Even If i Walk Alone

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

Love

Peace Be Still

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To me, there are few things that compare to sitting alone in a quiet house before anyone else is awake in the morning. The silence is calming and allows me to forget about the stress and worry of the world outside, if only for a little while. The frailty of the moment permits an intimacy with God in which I am truly aware of His presence. While I know He is always there, it is in these times that I can fully focus and experience Him. My heart quiets and the constant whirring in my brain begins to slow into a rhythmic dance with my Creator. I am awake and I am aware; it is an awesome place and a great way to start each day.

For those who do not know Christ, such a silence can be deafening. Instead of peace flooding their soul, they are instead bombarded by thoughts of loneliness, depression and despair. They feel neither the presence of God nor anyone else. Their souls are under constant attack from Satan as he feeds their fears and heightens their anguish. He gets inside their head and twists and weaves his way through their mind, depositing lies and leaving a trail of despondency in his wake. Each day the cycle continues until there is no longer any hope or reason for them to go on with their life.

What a contrast in the way two people can experience silence. To one, there is peace and solace; to the other, torment and distress. The difference between these two extremes is simply Jesus. Only He can bring quiet to the noise of life; only He can bring peace in the midst of strife, and only He can bring stillness amidst the chaos. Is it any wonder why the Bible states that having Jesus is more valuable than silver or gold? What He brings to a life is priceless and beyond comparison. His peace is available to all who will call Him Lord and give Him full control of their lives out of love for Him. It’s as simple as asking Him to dwell in your life so that you can know Him better.

With everything to gain, why do so few seek to attain His presence in their lives? I believe one reason is that we who know Christ are not reflecting His love and peace in our own lives. We get so caught up in the concerns of life that we cast a shadow over the light that shines within us. There are fewer sadder sights than a stressed out Christian. We claim to worship a God of peace and love, yet when others look at our lives they only see the same struggles that they face. If we don’t shine brightly with the joy of Christ, they will not see the attraction in following Him. Living a life that is dedicated to Jesus is very difficult, but the great paradox is that within that difficulty we find great peace and rest. If we don’t model that peace to those around us, they will see only the difficulty and take a pass on following Christ.

We’ve got to rein in our busyness and obsession with competing in a world that has rejected God as the supreme authority. We can’t live a life that claims devotion to Him and yet acts in a manner consistent with those who despise Him. When we are focused wholly on Him in everything we do, we will find great peace and stillness in our hearts. We will experience a love that cannot be explained and will find our minds exquisitely bathed in His light. Jesus calms every worry and satisfies every desire. If you would have peace, you will not find it outside of a life lived for Him. Having found such love, it is our duty and privilege to pass it along to others.

Dwell in the stillness of His love and reflect His glory to a desperate world. We are called to be the carriers of His light into the darkness. May the love of God shine humbly and brightly through you into the hearts of the least, the lost and the dying. Work tirelessly for His glory and when you falter, retreat into His arms. There you will find comfort and there you will find rest. In Him there is peace; we need only be still.

Love is… Honest

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In this the final installment of looking at some of the key attributes of love, today I would like to discuss honesty. Honesty is the foundation of love; if we are not honest, then our love is not genuine. If our love is not genuine then we fail another test of love, that of integrity. A lack of integrity will inhibit us from demonstrating any of the other aspects of love we’ve discussed. All of the facets of love are intertwined and wrapped around the core of honesty. If we are not honest, then we are not trustworthy. Without trust, there can be no love. If we didn’t trust that God was who He said He was, and that everything He says is true, then we would be hard pressed to love Him. The same is true for our earthly relationships. Love requires trust, and trust is built on honesty.

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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… 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.

For the Love of God, Give! Part II

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In the last post we started looking at Matthew 25:31-40 as we endeavored to determine what our lives should look like if we would truly reflect the love and mission of Christ. Today I want to finish that thought, so we can all be clear on what the life of a disciple really looks like. As we saw last time, following Jesus is all about giving of our time and resources to carry on His mission and to follow through on the commands He has given us.

While our closets swell with the amount of clothing in them, millions of people in the world have nothing to wear. They spend their days naked and without shoes, many of whom literally live in garbage dumps. These aren’t word pictures to shock you; they are simply the truth. All of us can donate clothing to area ministries that provide for those in need. Also consider giving a portion of your money to ministries who provide the same service globally. There is no excuse for someone in this world to go without clothing or shoes. How sickening to see images of children in foreign countries basically wearing rags, and then taking a walk through our local shopping mall. We have the resources, we simply lack the will. Instead of buying ourselves some new jeans or shoes, consider donating a pair instead.

In Matthew 25:36, we are commanded to take care of the sick. I confess to not handling sickness well. If someone so much as coughs in my direction I freak out a little. This is not the reaction that Jesus had. He lovingly touched those who were ill. He didn’t turn away, He embraced them. We need to be mindful of when our neighbors are sick and be a welcome help to them. Visit nursing homes and hospitals to share a few moments of your time and a kind word to those who are not only sick, but lonely as well. Give to, or go with, organizations that are providing medical care to people in other countries. Be a part of the solution. Be the Good Samaritan; do not pass them by.

The final command in the passage above tells us to visit those in prison. All over the world, Christians are persecuted, thrown into prison and left to die. They are tortured and deprived of food and sleep. Our fellow Christians are both sick and imprisoned and we should support ministries who care for these people and who seek justice on their behalf. We can either join them physically or support them monetarily. Be the hands and feet of Jesus, and care for their needs. Many of us know someone with a family member in prison. Go with that person to visit the one locked in a cell; give them your support and love. Be a mentor for someone in jail. Don’t judge them, but show compassion instead. In all ways, serve others and by doing so you will reflect the love of Christ.

There are many ways to follow the commands of Christ, both by joining forces with ministries or supporting them financially. We in the West have been blessed with significant resources and I believe it is our duty to fund those ministries who are carrying out the commands of Jesus. We don’t necessarily need another new ministry; we need to support the ones that have already established a foothold in helping those in need. May I suggest The Voice of the Martyrs, Persecution Project, World Vision and Compassion International? As you plan your giving for this year, see how many ways you can fulfill the commands of Matthew 25:31-40. Spend your money wisely in acts of service for Jesus. The Bible tells us that where we spend our money is a reflection of our heart. As we give to the service of Christ, our hearts will be transformed to look like His. As our hearts are transformed, it will overflow into our daily lives. The simplest way to live a life that looks like that of Christ is to do the things He told us to do. Give generously of your time and resources. Everything we have is His, so give it all back in service to Him. Give like there is no tomorrow. For the love of God, give!