Even If i Walk Alone

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

Love

Your Mental Attitude

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Being a true follower of Christ means that our lives will be lived in such a way that others cannot help but notice. We will touch the ones that Jesus would touch, and be a servant to all. We will be filled with such passion that we will glide easily through our days, and our nights will be filled with restful sleep. This is the goal to which we aspire. How do we achieve such a state; how do we reach this level of commitment? It begins by changing our attitudes about life; we must change our personal philosophy if we are ever to achieve a close fellowship with God. Our culture has conditioned us to acquire many habits and beliefs that are simply incongruent with following Jesus. Today I want to discuss some destructive mental attitudes that will keep us from living the life we desire to live.

In Western culture in particular, we have become a very selfish people. One of the first questions we need to ask ourselves is “Do we consider the feelings of others, or are we more often concerned only with ourselves?” Take a moment to think back over your day; in fact make a habit of reviewing the day’s events each night before you go to bed. How did you treat other people? Did you put the needs of others before your own? Were you selfish in your actions, operating out of a mindset that was self-seeking? Did you behave in a manner in which you would want others to behave towards you? Jesus lived a life of service to others. He put the needs of others ahead of his own desires. How are we measuring up to the standard He set for us?

Another mental attitude we must check is our attitude toward the actions of others. Do we try and find the good in every person and in every situation, or are we quick to condemn others for their faults? It is much easier to find fault with someone rather than finding good. By finding fault we are able to mask our own shortcomings and exalt our own capabilities. Instead of operating with this mindset, what if we instead readily exposed our own faults while expressing admiration for the talents of others? Instead of finding weakness by default, let us practice the habit of praising the strengths of others as we converse with them. Instill in yourself the rule that you must offer something positive to every encounter before you allow yourself to say anything negative. Jesus lived a life in which He built up those around Him. He encouraged those without hope and brought healing to those in despair. Let us live our lives in the same manner.

Finally, what is our reaction when things go wrong, when they do not go as planned? Are we quick to find people or reasons on which to shift the blame? Do we lash out, making every excuse as to why we failed? Most do not like to be around negative people. Always placing blame on others is a very negative trait and does not lead to a winsome personality, a personality that reflects Jesus. Take responsibility for your own actions and failures. Seek solutions to the problems, learn from your failures and search for the root cause of your mistakes. What could you have done differently? Who could you have asked for help? What advice did you ignore? Always take full responsibility for yourself. Never place the blame on others because deep down we all know it is we who are to blame. By becoming constant learners and working diligently toward our goals, we will achieve them. Then we will need no one to blame. Jesus lived a life of full accountability, accepting responsibility not only for his own actions but for the actions of others as well. He is our model.

How’s your mental attitude? Are you modeling the life of Christ? Do you put the needs of others before your own? Do you seek to find the good in others rather than finding fault? Finally, do you accept responsibility for your actions or do you seek to place blame? Living a life that looks like Jesus is not easy. It requires asking ourselves some tough questions and being prepared to make the changes necessary in order to better reflect the love of God. Many will give up and say it’s too difficult. Many will refuse to change, and in so doing turn away from the One who gave His life for them. Don’t turn away; check your mental attitudes and make the necessary corrections. Diligently seek to live a life that looks like Jesus and you will find the life, the love, the peace, the rest and the joy that your soul has craved since your birth.

Negativity

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It has always struck me as curious when I run into a follower of Christ who has a negative attitude. We of all people should always be positive because of the hope in Jesus to which we cling so tightly. Indeed, as followers of Christ, we are called to hope (Ephesians 4:4). How is it then that so many Christians live their lives in a state of negativity, finding fault with everyone and reasons why every idea will fail? The answers may be as varied as the people who posses such a quality, but I believe the cure and the prevention is universal.

There is great truth to the statement that we become what we think about. If we focus on the negative aspects of what is happening around us we will, in time, become negative people. If we look upon the positive side of things we will, in the same way, become a positive person. It’s truly just a matter of mindset. In some ways I am tempted to believe that there should be no such thing as a Christian pessimist. While I don’t intend to imply that we should walk through life wearing rose colored glasses as we must be shrewd and perspicacious in our dealings with others, but we can choose to always believe the best and see the best in others and in every situation.

Another curious law is the fact that negative people tend to attract negative things into their lives; positive people tend to draw positive things to them. I had a friend who used to constantly tell me that the number 43 was the most common number in the world. He would say it over and over again. Guess what happened? Everywhere we went, we kept seeing the number 43. It was on signs, parking lots, radio, and television; it was everywhere! Does the number 43 really occur more often in nature than any other number? Of course not! The fact was I was now thinking about the number a lot, and so I was finding it everywhere. The same law applies in turn such that if we think negative thoughts, we will find negativity all around us. Think positively, and you will draw positive experiences to you. Hope is positive, and Jesus is the King of hope. Think about Jesus, and He will come near to you (James 4:8). How can you think of Him and put out negative thoughts into the world?

If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts, you must practice the habit of capturing them as soon as they creep into your mind. Grab the thought and force yourself to find something positive in the situation. A great rule is to never permit yourself or any of your acquaintances to say something negative before they have said something positive in any given situation. In this way you will learn to be positive-first thinkers. Thinking positively is easily accomplished by looking at every situation as Christ would look at it. Take a step back and look again with love and empathy. How can you shine Christ’s love onto the scene rather than making it worse with some acidic comment?

