Even If i Walk Alone

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

humility

Love Is… Humble

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Humility is a hard thing. We are taught from an early age to be self seeking and to grab whatever we can for ourselves. Humility, however, requires us to put the needs of another before our own. It is admitting that we do not consider ourselves to be better than anyone else. Many times we can get to the point of expressing humility with our lips, but actually demonstrating it with our lives remains elusive. We want to do things our way and are jealous with our time. Putting the needs of someone else before our own is a struggle, but it is one we must win if we are serious about our commitment to Christ. Jesus commands us to love everyone, and love is humble.

It is easy to get caught up in our own lives and disregard the needs of those around us. To humble ourselves is to become a servant to the needs of another. Every day we have an opportunity to serve someone; we simply need to open our eyes and become aware of the world around us. Small acts of deference demonstrate that you value the other person and put their needs ahead of your own. Letting the other driver have the parking space, allowing someone to go ahead of you in line at the grocery store, or doing the dishes for your spouse; all of these ascribe worth to another and demonstrate humility. The humble person is willing to forego their own needs in favor of another. Humility is not concerned with what is earned or deserved, but rather in providing service to someone else.

The key to humility is to remember your purpose. We exist to reflect the glory and love of Christ to a world of darkness and need. Our whole mission is to make more and more of Him, while making ever less of ourselves. In everything we do we must think Jesus first; consider what He would do if He were faced with similar circumstances. Jesus never took the opportunity to tout His own greatness. If the Son of God can be humble, then surely his weak and fallen creation should be expected to do no less.

Remember where you came from; a life of sin, discontent and hopelessness. If not for the love of Christ that is the most we could ever hope to be. Save for the mercy and grace of God, we have nothing of which to boast. If we can keep that in mind, then we will not become proud and we can remain humble in everything we do. Jesus gave Himself for us; we now must give our lives for others. Humility rarely calls for us to actually die for someone (although it could), but it does require we sacrifice our pride, time and money for another.

When conversing with someone else, make certain you listen more than you talk. Deferring to someone else in conversation not only shows your humility, it also tells the other person you are genuinely interested in what they have to say. By simply keeping your mouth shut, you become a far more attractive person and a better friend. If you must speak, make sure you are speaking words of love and encouragement. Don’t boast or try to “outdo” the stories of the one to whom you are speaking. We should never seek to take credit for anything; all that we have has been entrusted to us by God.

As we learn to maintain a humble heart before Christ, we will begin to demonstrate that same humility to others around us. Without humility, we cannot love people. If we are always thinking of ourselves first, we will never be able to genuinely express love to another. Everyone craves love and wants to feel like their life matters. Swallow your pride and reach out to someone who is lonely or in pain. Sacrificing your own time to invest in another is the core of what it means to love someone. In the same way, we must be humble enough to accept the help and love of another. Humility is a two way street.

All that you have is a gift from God, and none of us know all there is to know. We can always learn more from each other. If you begin to feel prideful and lose focus, remember that you can’t even create the breath in your lungs. We are totally dependent on God for life, each one of us. We are all the same in the eyes of God, so we must learn to see others as He does. What are some other practical ways to demonstrate humility? Leave a comment below with your ideas so that we can all grow and learn together. Jesus lived a life of love that was humble in every way. We have chosen to follow Him and model that love to the world around us. Ask God to help you see people through His eyes; then walk outside, look around, and live a life of humble service to Him.

Enough

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When is enough, well, enough? In a society that bombards us with messages telling us we need more and more, where do we draw the line? As followers of Christ, what is the appropriate amount of “stuff” we should own? Some people teach that the blessings of God results in material wealth and the more things we possess, the more we are blessed. At the other end of the spectrum are those who teach that Christians should not own anything but rather live life in a state not far from destituteness; the more we suffer, the more we are blessed. As I have found with most things, the truth more than likely falls somewhere in between these two extremes.

I confess to leaning a little closer to the side of those who say to refrain from owning anything in this world. To be certain, we cannot be possessed by that which we do not possess. It is far too easy to succumb to the trap of finding our identity in what we own or earn. In the Western world in particular, we are judged by our occupation or the size of our home or what model of car we drive. As we strive to achieve acceptance among those around us, we tend to buy more and thus be known for what we purchase. It would be better to own nothing and be identified by what we believed instead of what we owned. Better still, live simply and let your life define you. Jesus didn’t command everyone to sell all they had, but he did make it clear that it was at least an option. When we are consumed by our stuff that is when it is time to sell it all.

