Even If i Walk Alone

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

Love

Love in Community

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The title of this blog is “Even if I Walk Alone”. That is a statement that simply means that I have chosen to follow Christ, I have chosen to love as He did, even if no one else will join me in doing so. Ideally I will not walk this path alone; I don’t want to walk this path alone. Being prepared to walk alone should in no way be taken to mean that this is the best way to go about following Christ. A few can accomplish more than one, and the many can accomplish exponentially more than the few. Perhaps the title of this blog really should be “Even If I Walk Alone (…but I’d rather walk together!)”.

Following Jesus is a group exercise, as demonstrated by Jesus calling His twelve disciples (Matthew 10:1-16), sending out the seventy apostles (Luke 10:1-12) and establishing His desire for followers to come together(Matthew 18:19-20). There are times that God has worked through an individual, but by and large God has always worked through groups of people. In our modern society it has become very easy to be self-sufficient. Jesus never calls us to self-sufficiency; He calls us to utter reliance. We are to rely on God in all things, and this includes relying on our brothers and sisters as we all seek to follow Him. Would you rather be self-sufficient or live a life of total reliance on someone else? As someone who grew up fiercely independent, this is a hard question for me, even though I know the right answer. I want, no I need, to rely on God with all that I am. Yet so often I opt for the prideful stance of self-reliance. I take pride in my ability to handle whatever may come my way. Slowly, quietly, my confidence is being swapped out from that of myself, to knowing I can handle anything this world throws at me because of the strength of Jesus within me. It is an agonizing but wonderful process.

Another problem we face is that we tend to not keep the same community for very long. A generation ago, people generally grew up and lived out their lives in the same area. Grade school friendships persisted into the twilight of life; you knew most everyone you came into contact with and strangers were easy to spot. In our current era, we are far less likely to stay in the same city we were born in, much less the same neighborhood. College, job advancements and a quest for a better place to raise a family all contribute to a nation of virtual strangers. Even small groups in churches tend to change faces every few years. We just don’t plant ourselves anywhere anymore. Perhaps we need to give more thought to our sense of community before we move on to the next big thing. Is it possible that we can serve God better by staying put rather than taking off to chase “the American dream”, leaving behind the relationships we have established? I’m not proposing that we should all stay where we grew up, but I am saying we are quick to leave a community for generally selfish reasons without ever giving much thought to the community of believers and would-be believers that we leave behind. It should definitely play a part in our decision process.

This brings me to the community where you are now. Are you nurturing your community? Are you seeking out others with whom to build relationships? Do you even know your neighbors? Are you demonstrating love to those with whom you work or are they “just the people at the office”? We are to live in community and we are to love in community. Our free time needs to be turned into community time. If we are passionate about living a life modeled after Christ, then we must be about living in community. It’s time to put selfishness and self-sufficiency aside. We must be willing to walk this road alone, but ever seeking to walk with one another.

Thankfulness and the American Orphan

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To most of us in America, Thanksgiving Day is all about three things: turkey, football and a day off. Quite honestly, I’m a big fan of all of those things. Unfortunately there are many for whom this day has no meaning. They have lost hope amid the struggles and trials of our modern society. They have become too bitter to be thankful for anything; they are simply in need. For those of us with Christ in our lives, we have something to give. We have hope for the future, and we have love. These gifts are not to be hoarded; they are to be given away.

I’ve been reading the book “Street Lives: An Oral History of Homeless Americans” recently. It’s a collection of firsthand accounts of living on the street. It is truly heartbreaking to read their stories. While the language and subject matter can be a bit rough at times, I encourage you to read this book or books like it. We are so isolated in our comfortable homes and neighborhoods. Few of us know what true hunger feels like. Even fewer know what it’s like to have no bed, no home and no hope. While there are many shelters that do a good work, there are far more that are abusive and even perpetuate the mindset that keeps people living in despair. The number of children and veterans among the population of the homeless is staggering. Many of the homeless have no family remaining, no place to turn for help and no one to love them. They are truly the orphans of America, regardless of their age.