Finally, I’ve noticed that negativity is often an excuse for fear. People are afraid of saying something positive because it might require something of them. For example, I’ve heard people criticize the relief efforts in the recent earthquakes. They say negative things like, “they are probably all dead already”, “they’ll never find anyone alive” or “what good will those two people from my church do amongst all that rubble?” Deep inside, I believe these people fear that if they don’t criticize the effort, they may be compelled to go themselves. And that would be uncomfortable; that would be inconvenient. Easier to throw water on someone else’s fire than to fan the flames of your own calling.

Don’t be a negative person; you have Christ within you. You will become what you think about, so think only of Christ and things of beauty (Philippians 4:8). Practice being positive-first people, and throwing out negative thoughts. Approach every situation with love and empathy. Above all, don’t quench the spirit of others because you are simply too afraid to do what they do. We are people of love and hope. There is no negativity in Christ. Live His love loudly.


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.

For Whom Would You Die?

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The most unfathomable concept in all of Christianity is the fact that Jesus died for us. This wasn’t some romantic fairy tale death of a hero. Nor was it the death of a man whom everyone knew deserved it. His was a real death, dirty, painful and torturous. He endured things that you and I can scarcely imagine, much less ever have to experience. Why? Because He loved us; He knew this was the only way. This was His mission. It was not something he necessarily wanted to endure, but He was willing to do so because He knew it was the only way. He would have to become the sacrifice so we might live. It’s odd to me that we often gloss over His death and how rarely we truly dwell on it. True, His resurrection is the brilliant culmination of the story, and the part that made it all worth it. But there would have been no resurrection had He not first chosen to die.

One of the things I often contemplate is what my reaction would be if I had to choose between being put to death and denying Christ. I am confident I would choose death. What if the choice was between ongoing torture and denying Christ, would my answer change? An untold number of our brothers and sisters in Christ face this very decision every day of their lives. Although I have some trepidation as to what effect physical torture might have on my resolve, I feel I can honestly say still that I would choose Christ and not deny Him. If you are a devoted follower of Jesus, I suspect that you feel the same as I do. No one wants to face a violent death or brutal torture, but we know He endured both of these things for us; we must be willing to do the same for Him.

Which leads me to an uncomfortable question: if we are willing to die for Christ, why is it we continually refuse to die to self? Are we more important than Christ? We say we would die for Him, but we won’t give up certain parts of our life to Him. “I’ll do anything for You Jesus, I’ll even die for you… just don’t ask me to give up [insert your idol of choice here]”. It cheapens our supposed commitment to Him. To imply that we are too precious to die for is almost blasphemous. He did not consider His own life too special to not offer it up for you. Yet every day we refuse to die to self, every time we protect our personal idols, we tell Him He’s just not worth it. God forgive us for our ignorance and our hardened hearts.

What parts of your life are you refusing to give up? Which parts of your life have you resisted putting to death? He gave up everything for us. It will be difficult and may cause some anguish. We may beg to hold on to our little idols. But only a life that is submitted to Christ in every area can claim to be following in the way of Christ. He did it for us; we must do it for Him. He died for us; we say we’d die for Him. But are we first willing to die to ourselves?

Compassion and Justice

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Throughout the Bible, there is a recurring theme of compassion and justice. God commands it and Jesus lived it. If we want to be emulators of Christ we need to demonstrate both compassion and justice in everything we do. Few would admit to not being either compassionate or just, but sometimes it is good to take a step back from the fray and examine our own actions.

Every day we are surrounded by opportunities to act unjustly towards one another. We make split-second judgments of people based on their outward appearance and then act in accordance with those judgments toward that person. Whether or not a person is well dressed or sloppy, clean or dirty, smells nice or not, smokes, drinks, spits, swears, etc., these all affect our opinion of that person. That opinion combined with their cultural group shifts a scale in our mind that determines how we will treat them. It makes the decision of whether we walk by without looking them in the eye, smile at them, or engage them in conversation. This is so ingrained into our society that it seems very normal. It is not normal, it is sin. It is acting unjustly toward others. God created everyone in his image; he does not discriminate between anyone. Anytime we discriminate, for any reason, we are not acting with justice. We are to treat all people the same and seek to care for their needs. In this way, acting justly leads us to live compassionately.

To live compassionately is to see the best in other people; we are to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. We need to actively seek to look beyond their outward circumstances and endeavor to empathize with them. Picture yourself in their shoes; how would you feel? Reach out to them in love. Instead of looking down on people, look at them instead through the eyes of Jesus; look at them through His perfect eyes of love. Never presume to know what someone else is going through. Instead, simply make yourself available to them. Share a smile, hold a door, give a kind word. You may be their best chance to see the love of God in action. That is why we must be compassionate to all people and at all times.

Take a look back over your day and your week. In what ways could you have acted more justly or with more compassion towards someone with whom you came into contact? Learn from your mistakes, and use them to do better tomorrow. Failing is not failure if we learn and grow from the experience. Tomorrow, and from that day forward, show justice and compassion to everyone you meet. You’ll be amazed at how good it feels.