no foundations in Scripture. Worst of all, I have lived a life that is much more about myself than it is about the One who gave His life for me. I am unworthy of His love, and I am ashamed of the number of years it took for me to begin to travel the narrow road that leads to life and glorious light.

The years I have wasted cannot be redeemed. The past has had its say and I stand in judgment without defense. The only thing more tragic than everything I’ve neglected in my past would be if I continued on that same path from this point forward; I simply refuse. Thanks to the teachings of men like Greg Boyd, Francis Chan and more recently, David Platt, my eyes have been opened and I am not going back to the old lies of Western Christianity. It’s not that these men have some new revelation, but rather they (among others) are returning to the roots of the early church. They are casting aside the perverted teachings of the past couple hundred years to uncover anew what a life devoted to Christ really looks like.

This is of paramount importance. Countless men and women are walking around today, convinced that their salvation is secure because they prayed a certain prayer to ask Jesus into their heart. They are convinced that nothing could ever separate them from Heaven or from Christ, and they have a handful of Scriptures they will use to defend their view. These are lives being lived in peril. These are people who are not acknowledging the whole gospel, but rather a gospel of prosperity, comfort and irresponsibility. The teachings of the Bible are plain and they are clear. We are saved because of our faith and acceptance of God’s grace, which is given to us for the purpose of carrying out His mission on earth. We are saved by grace to do the things He commanded us to do. If we leave off the second half of the equation, we become the goats that Jesus refers to in Matthew 25:31-46. We call Him Lord, but we do nothing to give evidence to our claim.

If we are to follow Jesus into Heaven, then we must be willing to follow Him to the ends of the earth and to the end of our own rope. If we are not doing what He commanded us to do, to care for the orphans and the widows, to bring justice to the oppressed and to feed and clothe those in need, then we are in danger of hearing those awful words, “Depart from Me, for I never knew you”. (Matthew 7:20-23) This is not a game. This is not something we can take lightly or put off until later. We have been deceived and we have believed the lie of Western Christianity. A Christian life that looks no different from that of any other is not a life that is devoted to the teachings and the ways of Jesus.

Where do you find yourself at this moment? Have you bought into the lies of Satan and become consumed with a happy and healthy version of Christianity? Are you content to go to church, give some cash and basically be a good person? Or are you dissatisfied with the hollowness of modern Christianity and long for something deeper, something more? A magic prayer won’t get you into Heaven, but a life lived in total devotion to Jesus, regardless of the cost, most assuredly will. There is no more time for contemplation; your life could end today. How will you live the rest of your life? It’s all or nothing. Don’t be satisfied with the lie you have been sold. Choose to abandon everything in order to gain what is more precious than all else combined. No more games, no more lies; no more goats. From this moment on, may you live your life fully for Jesus and for Him alone.

Are You Ready To Die?

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This past week I have been praying for the country of Oman. This is a country where it is illegal to evangelize others for Christ, and it is illegal for Christians to hold meetings. Followers of Jesus are not allowed to come together to encourage each other, nor are they allowed to tell anyone else about Him. It breaks my heart as I ponder how these people will ever hear the message of the Gospel. How will they ever know how much God loves them, and where will they find their hope? This isn’t a country where we can just write a check to a ministry serving there; to my knowledge there are no ministries serving there other than small covert networks. Having read Shane Claiborne’s excellent book, “Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers” earlier this year, I began asking how I might be able to facilitate getting the Gospel into the hands of the Omani people. It was during this time of prayer that I again came face to face with the realization that following Jesus is a dangerous proposition.

As I have read through the book of Acts recently, I was reminded how much persecution the early church faced on a constant basis. This same persecution continues today outside the confines of our comfortable Western society. If you have not done so in a while, take a moment to praise and thank God that you live in a place that allows you the freedom to worship Him and to gather with other Christians whenever you wish. Then remember to pray for our brothers and sisters who live each day in fear of imprisonment and torture. Most of us cannot fathom living life as they do. Pray that they would be encouraged and that their love for Jesus would grow daily and shine brightly in this dark world.

Another book I read recently was “Radical”, by David Platt. In the book, the author talks about his visit to a Bible seminary in Indonesia where, in order to graduate, each student must plant a church with 30 new converts in a Muslim community. When Mr. Platt spoke at their commencement ceremony, all twenty five of the students had successfully planted these churches. Two had died in the process. I am inspired and awed by the faith and courage of these people.

If you’ve ever read the biography of Jim Elliot (“Shadow of the Almighty”), you know the story of a young man wholly committed to bringing the Gospel to some of the most hostile places on earth. Jim was determined to reach those who had never heard the Gospel. He felt compelled to be a missionary to a tribe that was notorious for killing any outsiders who came into their region. I encourage you to read the story for yourself, but Jim was killed very soon after arriving to share the love of Jesus to this people group. Despite the tragedy, because of Jim’s effort, most of the Waodani tribe came to know Christ.