I am generally repulsed by the teaching of the so-called “prosperity gospel” which is the other of the two extremes. I have always wondered how people in very poor countries felt when they see satellite broadcasts if preachers telling them that if they aren’t wealthy then they have too much sin in their lives; if they were truly following God they would be leading a lavish lifestyle. I find no basis in Scripture for this teaching, and in fact find Jesus teaching a message that is exactly the opposite. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor”. He commanded a rich young man to sell all of his possessions. When Christ called the twelve disciples to follow Him, He required that they leave everything behind. The Bible does not teach a gospel of prosperity but rather of earthly poverty that will be exchanged for heavenly glory. Don’t get caught in the trap of the “health and wealth” preachers. I’m not certain of their motivation, but I am certain of the devastation of their false doctrine.

As I have said before, I have no corner on the truth but I will share what I believe is the proper balance in answer to the question of, “How much is enough?” I believe if we will live humbly before God and seek to live a life that is patterned after His that we will be able to discern what the right amount of “stuff” is for us to own on this planet. We are called to care for the needs of those in poverty, to feed the hungry and give water to the thirsty. If we will make these things the top priority for the money with which we are entrusted, I think the rest will take care of itself. We should live a simple lifestyle so that we can free up as many resources as possible to devote caring for those around us. As God blesses us with more and more, it is our duty as His servants to take that money and use it in His service, for His glory. We should always think of the needs of another before our own. I see no issue with taking care of our needs; it’s when we cross from “need” to “want” that we must be on guard as to how we spend the money we have been given.

Seeking first the Kingdom of God should be enough to settle the money issue. Everything we have has been entrusted to us by God so that we might use it to further His mission. When we utilize our resources to serve others, to demonstrate kindness and mercy, we do what we have been commanded to do. As you look around your residence and consider the material things you own, examine whether you are taking your identity from any of it. If so, it’s time to get rid of those items. If you determine that you have far too many extra items in your possession, consider giving away those things to someone who does not have what you do. How many clothes, dishes or televisions does one person really need? Go through your house a room at a time praying over your belongings and asking God what He would have you do with them. Ask Him to show you much is truly enough. Hold loosely to anything that is of this world, and cling to that which is eternal. Live simply and donate all you can to the hurting in our world. Don’t grieve over what you give away; only Christ can truly bring you joy. Every possession we lose in this world gains us another piece of Heaven to hold in our hands. Repent of holding tightly to that which you can never keep. Rejoice in gaining what you can never lose.

Glorifying God

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Our purpose in life is to glorify God. This is not a part-time purpose or one we fulfill once and move on to the next task. Glorifying God is our life-long pursuit and the way in which we will fulfill the mission He has given us. The thought of constantly glorifying God is daunting at best; is it even possible to live one’s life in this manner? I know that it is; I am confident because I have had moments in my life where I have achieved the goal of glorifying Him. It may have only been for a moment, but here’s what I know: if you can do something for a few moments, you can do it for minute; if you can do it for a minute, you can do it for an hour; if you can do it for an hour, then you can do it for a day. If we can glorify God for a day, then surely we can string those days together to make a lifetime. It all starts with making a conscious choice in a single moment of our lives.

Our attitude is the differentiator in how we will live. We can choose to pursue the life of the American dream because we are of the mind that it’s what we “deserve”, or we can instead live a life of intentional service to God. Most Christians get irreparably stuck in the middle somewhere, living an ugly and ultimately ineffective hybrid form of life. True followers of Christ will opt to live their lives wholly devoted to God. We will seize the moments we have been given and use them to further His kingdom. Jesus lived every minute of His life with the end in mind; He knew who He was and was keenly aware of His purpose. This is the life we are called to live, one which glorifies the Father.

Plan your day around divine appointments; schedule time with God just as you would any other appointment on your calendar. Recognize that the time you have set aside for Him cannot be moved and must be honored. One of the great aspects of prayer is that you can do it anytime, wherever you are. You are never somewhere that you cannot pray, and you are never so busy so as not to have an open channel. I spend a good majority of my day in prayer, having an ongoing conversation with my Creator. There are specific times though when I get alone and engage in less casual conversation, times when I can shut out the world and focus solely on Him. I suggest you find some time each day to do this, whether before going to sleep each night, or perhaps getting up five or ten minutes earlier to steal some quiet in the morning. You will find the time alone with God to be some of the most refreshing moments you will ever experience.

