Even If i Walk Alone

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

Fear

Living in Faith, or Living in Fear?

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Fear is the enemy of hope and the opposite of faith. When confronted with decision points in our life, we will generally side with one or the other. We will either choose to cautiously back away in fear or boldly charge forward in faith. Fear can be a good thing; it can keep us from touching a hot stove or falling off a cliff. Faith can be misplaced at times, as in expecting to sprout wings on your way down the side of the aforementioned cliff! But for the purposes of our discussion, I am talking about the fear that paralyzes you from moving forward or taking a chance you know you should take. The faith I want to discuss is the God-given strength to face down your uncertainty and doubt and move forward down the path He is leading you.

On the track “Fear” (from his album, ‘Explore Dream Discover’), Daron Earlewine calls fear the most insidious four letter word. It’s the most damaging curse word of all. Fear will keep you from living the life for which you were created. It will cause you to hide your talents from the world so that no one will see; it will keep you up at night just thinking of facing the new day without the courage to change. Fear will rob you of opportunities to serve and love others, and it will make you pass up opportunities to tell someone about Jesus. Certainly this is not the life of power and freedom we see exhibited in Jesus Christ. We were not meant to live as timid beings on this earth. Yet fear can be so paralyzing that we cannot imagine ever rising up from beneath it. We know we shouldn’t feel this way and determine to overcome it, only to find ourselves frozen again.

Fortunately, faith is the cure for the common fear. As the agents of God’s mission we have been called and empowered to boldly go into all the earth serving others, reflecting God’s love and telling them the good news of Jesus Christ. This power is available free of charge to all who follow Christ; it’s part of the package, a bonus if you will. Not only do we have the privilege of serving the King of the universe, not only do we get to spend eternity basking in His presence, but we receive the power to overcome fear as well! Faith is an action verb, not a passive one. As we read in James 2:20, faith without action is useless. If you are like me, you’ve spent far too long convinced that faith was passive, just something you believed. Faith is so much more than a simple belief; that is just the seed.

As our faith grows we will find it becomes progressively more active; the more active our faith, the less confining our fear. Similar to the effects of compound interest on money, little steps of faith each day snowball into a dynamic and rich faith that laughs in the face of fear. One who has fully devoted their life to Christ – and has a life that actually reflects that commitment – knows no fear. When you come to the realization that the worst thing that could happen to you in this world results in giving you everything you’ve ever wanted in the presence of Jesus, fear becomes irrelevant.

Are you living a life of fear or faith? Fear stops you from walking in the way of Jesus; faith propels you toward Him. Fear limits your effectiveness in the Kingdom of God; faith magnifies and multiplies your gifts as you employ them in the service of others. Fear is of the devil and should find no place in the heart of a disciple; faith is a gift from God and should permeate every inch of our being. We were created to do good works for Christ (Ephesians 2:10), and to accomplish that purpose we must boldly move forward regardless of the risk. Jesus did not flinch when the road before Him became difficult and dangerous. Instead, He trampled fear beneath His feet and pressed on because of His faith in the Father. We are called to do the same. Release your fear and take bold steps of faith; plant your feet firmly in the footsteps of Jesus. Place your faith in the one who knows no fear.

Our Response to Poverty

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Poverty can be of a material, physical, mental or spiritual nature. As followers of Jesus, what should be our response to poverty in all of its various forms? It is clear in Scripture that we are to care for those in need. A quick reading of the parable of “The Sheep and the Goats” (Matthew 25:31-46) reveals that we are to feed the hungry, provide water to those who don’t have access to it, give shelter to the homeless, clothe those who are in need, care for the sick and minister to those in prison. It’s a rather comprehensive picture of the poor and outcast in our society. These are the things we must do if we would be a true follower of Christ. This is the mission He left for us to pursue. Not only that, but it is the mission He modeled in His own life. Do you want to live a life that reflects the beauty of Jesus? If so, our mission to those in poverty has been clearly laid out for us.