The call to follow Jesus is not one to be accepted lightly. Jesus told the people of His day that if they would follow Him, they must be willing to die. This wasn’t simply a metaphor for dying to self; it was the reality of dying a physical death. The martyrs through the ages prove that Christians often die horrific deaths. Yet they faced their death with joy, knowing that they had obeyed what Christ told them to do and they would soon see Him face to face. The faith of those who have gone before us should serve as both an inspiration and an encouragement as we live out our faith each day.

Most of us will never have to die for our faith as long as we maintain the status quo. America and most Western countries provide safety for the body of Christ. Yet for those living in other countries, death is an everyday reality. Some of us will venture into those places to help bring the light of Christ to others. All of us must pray for our brothers and sisters and for one another. All of us must realize that the call to die is not for a select few, but for every follower of Jesus. Do not pray for your safety, but rather pray for the effectiveness of your witness. Do not pray for comfort, but beg for boldness to speak the name of Jesus. As long as we have breath, we must be willing to lose it for the name of Jesus Christ. All we do should be done in honor of, and to glorify, God. If we love Him, we must do so with such intensity that we are indeed willing to die for Him. There may come a time when you must choose between your life and your love for Jesus. If that day should come, would you be willing to lose it all for the sake of Christ? Would you be willing to die for Him as He was for you? Live a life that reflects Jesus in every way; diligently follow Him wherever He might lead. We cannot know what situations may face us down the road. Stand fast in Jesus, take up your cross each day, and be ready to die.

Never Stand Still

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There is an old Chinese proverb that says, “Do not fear going forward slowly; fear only to stand still.” While each of us would wish to have already arrived at the place in life where our lives were fully dedicated to Christ, the truth is we are all on a life long journey. The simple fact of the matter is that we will never fully reflect the glory of God as long as we walk on this earth. It is in the striving to look like Him, the scratching and clawing along the way, in which we find satisfaction. As long as we are moving forward, drawing a little bit closer to Him, we find joy and purpose in our life. Forward motion is the key; there is nothing to fear as long as we keep looking at Jesus. When Peter walked on the water, he was not afraid; he showed great faith by focusing on Christ. It was only when he ceased to move forward, when he took his eyes off of Jesus that he suddenly had reason to fear; indeed, he was in serious trouble! The part of that story that always amazed me is when Peter began to sink, Jesus reached out and grabbed him. That means Peter was close enough to the Lord to touch Him when he chose to stop moving forward. I think we too tend to miss great opportunities and blessings because we stop short of the goal. We get tired and lose faith, rather than pushing on just a little further. Most successes are found just the other side of giving up. If we would only push ourselves a little longer, if we would only endure another moment, we just might find all that God has for us. The key is to keep moving forward no matter what.

Greg Boyd recently commented, “The past is gone. The future is not yet. This moment is all that is real. And it’s full of God! Don’t miss it. Don’t miss Him.” Once we have moved beyond this moment, there is no way we can recapture it. That opportunity for achievement has passed, never to return. Was it a moment that we moved forward or was it one we spent standing still? Did we make a difference in the life of anyone in the moment that just passed? The next moment of our life has not yet occurred, but we can prepare for that time to come by moving forward in this moment. Every time we choose to move forward, we create momentum. The more momentum we create, the more difficult it becomes to stop. We want to be forward moving people, people who seek Jesus in every moment of our lives. We can’t redeem a past moment and we can’t fully control what our future may bring, but we can choose to move forward right now, and that is all that matters. If we move forward now, we can look back and see progress. If we move forward now, we can influence the future with our momentum and prepare for whatever may come. They key is what we do right now, and we must move forward; we must never stand still.

Jesus calls each of us, just as He called Peter, to come to Him. He calls out to us through the storms of life, through the waves of emotion and the winds of change. In faith we walk towards Him, and when we do, we have nothing to fear. All our problems, frustrations and worries melt away when He becomes our sole focus. We know as long as we keep our eyes on Him, we are safe and nothing this world can throw at us can deter us from our mission of seeking Him. There is security in keeping our focus on Jesus and walking on the path that leads to Him. It is only when we pause to take in our surroundings, it is only when we look back at what we have left behind, it is only then that we falter and become lost.

Are you keeping your eyes on Jesus and moving toward Him in this moment? Is your focus now on Him and Him alone? There is no fear in Jesus, and there is no fear if we would but have the faith to seek Him and only Him. No matter what happens in life, as long as our eyes are locked on His and we are moving toward Him, nothing else matters. The key is to always follow Him, to always move along the path He walks, no matter how slowly we might be following. The longer we follow, the more earnestly we seek to keep to His way, the faster our pace will become. Speed is not the goal, persistence is. Each moment carries the opportunity to turn back, to rest or to move on. The choice is ours right now; in the blink of an eye the moment, and our opportunity, will be lost forever. Are you moving forward or standing still?