As followers of Jesus we are called to care for the orphans. What are we doing to help? For most of us, helping involves giving to shelters and inner city ministries, and probably buying some groceries or meals for those in need. This is necessary and admirable, but it does not go far enough. Food for the belly is obviously important, but food for the soul is paramount. We need to feed more than their stomachs. We need to feed their hearts, their minds, and their self worth. We need to clothe them not only with blankets and coats, but with love. What can you do to help? What can I do? We must come together and do something about this crisis. Why? The answer is simply because Jesus said to do so; that is enough. We who choose to follow Christ have an obligation to do the things He did. As the orphans in need of love cry out to us, they convict us of that which we are not doing. None of us can end homelessness by ourselves. We can, however, love one person. Together we can solve the problem in our cities by determining that we will not tolerate the way homeless orphans are treated.

The love of God provides the love, strength and hope that we all need. There is enough for us to bask in and still have plenty in reserve to give away. I am thankful for the love of Christ. I am thankful that He saved me. I am thankful that I am not an orphan. Yet I am thankful for the orphans all around us, for they are opportunities to share the immeasurable love of Christ. We must put aside our fear, our prejudices and our preconceived notions; it’s time to reach out and love the orphans all around us. Put your arms around someone in need today, and rejoice in the opportunity to be able to do so. Be thankful for all you have, and then give others something to be thankful for as well.

Incredible Love

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There are days when I cannot move. There are days when I am so overwhelmed by the love of God that I cannot make sense of anything else. This love is so inconceivable. Even in the worst of times, I am so incredibly blessed. I find myself with one simple question on my lips: “Who am I?”

As Israel Houghton wrote, “Who am I that you are mindful of me?” When push comes to shove, I am quite simply the world’s greatest screw-up. I have failed far more times than I have succeeded. I have fallen so often that I consider the ground one of my closest friends. Why does God take the time to care for me? Why does He take the time to constantly help me up every time I fall? What in the world is in it for Him?

That is the wrong question. It’s not about what’s in it for Him, but rather who He is. While it may be cliché in our modern age, the truth is God is indeed love. At His core, His very essence, God is love. It is who He is. Everything else flows from that love: justice, mercy, grace and righteous anger. God is all of these things and more, but ultimately He is the embodiment of perfect, unrelenting love. His love compels Him to constantly strive for each of us, to forever pursue us in order that He might lavish His love on us.

It’s too much. I cannot conceive of such love. In my own imperfection I have known love and I have shown love. But it is nothing compared to the love of our Savior. No matter how deeply we love our spouses or boyfriends or girlfriends, can we honestly say that every day we relentlessly pursue them for the single purpose of lavishing love on them? Do we forgive those we love as Christ forgives us? Are we willing to not simply overlook but to completely blot out their shortcomings? Jesus does this for us, and in so doing demonstrates a model of perfect love.

To consider such loves leaves me speechless and overwhelmed. I am truly and completely undone. He loves us in our weakness and imperfection. He loves us perfectly and completely. I never want to disappoint the one who loves me so much. I just want to serve Him with all that I am. Knowing I am loved in such a way, I cannot wait to fall down again. If I never fell, I would never know the warmth and acceptance of those arms that lift me up. It is in the failing that we learn and in the falling that we advance. It makes no sense, but then again, when was the last time love made sense to anyone? There is no logic here; there is simply mercy and grace. There is only love. Take a moment and bask in His love today.

Your Action Plan

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How do we get there from here? How do we go from the life we are living today to one that is sold-out, wholly devoted to living the way of Christ? All of us can do a better job of loving others. Each of us can grow closer to Christ than we are today.

We need a plan. Attempting to achieve anything without a plan is a recipe for futility. Take stock of where you are today. Take fifteen minutes to sit down and write down the areas of your life that you know do not reflect Jesus. Pray and ask God to bring to mind areas in which you fall short of His design for your life. Are you self-absorbed? Are you embarrassed to tell others about Christ? Do you look the other way when someone is in need of help? How do you treat your family, is it with the same love that God showers on you? How about your neighbors, do they know you love them? Do you even know them? I don’t know what areas in your life need work; we all have different strengths and weaknesses. Take the time to get away from everything else and just hash out your areas of weakness. Make sure you don’t just ponder these areas, write them down! Some will come quickly to your mind; others will be more subtle and may even surprise you. Take the time to get it all off your heart. Listen for God to reveal your weaknesses to you. This isn’t about making you feel badly or inadequate; this is simply you taking an inventory so you can devise the best plan possible to overcome each and every weakness.

