Even If i Walk Alone

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

gifts

Recovering From Discouragement

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Discouragement can catch up with the best of us. No matter how positive our outlook or how determined our resolve, we all go through periods of discouragement. At times we don’t even know for certain what caused the feelings, while there will be other periods of life where Murphy’s Law comes into play and virtually everything that could go wrong does indeed go wrong. As long as we live in a fallen and broken world, discouragement is inevitable.

The key, of course, is how we recover. As followers of Jesus, discouragement has no long term place in our lives. If you find yourself sinking ever deeper into discouragement, (or its close cousin, depression), then it is your duty to find a way out as quickly as possible. We are called to victory in Christ, not despair. No matter what occurs in your life, what remains is the fact that Jesus loves you more than His own life and that His power is available for the asking. If we have devoted our lives to Him, we have already overcome anything this world can throw at us. This doesn’t mean life will be easy, happy, or free from discouragement, but it certainly should allow us to look at life with a different perspective.

On this blog, we generally focus on what our duties are as we strive to be true followers of Jesus. What we don’t spend a lot of time on are the rewards of being a follower. The reason for this is that even without the rewards and privileges associated with following Christ, we would follow Jesus anyway simply because of our love for Him. There are rewards however; we are now heirs to the Kingdom of God. Jesus freely gives all that He has to us; His love, His grace and His power. It’s easy to read words such as these and simply move on. Take a moment and really consider all that you have in Christ. It’s mind-blowing and almost beyond belief.

If focusing on the power of God is not enough to lift you from your discouragement, try taking inventory of all the blessings in your life. Nearly half the world lives on less than $2 dollars a day. What would you do if your income was $60 per month? How would your life change? Picture yourself having to live on that amount, then make a list of all the possessions, conveniences and luxuries you now have that would go away if you had to live on $2 per day. For extra credit, enter your income at the ‘Global Rich List’ web site to see where you rank. It’s a humbling realization. Pray over your inventory of blessings, thanking God for each and every one. It’s hard to be depressed or discouraged when you realize how amazingly blessed you are.

Finally, you must do something to improve your situation and your mindset. You must take action; you can either choose to remain motionless and allow life to continue to happen to you, or you can choose to move and throw yourself into life and force it to react to you. Refusing to move virtually guarantees you will stay in your discouragement. God gives you the strength and power to pull out of your state of mind, but you must actively utilize that strength. We were designed to live in an interactive communion with God. It takes two to dance this cosmic tango and we must do our part. Realize that we were created for purpose and we were designed for motion; so get moving! We are far too blessed to feel depressed and far too gifted to be discouraged. Change something in your life, do something different tomorrow from what you’ve done before. Sometimes simply participating in a worthy endeavor, especially one we’ve not attempted before is enough to shake us from our rotten mindset. Be kind to a stranger, buy lunch for a friend, or help a neighbor. Remember your blessings and the person you are in Christ. Don’t revel in your discouragement; instead, recover from it!

Your True Identity

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Are you living with a case of mistaken identity? Many, if not most, of us go through life with a misconception of who they really are. Satan loves nothing better than to plant seeds of doubt and disillusion within our minds. He works to create images of ourselves in our mind that are inconsistent with whom we are in Christ. He seeks to convince us that we are not strong enough, not attractive enough or not talented enough to accomplish the things in life we are created to do. We become accustomed to seeing ourselves as the person Satan paints us to be, to the point that we forget who we are in Christ.

In Christ, we have the strength to overcome any obstacle that is placed in our path. Christ tells us that through Him we have overcome everything in this world. We simply must have the faith to believe it. But Satan plants images in our mind that cause us to see ourselves as too weak to handle certain situations; he deceives us to be afraid. Fear has no place in the Kingdom of God. There is no force that does not tremble at the name of Jesus. If we are devoted to following and serving Him, that same Spirit of courage and confidence resides within each of us. We have nothing to fear when we walk with Christ. We have been conditioned to fear for so long, that we are now paralyzed and unable to move at all. As the hands and feet of Jesus, to not be able to move is the worst situation in which we can find ourselves. Take courage, realize that Christ is with you and His power is available to you. We need simply to ask and to believe.