To carry out our mission will require sacrifice on our behalf for those we find in need. Ministering to those in prison will require giving up some of our time and perhaps will force some of us to drop a sense of fear towards those who are incarcerated. Despite the reasons they are there, those in prison are some of the most vulnerable and desperate people on the planet. They need to hear of the hope offered by Jesus and to feel the nonjudgmental touch of unconditional love.

Caring for the sick requires us to not only sacrifice our time but also to possibly forfeit our own health. Mother Theresa endured many illnesses contracted while carrying for the sick in Calcutta. She was not deterred, and neither can we become so. To touch one who is sick, to visit them in their illness will do wonders for their psyche and resolve. Simply demonstrating the love of Jesus to them will often speed their recovery by that simple act alone. Love is a wonderful healer, and letting a sick person know that someone cares may be just the boost they need.

Giving food and water, clothing or shelter to those who lack these things can be as simple as sharing from your excess. Most of us who live in the West have more than enough food in our cupboards and access to a virtually unlimited supply of clean water. By simply being a people content with “just enough” for ourselves (Proverbs 30:8-9), we would discover a tremendous abundance that we could give to someone who did not have enough. We could also give our money to organizations that are involved in getting food to famine stricken nations or drilling wells in places that have no access to clean water (two excellent ministries I highly recommend that are doing work in this area are Persecution Project and Living Water International). Perhaps you may even consider sacrificing further and actually going to the poor of the world, whether that means a third world country far away, or an inner city just around the corner. Giving your life in service to those in need is giving your life to live out the Gospel. This is a life, if done with the proper attitude and spirit, which certainly looks like Jesus.

We are called to serve those in poverty. Throughout much of the New Testament we find passages that admonish us to care for those who are in need and to share what we have with one another, so that no one lacks anything. Jesus gave all that He had, ultimately His own life, in order to give a better life to all those around Him. He did this out of love and obedience to God. He sacrificed freely and completely. Our response must be the same, so that we too can live lives that are a fragrant sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:2). Poverty surrounds every one of us. To those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus, the challenge is clear. How will we respond?

Satan’s Worst Nightmare

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It has long frustrated me that followers of Jesus (which would certainly include me) seem so hesitant to follow Jesus through uncertain or turbulent waters. As long as our path is fairly smooth and our direction is somewhat certain, we have no problems dedicating our lives to Jesus. When uncertainty enters the equation, however, we hesitate. When following Him means giving up some sense of our security, we flinch and falter. We become fearful of the unknown. Of what are we truly afraid? The God who walks with us through the good times is the same God who will be there in the bad.

The fear comes from the enemy. When we are compelled to walk along the narrow path, through darkness and uneven terrain, Satan is there to immediately cast doubt on our ability to traverse the chosen path. He injects worry, fear and anxiety into our minds. He does not want us to move forward, as he realizes this will bring defeat to his intentions. When you feel most paralyzed by fear, rest assured that your obedience has placed you on the cusp of accomplishing something significant for the Kingdom of God.

The paralysis comes from our fear. Yet this fear is totally irrational. Scripture is full of examples of God giving victory over extraordinary circumstances; we need only to trust Him. If God is for us, nothing can come against us. (Romans 8:31) We have everything we need at our disposal, we simply need ask (John 14:13-14). All of Hell itself cannot prevail against the people of God (Matthew 16:18). Again I must ask, “What are we afraid of?” How ridiculous is such fear! As a matter of fact, this fear turns out to be just another lie of Satan. Once again he is subtly altering the truth; he is shifting our focus ever so slightly in a way that blinds us to what is really going on. The truth of the matter is it is Satan himself who is trembling in utter fear of us! The entire time that we are immobilized by fear, it isn’t even our fear we are feeling; it is the trembling cowardice of Satan being reflected into our minds. He knows he cannot defeat a follower of Jesus who is walking in the power of God. It is all too obvious to the devil that he is about to suffer yet another crushing defeat. It infuriates him to lose, so he is in panic mode; he is scared to death that you will stay focused on Christ and obediently follow Jesus.