Get excited about knowing Him better and plan ways to accomplish this. Right now I’m in the midst of charting out what the next year of my life is going to look like. I have goals in many areas, but none more significant than those regarding my spiritual life. I’m looking forward to praying for the entire world (not as impossible as it seems, see the “Operation World” project) next year. Starting my day off by focusing on the needs of others around the world promises to be enriching, educational and invigorating. Determining new ways to experience the Word of God is another way to improve your walk and draw closer to Him. Next year I’ll be listening straight through a dramatized reading of the Bible with my wife, while reading it through chronologically on my own. You certainly do not need to read the Bible through in a year to get closer to Christ. I do know that it won’t hurt however, and the more you are in the Word, the more you will understand and marvel at His holiness and love.

As you plan to get to know Him better, His life will begin to reflect brighter and brighter through you. As He shines from within, you begin to glorify Him without even trying. People will take on added significance to you and you will begin to treat each of them as people highly valued by God. Traffic jams will become opportunities to demonstrate patience and allow you the opportunity to speak to God in prayer. Your job can now be seen as a mission field and it is up to you to establish the ministry of Jesus in that place. Every day, in every way, we have the ability to affect those around us. When we choose to honor them with love and respect, we glorify God. When we humble ourselves to serve others, we glorify God. When we forgive without receiving anything in return, we glorify God. A life spent devoted to Christ is more that a possibility; it is our duty and our calling. Choose right now to devote the rest of your life to His service. You can live a life that glorifies Him every step of the way; it only takes a moment to choose, and that moment is now.

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.

Awareness

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At some point, I hope someone will be able to explain to me the wisdom of going to the dentist on consecutive days to have work done on each side of my mouth. I figured I was being efficient in getting all the necessary work done quickly so that I could check it off my list. What I have discovered is that the only thing worse than one side of your mouth aching, is both sides of your mouth aching. Nothing really gnaws at you like a toothache; it’s not fun and there’s not a whole lot you can do about it. In the midst of this I opened my email to read of yet another attack on Christians in a foreign country. One of my daily prayer guides today contained a story of a young boy whose arm had been hacked by a machete when Muslim extremists attacked Christians during a church service. I then happened across a ministry that is doing great work in the area of human trafficking. Suddenly I felt very foolish for the petty thoughts of my toothache.

Everyday there are new stories coming out about the suffering of our fellow human beings. Some are our brothers and sisters in Christ; others are waiting to be told about Jesus. All are in desperate need of His love and encouragement. We are the vehicles of delivery for that love. We cannot share love with those in need if we are unaware of their situations. It is very important that we make an effort to read the stories of those who are suffering. It is very important to walk down our streets with open eyes so that we do not miss the obvious needs around us. And it is very important that we ask God for discerning hearts to seek out those He would have us to help. In short, we must be aware of the needs that surround us both in our own cities and around the world.

Many choose to not seek out the hurting because they know it will require some form of sacrifice from them, whether that be in terms of time, emotion or money. We are a people whose lives of luxury have led to a growing aversion to sacrifice. For true followers of Jesus, the term sacrifice is somewhat of a misnomer. Whenever we “sacrifice”, we gain Christ. We give up something in this world, and we receive more of the next world into our lives. We forfeit what is imperfect and gain what is perfect. Where then is our sacrifice? To lose all is to gain Christ. This is not sacrifice; this is reason to celebrate. When we let go of selfishness, greed and pride, we receive back selflessness, generosity and humility. In other words, when we let go of what this world tells us we need, we receive the character of Christ in return.

Our sufferings pale in comparison to what is experienced elsewhere in this world. Every day unspeakable acts of torture are manifested upon believers of Jesus. These are our brothers and sisters that accept this for the love of Jesus. They endure these atrocities while we sit comfortably on our couches in our air conditioned homes. Most of us will never have any idea what it means to truly suffer. We cannot ignore those in chains, those who are being tortured, sold into slavery and killed. This is not someone else’s problem to confront. This is a battle for the saints of Jesus Christ. We all have a responsibility to become aware of what is happening to Christians around the world, and to innocent people of all faiths and nations. Seek out stories each day and pray for those in need. Feed the poor, care for the orphans and widows, and seek justice for those who are persecuted. Think not of what this will cost you, but rather what you will gain. The person you will become as you live out these God-given commands will be worth far more than anything you might lose. Don’t turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to what is happening in the world today. Become aware of the needs of our world and work to bring to fruition the Kingdom of justice and love.