Even If i Walk Alone

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

I Corinthians

Competition In the Kingdom

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Racing Swimmers

Too often the church can be a very competitive place. As we have allowed materialism to penetrate our faith, pressures have grown to keep up with what others are doing and to draw attention to our product or places of worship. Entire industries exist to service the Christian population with the requisite favorite authors, speakers and musicians. We squabble over who’s more talented, who’s better spoken and who is most effective. It reminds me of when the twelve disciples were arguing about which one of them was greatest in the eyes of Jesus (Mark 9:33-37). Jesus made it clear that they were asking the wrong question and that the only way to become great was to sacrifice all thoughts of becoming so.

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How Big is Too Big?

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I want to start with a disclaimer: I currently attend a large church (4,000+ attendees each week). Perhaps it is because of this that I have recently been pondering if perhaps the so-called megachurches of our day are hindering the spread of the Gospel. Hang with me here, because I’m only stopping to consider some questions that have been troubling me.

Large Church

This is not an indictment of any church based solely on their size. I know of many good things being done by large churches across the world. As I study the New Testament model for churches however, I am struck by how far we have deviated from that original design. [Read more…] about How Big is Too Big?

Your Life’s Mission

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Why are we here? What is God’s will for me? What should I do with my life? We’ve all asked some form of this question repeatedly throughout our lives. It wasn’t always this way in the church. There was a time when people knew exactly why they were here and what they were supposed to be doing with their time on the planet.

Target

There was no consternation as to which vocation to pursue. The early believers understood the message of Christ clearly, and it’s this very message that the church at large, and the Western church in particular, has so muddled over the past couple hundred years. [Read more…] about Your Life’s Mission

Love Is… Generous

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Nothing demonstrates love more clearly than generosity. When we are willing to give of ourselves to another, we exhibit the character of God who was so generous as to give His only Son for our salvation. Generosity is rarely easy as it involves a sacrifice of some sort. It is by this sacrifice that we show our love to the object of our giving. To truly demonstrate love, our generosity must be done with the proper attitude. If we give to someone out of obligation or guilt then we have missed the point. I Corinthians 13:3 says that if we donate everything we have to feed the poor, but don’t love the poor, then we have gained nothing. So while love is generous, generosity can only be expressed through love. It’s a beautiful example of how true love always comes full circle; it is complete and whole.

One way we can choose to be generous is by giving of our time. Taking a few minutes to stop whatever we are doing to focus on a conversation with someone else is a great gift. In today’s society we have become so busy and self absorbed that listening is becoming a lost art. Merely concentrating on what someone else is saying ascribes great worth to that person. You are letting them know that at that moment they are the most important person in the world. I know of someone in my fellowship who visits an elderly, home-bound woman every single Sunday; the woman has no family, yet she is loved through the tender generosity of another giving up her Sunday afternoons to be with her. What a beautiful picture. Putting the needs of someone else before your own always involves sacrificing your time. I guarantee it will be time well spent.

Another way we can demonstrate love through generosity is by giving of our abilities. All of us have skills, gifts or talents that can be used to help someone else. Look for opportunities in the lives of others where you might interject yourself in ways that will bless them. If you’re a good listener, invite a troubled person out for coffee and just let them talk. If you are handy, consider doing odd jobs for elderly or poor folks who have no other means of getting the work done. Perhaps you are a savvy mechanic; why not walk around your neighborhood looking for troubled vehicles you can help repair? If you can sew, you could take in mending from your neighbors. There are countless ways to be generous with your abilities; don’t keep them to yourself!

Of course we can be generous financially as well. If you have the luxury of a roof, clothing and food you are truly blessed. Why not give to bless others in the same way. Millions are homeless and billions are hungry. With nearly half the world earning less than $2 per day, think what a difference even small financial gifts can make. How easy would it be for most of us to find a way to give $2 a day to someone in need? Just imagine, we could effectively double the annual income of someone with little sacrifice to ourselves. Think what we could accomplish with a large sacrifice! We truly do have the ability to change the world if we will only release what God has given to us and generously give it away to someone who has less than we do. Pay for someone’s groceries at the store. Randomly hand some money to a person who is obviously struggling. Leave large tips for service regardless of the quality. Generous giving is both fun and contagious.