The key to victory, the key to overcoming fear is to realize from where that fear is originating. Don’t let Satan put the stench of his own fear onto you. Don’t be deceived into believing the lies of the enemy. He tells you that you are not strong enough for the battle ahead. Jesus tells us that in our weakness, through Him, we will be made strong. Satan will tell you that you are too young, too old, too uneducated or too damaged. Jesus tells us that we are the exact person for the job, we are His unique and beautiful creation; He has equipped us perfectly for the task ahead. As followers of Jesus we have access to the power of God. This same power has already repeatedly defeated Satan. The devil cannot win, and he knows it. His only hope is to deceive us into believing that his fear is our own. He is a liar, and we must call him on it. We must obey and follow Jesus; doing so makes us very dangerous indeed to Satan and all of his plans. This is why he is so frightened of us. Don’t be deceived, don’t buy into his lies. Instead, walk in the truth and in the strength of the power of Jesus. Surrender everything to Christ and follow Him anywhere, at any cost; we have nothing to fear, because we have Jesus. Move forward with courage and strength; don’t be paralyzed by someone else’s fear. Reject the lies of Satan, engage in the battle and watch the Kingdom advance as a result of your obedience. Satan fears an obedient disciple of Jesus more than anything else, so follow Jesus; doing so will cause you to become Satan’s worst nightmare!

Are You Serving or Surviving?

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Somewhere along the way, Christianity took a sharp turn from where it began. For most of us today, particularly in the West, we’ve forged a theology of safety. Churches are looked upon as a place of refuge from the outside world. We pray for safety for ourselves and our families. We pray for safety before heading out on the road. We choose safe neighborhoods to live in, and many churches choose safe neighborhoods in which to minister. It’s easier to write a check or send a few volunteers to the unsafe areas, while the church at large is content to remain in the relative safety of suburbia. As we have grown accustomed to safety, we have drifted closer to obscurity.

When I read the Bible, particularly of the early church in the New Testament, I see anything but safety. I see people being stoned, beheaded, imprisoned and deserted. When I look at the life of Jesus I see a man who had no home and no earthly wealth; I see a man who was hated and pursued by the leaders of His nation. I see the violence of His trial and the crucifixion. I see anything but safety. To the contrary, what I see is that the closer you get to Jesus the more danger you will find for yourself.

I don’t know when it was that we began to lose sight of the dangers of following Christ. Certainly those in Countries outside of the West do not subscribe to our theology. They risk their very lives to gather in secret just to talk about Jesus. Torture is very real to these people, not just some horrific act they read about in history books. Yet these same people consider the privilege and joy of knowing Jesus to be worth risking the certain torment they will face to do so.

We have so isolated ourselves for the sake of safety that we have lost sight of our purpose. We have so consumed ourselves with protecting our lives and those of our family that we have turned from the mission of Christ. To be in the will of God, in step with the things He called us to do, is to be in grave danger; its okay, we’re in good company. Again, read of the trials faced by early believers in the New Testament. They too faced persecution, torture and death. We should seek to have it no other way. If we are afraid to deal with danger, how will we ever take the message of Jesus any further than the tree lined streets of our planned communities? How then will we serve? To serve is to put ourselves in uncomfortable and uncertain situations. To serve is to love regardless of consequence.

Of what are we afraid? Are we afraid of physical pain? Jesus endured it for us. Are we afraid of losing our loved ones? Jesus survived it. Are we afraid of death? Jesus conquered it. He has gone there before us; He is there for us now. We have nothing to fear because in the very worst case scenario, we will join Him forever. Death holds no power and no sting. So I ask again, of what are we afraid?

Are you living to survive or to serve? Have you isolated yourself from the world outside in the name of safety but at the cost of Christ’s message? If so, it’s time to reengage with society. It’s time to emerge from the walled fortresses of our churches and communities and take the good news of Jesus to those who so desperately need it. We have the power of Christ within us, so reach out with His courage and His strength. Never lose sight of the fact that we are not called to safety, but rather to serve.