Once you have your list, take another fifteen minutes to write down one to three actions you can take to overcome that area of weakness. We’re not going to become strong in every area overnight, we’re not even going to try and tackle them all at once. But we do need a plan, and by thinking through your action steps now, it will be easier later on when you work on eliminating that weakness from your walk. Again, take the time to get this right, and get it down on paper. Get alone in silence or with some relaxing music if that helps. Put aside any distraction, and just spend the time prayerfully determining ways you can look more like Christ. There is little that pleases God more than for us to seek Him. Just listen and He will tell you what you need to know.

So there you have it; it only took thirty minutes of your day to determine how you can change your life to look more like that of Jesus. You’re on your way to becoming a true follower of Christ. You have a genuine plan of action, and that feels great. There is, of course, one caveat. To begin with a great plan gives you a tremendous boost to becoming the person God intended you to be. But when it’s all said and done, your great plan will remain just that unless you follow it up with action. Remember those action steps you came up with? Yeah, you’re going to actually have to do those things if you want a life that looks like Christ. You’re going to have to get out of your comfort zone, you’re going to have to love people you can’t stand and you’re going to have to sacrifice your time and money to help those in need. A plan without action is no better than lungs without air. It’s up to you to bring meaning to your plans.

Are you willing to follow up on your own action plan? If you’ve completed this exercise, you can see your weaknesses written down in black and white. You can also see the steps you know you need to take to better follow Christ. It’s all there in front of you; you can live the life God intended for you to live. Do you have the guts to trust Him to help you follow through? Are you willing to give up those things that have no place in the life of a follower of Christ? Are you ready to love at any cost and embark on the adventure of your lifetime? We have but one life to live; take action to make yours a life of love and become a true follower of the Way.

Tendrils

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John White once wrote that we must “detach our tendril hopes from crumbling walls in order to train them to climb solid Rock”.  It strikes me as lunacy that I would continue to endeavor in anything that is not of Christ.  We know that there is nothing on earth that will ever satisfy us the way His love can.  We strive to achieve fortune or fame, but to what end?  History is littered with lives of extravagant people who in the end died lonely and broken.  Is this what we desire?  Jesus promises comfort, unqualified acceptance and love.  All He asks in return is that we trust and follow Him.  How can we discard such a simple, yet fantastic, offer?

Are we so shallow that we can’t bear to give up anything that might make us feel better for a fleeting moment in exchange for that which fulfills for a lifetime (and then some!)?  We are well educated, well studied and well equipped to understand this truth better than perhaps anyone in history.  But what do we do with this knowledge but let it lie in waste?  It is a tragedy of truly epic proportions.  We understand the message of Jesus Christ, but we refuse to act upon it.  We fully comprehend the meaning and the consequences, but still we turn away.

What can one say to this generation, what would the prophets of old say to we who live in this age?  Each day we drive away from beautiful homes in our fancy cars (even having access to a car is inconceivable in parts of this world) to our well paying jobs or leisurely activities.  Every day we drive past someone who is in need.  Every day we drive past someone who could use some good news and some love.  We drive on, oblivious to the world and need around us.  We drive on, wrapped up in the petty annoyances in our own lives.  We are selfish, thoughtless and unloving people.

Maybe at this point you are annoyed.  Maybe you are thinking that you’re not as bad as all that.  You give to your church and even drop off some canned goods at the food pantry.  You hold the door for elderly folks.  Why, you even helped a blind person across the street once!  Do you do it consistently?  Do you stop every time there is a need?  Do you give love without expecting anything in return, even to those you despise?  We all fall so very short.  We cling to those things in the world that bring us status and nods of approval, and they will all crumble to dust in the end.  If we aren’t securely fastened to the solid rock of Jesus Christ and His love, we don’t stand a chance.  If we aren’t demonstrating His love in real, tangible ways, and doing so every day, we don’t stand a chance.  Our only hope is to anchor ourselves to God’s rock-solid foundation of love.  As we grow, we must cling so tightly to his love that we become one with it.  Anything else falls short and misses the mark.

What are you reaching toward for stability, where do you get your strength?  Is it from the flash and glitz of this world or is it from the rock steady love of God?  We reach out to something every day; the choice is ours.  Only one choice brings hope, peace, meaning, and ultimately, security.  Why do we reach for that which cannot protect our life, instead of reaching out to the One who gives us life?  What are your tendrils wrapped around?  Whatever it is is it safe?  Is it secure?  Only God has a foundation that can be trusted, one that will allow us to climb in freedom, safety and security.  Wrap your arms around Him, feel His love, then go and share it with everyone you meet.