We cannot love by keeping it all to ourselves. Love compels us to share what we have with others. Jesus poured out His blood, His very life, for you and for me. It doesn’t get more generous than that. This week focus on how you might generously give of the time, abilities, and money God has entrusted to you. I recommend writing down some tangible ways you will demonstrate the love of God through your own generosity. In fact, I encourage you to leave a comment below to share how you will be generous this week, and then check back and let everyone know how it turned out. Your tales of generosity will inspire others as well, so you can begin being generous simply by sharing your ideas. Love is generous; it holds back nothing for itself. Jesus gave everything for us, the ultimate example of generosity. Actively look for ways in which you might give of yourself to others through acts of generosity. In this way you will demonstrate the love of God to someone in need. This is what it means to follow Jesus; this is what it means to love.

Love Is… Forgiveness

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Recently we’ve been looking at the various attributes that make up the concept of living in love, deconstructing what it looks like to demonstrate Christ-like love to others. We previously looked at kindness and patience, and today I’d like to discuss one of the most difficult attributes: forgiveness. In addition to being the foundation for our salvation, Scripture is replete with references commanding us to be a forgiving. In I Corinthians 13:5, it says that love keeps no record of wrongs. In other words, love is forgiving; it does not hold past offenses against another. Ephesians 4:32 tells us to forgive one another, just as Christ forgave us. If we want to live lives that look like Jesus, we must be forgiving people. Why then is it so difficult to do so, and what would it look like if we would truly model Christ’s forgiveness in our own lives?

To ask forgiveness of someone else means we must admit that we are sorry for behaving in the way we did towards them. If we are prideful, we will resent the insinuation that we are in the wrong. Pride often leads to anger, and anger to bitterness. Once we reach this stage, forgiveness can indeed be very hard to achieve. You don’t feel like humbling yourself and the other party now wants nothing to do with you. That’s why it is vital to heed the instruction in Ephesians 4:26 to not let the sun go down on your anger. Don’t let the day end with anger in your heart or it will fester all night, robbing you of sleep and depriving you of joy when you awaken. If you have wronged someone, seek forgiveness immediately. It is uncomfortable to do so, but it is far more difficult later. By remaining conscious of your words and actions, you can begin by asking forgiveness for small things. This will be easier and it will begin to develop the habit of forgiveness in your life. If you feel anger, make sure it doesn’t set up shop in your heart. Dispense of it immediately; nothing soothes anger quicker than forgiving someone of their trespass, even if they deliberately hurt you and refuse to apologize. You have no control over the actions of others, but you have full charge over your own reaction. Choosing to forgive disperses tension and anger, and allows you live a less stressful life.

If we are the ones who have been offended and now seek the forgiveness of someone else, we probably are hurt and retain some resentment against them until they apologize. Sometimes someone forgives us and we accept ever so gently by telling ourselves (or the other person!) that we forgive them, but we’ll never forget. That’s not forgiveness; that’s merely glossing over the problem and allowing it to be a problem in the future. When someone asks our forgiveness, we are to accept it and move on. We can no longer harbor animosity toward them; it is up to us to open our clenched fists and lay our hurt down at the feet of Jesus. He will take it from us, allowing us to move on unencumbered by the burden of malice. Always accept forgiveness from someone; doing so will benefit you both and allow your relationship to grow.

Anger is the opposite of love; therefore you cannot live in love and be angry at the same time. Ask God to take away your anger so you can begin living in love. Don’t be afraid to take the initiative in forgiving someone even if they don’t deserve it. You don’t deserve to be forgiven either, but Christ did it anyway. When someone asks you to forgive them, have the grace to do so. Jesus said we were to repeatedly forgive others (Matthew 18:21-22). Remember Christ placed no limits on His forgiveness, so neither should we. Begin by asking for forgiveness in the small things until you’ve developed the proper habit and spirit. Nothing reflects Christ more vividly than a forgiving heart. Asking for forgiveness demonstrates humility and gentleness. Giving forgiveness shows mercy and consideration. Taken together you can easily see how love is indeed forgiveness. A heart that practices forgiveness is a heart that Jesus can use to change the world. Forgive others as Christ forgave you; confess your shortcomings to those you have hurt. Live in love.