Here’s to Revolution

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The book, “The Hole in our Gospel”, by Richard Stearns, continues to provoke and inspire me. Currently, I’m reading through it for the second time this year, and it’s every bit as good the second time around. This morning I read the following passage in the book (page 244), “The difference between the pre- and post-resurrection disciples was astonishing. Fear became courage; timidity became boldness; uncertainty became confidence as their lives were given over to the revolution that the gospel – the good news – envisioned.” He continues a bit later on page 245, “We won’t really become change agents for Christ just by going to church every Sunday. We will have to make some ‘on purpose’ life choices and then change our priorities and behavior. Only then can God transform us and use us to change the world.” We are called to be part of the revolution that is following Jesus. Let’s break down the words of Richard Stearns as I see them applying to us, God’s revolutionaries.

Fear becomes courage. There is no fear in Jesus. He is capable of deflecting any pain and evil from our life, if He should so choose. Just as He did not call on the angels of Heaven to rescue Him from the cross, He does not guarantee that He will keep us from harm. He does, however, promise to protect us from Satan (John 17:15). We may be hurt or discouraged in this world, but we have the eternal hope of Jesus. No matter what happens to us in this life, if we are His disciples, our eternity is guaranteed to be spent with Christ. Knowing this, what could possibly scare us – Physical pain, emotional trauma, embarrassment, discouragement or simply not fitting in? Every human on this earth is a person just like you and me. No one is intrinsically better than another. If anything can be accomplished, it can be accomplished by you. Jesus was never ashamed of God when He spoke to those around Him; He was never ashamed of those to whom He ministered. Rather, He loved the Father and everyone else with a passionate and unconditional love. He wasn’t afraid to be seen with “sinners” or to touch the sick and dying. He wasn’t afraid to die for our sake. Jesus was courageous in every way. He demonstrated no fear. His power is available for the asking, His courage is available to you.

Timidity becomes boldness. Are you fearful to speak about Jesus to strangers, or even to those whom you know? Perhaps the thought of confrontation makes your stomach turn and firmly ties your tongue. Look at the life Christ lived; he was accused of many things, but timidity was never one of them! Jesus knew His mission well and He refused to be deterred from it. The shortest distance between two points may well be a straight line, but the quickest way to travel between those same two points is with boldness. We haven’t the option to be timid because our time is limited and our days are few. This is why Paul asked the believers in Corinth to pray for him to boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus (Ephesians 6:19). Timidity breeds hesitation, and when we hesitate, the moment is lost. We must never lose another moment. We must make the most of every opportunity that we are given. We can be bold in Christ; if you struggle with timidity, pray and ask Jesus to fill you with urgency and strength of character. Don’t hesitate.

Uncertainty becomes confidence. Left to our own devices, we are never quite sure if we’re doing the right thing or moving in the right direction. We agonize over our many decisions, doing everything we can to minimize the chance of error. Life seems to come at us from all directions and at break-neck speed. We become overwhelmed, lost, and confused. The ultimate GPS (God’s Positioning Service, in our case) is only a prayer away. God never loses His place, and He never loses your place in His plan. Seek wisdom from other followers of Christ, from older folks, and your peers when faced with a decision. Above all else, pray over any decision you must make. Tell Jesus of your desire to serve Him in every way and ask for His wisdom in the situation you face. After this, the next step is easy: choose! Gather what wisdom you can; come clean to God regarding your uncertainty, doubt and confusion. Then make a decision. God knows your heart and He will honor your search for wisdom. Seek Him first, and then relax. Move forward with confidence.

We are the called, we are the chosen; we are the revolutionaries of God. We are to be His agents of change in this world. Let us devote our lives fully to Him. Only then can we follow Him on the path He walks before us. Love God, love people. His power is available to each of us; we must simply ask Him for it. Through His power we can follow Jesus courageously, without fear, with boldness, and with utter confidence. Through His power we can change the world. Here’s to revolution!