One of the great tragedies of modern society is the way that advertising projects those who are purported to be the ideal men and women. Many teens, as well as those younger and older, see themselves as falling short of that ideal and become both obsessed and depressed concerning their appearance. We live in an age where nearly any body feature can be altered if one is not satisfied with the way God created them. God loves us exactly as we are; nothing we change about our appearance will make Him love us any more than He already does. Who are we trying to impress anyway? For whom are we living? Besides, who are we to presume that we can improve on what God designed? Outside of a legitimate birth defect or an accident, both results of our fallen world, it seems a bit arrogant and dangerous to proclaim that we can create something more beautiful than God. This is simply one of Satan’s oldest ploys. If he can get you focused on your appearance, he knows he can neutralize any effectiveness you might have for Christ. That’s his whole goal; if he can get your focus off of God, he considers it a victory. Don’t let him convince you of this lie. See yourself as Jesus sees you: a beautiful and absolutely stunning representation of His creation.

God has given each of us talents with which to serve Him. Satan does what he can to discourage us in hopes of getting us to avoid using our gifts. If he can convince us we are not good enough or talented enough to make use of our gifts, he knows far fewer people will be reached with the good news of Jesus Christ. Don’t believe the lies that he feeds you. God gave the gifts you have within you for the purpose of telling others about Him. It’s through the use of our gifts that we are able to serve others. Regardless of what your gifts may be, use them to their fullest. If God gave you the gift, and He did, then He also made you more than able to adequately make use of that gift. The next time you doubt your ability to use your talent, remember that those thoughts come from Satan. You scare him to death, so he will do whatever he can to render your gifts useless. Recognize the doubt for what it is: a clever ruse of the devil. Don’t bite; rather, be encouraged that he is terrified of what you will accomplish with your God-given talents.

Don’t believe the lies Satan has placed in your mind. Study the Bible to remind yourself who you are in Christ. We are fearless conquerors designed to bring justice to the poor, the widows and the orphans. We are a beautiful creation, our lives a fragrant sacrifice to God. We have been given talents that will invade the very depths of Hell and win back those who have turned away from Jesus. Don’t buy the deception that Satan tries to sell you. Be strong, take courage, and reject the lies; you are beautiful and talented beyond words.

Preparing to Serve

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Last week we talked about not waiting around for the perfect moment to start serving Christ (see, “Life is Not a Bus Stop”). There is a flip side to this coin as well: we must be prepared to serve. If you want to help the homeless, it’s rarely a good or effective idea to head downtown and simply start handing out hotel keys. You need to understand the environment and the mentality of those you wish to serve. Jesus told us to be shrewd (Matthew 10:16) in our dealings with the world, so we need to be wise in our decisions, and utilize the gifts with which we have been entrusted.

As with any venture in life, you must prepare for success before you can achieve it. Achievement rarely falls into your lap, but rather is the result of diligence and hard work. In the above scenario, before you start a ministry to the homeless, you need to study everything you can lay your hands on that pertains to homelessness. You need to understand the psychology of the citizens of the streets and learn the rules that govern them. Pray, study, pray, read, pray; prepare your heart, mind and body for the work that lies ahead of you. Volunteer at a shelter in your city or in several cities. The point is if you are not actively engaged in the ministry for which you are gifted, you need to be preparing for the road ahead. Success comes to the diligent, and if you will prepare well, you will find great joy once your ministry begins. The goal is to glorify Christ by using the gifts He has given us. We would do well to become well versed in their usage. Someone with the gift of music doesn’t one day pick up an instrument and begin to play flawless works. No, they practice for hours on end, day in and day out. They are honing their gift, just as we all must do, regardless of what our gifts may be.

It can be easy to become discouraged during this time of sowing or practicing. It’s also easy to become frustrated when we are involved in active ministry but we aren’t seeing any tangible results. These feelings are natural. We want to glorify our King; we want to be out in the battle. It really becomes a matter of attitude. Are we seeking to glorify God or ourselves? If we truly have Christ in mind, we will patiently and positively bide our time, diligently preparing ourselves for the moment we will find ourselves thrust onto the front lines. By keeping our talents sharpened and our focus always on Jesus, we will be prepared at any moment for whatever may come our way. Remember, ministry happens every day in the interactions you have with others. Pray and study, then actively seek to apply what you have learned to your own life and in service to others. Those without Christ are always watching us, watching our attitudes. Stay positive and ready to serve Jesus at all times.

Finally, whether you are in a sowing or reaping phase, whether you are practicing or executing, do it with excellence. You represent the King and Creator of the universe. Do no shoddy work for Jesus. Remember what He gave up for you; certainly we can give no less in return! God rewards the diligent. Today’s frustration is tomorrow’s joy and triumph. Keep moving regardless of where you are in life. Take action, and do so with excellence. Read the book of Proverbs and see all the wonderful wisdom contained in that book as it pertains to diligence and work. God has uniquely gifted you for service, not for discouragement. If you will hone and use your gifts unabashedly for Him, He will use you to glorify Himself. In so doing, you will find the peace and the joy you have been seeking.

Don’t wait for divine intervention; identify and learn how to use your gifts so that you might be prepared at any moment to be the very hands and feet of God. Remember to stay focused and maintain a positive attitude when nothing seems to be working. In all you do, do it with excellence. God has supplied you with gifts for His service; He expects us to learn to use them well. God will reward those who passionately seek to serve Him. Prepare to serve, and then serve well.


Go the Extra Mile

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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.

Life is Not a Bus Stop

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Do you find yourself waiting for something to happen in your life? Are you certain that you were created to do great things, and are simply waiting for the right opportunity to arrive? Day after day you stand in the same spot, looking to the horizon to see if your moment is on its way. Perhaps you can even see it far off in the distance but it simply never comes near enough to pick you up and carry you off into the life you were meant to live. Life is not a bus stop; nothing was ever accomplished by waiting for opportunities to sweep you away and give you the life you always dreamed of. When we plan for what we intend to do, when we prayerfully consider whether our plans are in alignment with the character of God, and when we take action on those plans, then and only then will we begin to experience the life He has created us to live.

Many of us desire to follow Christ by living a life of greatness through the use of the gifts He has given us. We become so convinced that this is our calling that we sabotage ourselves by sitting around and waiting for the stars to align or a shout from Heaven to signal the beginning of our work. There is no Scriptural basis for any of this, so I am deeply puzzled how we ever got to this point. There is plenty of Scriptural support for planning your projects and your future. A plan, however, is useless if we don’t ever start to actively follow through. No plan is accomplished without action. You cannot wait your way to success, but you can certainly wait your way to failure. If you never take a step you aren’t actually walking. If you never start walking, you can’t follow Jesus. If you aren’t following Jesus, then you will never become who He created you to be.

To become all you were meant to be starts with following Jesus. Following Jesus starts by actively engaging in that pursuit. We must devote our entire lives to him. Every area of our life must be surrendered to Him for His use. We must surrender our thoughts, our deeds, our pleasures and our pain. From this point forward, all things must be done for Him. We no longer exist in and of ourselves, but instead exist only for Him. This must be our single focus, our definite chief aim. Let nothing persuade you from remaining steadfastly focused on Jesus. Keep your eyes on Him and do not stray from the path on which He is walking. Boldly move forward without fear of any man or circumstance. Embrace the freedom that is found in a life of following Christ, a life without fear. You will then be free to pursue the passions and dreams He has planted within you and to make use of the gifts with which He has equipped you.

Life is not meant to be a bus stop, it is meant to be a full throttle joyride rocketing down the road Christ has laid before you. Follow Him with certainty and without fear. Give up everything you have to experience the joy of true freedom. It all starts with us boldly taking action and pursuing Him with all that we are. Don’t get left behind; be bold, take action, and move!