Even If i Walk Alone

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

Matthew

Are You Thirsty?

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Today I would like to focus on the flip side of yesterday’s discussion about hunger (see “Our Daily Bread”) and take a look at thirst. Clean water is something we easily take for granted in well developed countries. We can simply turn the faucet on at any time of the day or night and get a refreshing drink. This is not the case for nearly a billion people on our planet. While it is essential for health and life, access to clean water remains elusive or impossible for far too many people.

There are some rather startling statistics about water. According to TheWaterProject.org, at any given moment, half of the world’s hospital beds are filled with patients suffering from a water-borne illness; one out of every four deaths of children under the age of five are due to water-related disease; women in developing countries must walk several miles to gather water, and return carrying a jug weighing close to fifty pounds. Meanwhile in America, we average consuming thirty gallons of bottled water per person each year (NPR). While 25% of children under the age of five die because of the lack of clean water, we have been unmoved. In America there seems to be more concern about obtaining the purest water with the utmost of convenience rather than for those who have no access to water whatsoever.

Jesus said that all who thirst should come to Him (John 7:37-38). He was using the importance of water as a metaphor for what is required for life. There is no spiritual life without Christ, and there is no physical life without water. Recognizing this need, Jesus commanded His followers to give a drink to those who were thirsty (Matthew 25:31-46). Just as feeding the hungry was put forth as a stipulation to demonstrate our love for Him, so too is providing water for the thirsty. If we love Jesus, we will do what He tells us to do; we will provide clean water for those who thirst.

As followers of Christ, we must do what we can to provide clean drinking water to those in need. Persecution Project’s “100 Wells Campaign” is striving to provide water to the people of Jaac, Sudan. Many of the people in this region have come there due to the genocide in Darfur. The area cannot support the growing population, so more water is needed to sustain life and prevent disease. Living Water International has completed 9,000 water projects in 26 countries and shows no signs of slowing down. These are two charities with which I have had personal experience and recommend without hesitation. Consider making it a priority to financially support those who are in the field delivering water to dry and barren places.

On a local level, you can always distribute bottled water to the poor and homeless in your community. During the summer months, it is easy for those who live outdoors to quickly become dehydrated. Your simple act of kindness in giving them something to drink may lead to the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with them. Who knows what impact you may have on their life by being the hands and feet of Jesus?

Every time you take a drink of water, try to remember those who do not have such a luxury. Pray for them and for the ministries that are actively working to overcome the problem. Consider ways you might be able to help, either financially or through volunteering. Jesus said those who give water to the thirsty are blessed and will be welcomed into His presence. If we turn our back on those in need, we are deliberately rejecting the instructions of Christ. True followers will do what He told us to do. Give someone a drink, in the name of Jesus today. Refresh their spirit and take pleasure in being His hands and feet to the thirsty. The Kingdom of God is revealed one cup of water at a time.

Our Daily Bread

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In the Lord’s Prayer we are taught to ask for our daily bread. Most of us have never had to wonder where we would find food for the day. Our cupboards and pantries always seem to yield some sort of nourishment. Those of us who are fortunate enough to live in the West have more than likely never gone without food for an entire day. We are blessed beyond measure, and one need only look at the plight of the truly hungry around the world to be reminded of that fact.

According to WorldHunger.org, over 978 million people in the world are going hungry; that’s approximately one out of every six persons on the planet today. This is simply inexcusable for the world at large, but particularly egregious for those of us who seek to follow Jesus. We are told repeatedly in Scripture to feed the hungry (Isaiah 58:7, 10; Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 12:20; James 2:14-17; Deuteronomy 24:19-22; Luke 14:13). Knowing this, why is it that we are content to hoard the food for ourselves? I cringe when I think how often I’ve said, “There’s nothing to eat in this house!” I don’t think that has ever truly been the case. The real truth is there is perhaps nothing I am craving to eat in the house. We are so spoiled that we lament when we run out of a certain food, yet all the while we have more food in our house right now than nearly a billion people will have in an entire year. Our worst hunger cannot compare to their best days.

grocery store

Many cannot fathom the abundance we take for granted.

We must do something. The problem is large and daunting, but the God we serve is able to deliver the hungry from their distress. He calls us to be His hands and feet in bringing relief to their gnawing stomachs. God will honor and use our prayers, donations and efforts to bring His justice to this world. With the resources we have at our disposal, there is no excuse for a single person to go to bed hungry tonight. Let’s all do a gut check and review our expenses for the last month. How many needless material things did each of us buy? How much money did we spend on food that exceeded our “daily bread”? If we had only given half of that total to feeding the hungry, how much might all our contributions together have totaled? One person can make a difference here; a concentrated effort of all followers of Christ would have an impact that would resonate around the world.

Jesus made it very clear that His followers would show mercy to those around them, and he particularly pointed out feeding the hungry (Matthew 25:31-46). He made this a stipulation of being welcomed into His kingdom. If we do not feed the hungry, then we do not love as Christ loved. Our Western culture has blinded us to the needs of those in other countries; our suburban lifestyle shields us from the hungry in our own cities. It’s not enough to acknowledge and pray for the problem. As followers of Jesus, we must take action. Love is a verb and it is not passive. If we are to love others as Christ did, then we must act. I am not advocating that we should all become destitute and give every last cent to feed the hungry (although I do believe there is virtue in that). I am simply asking that we all, myself included, take a fresh look at how we are spending our money while looking for ways to distribute it to the poor and hungry instead.

Look into the eyes of the hungry. Let their faces burn into your mind. Begin to notice how much food is wasted in our country. We throw away so much food while one in six people lack food for the day. Here’s something I read about that we can all try. Get a large can or perhaps just a separate garbage bag, and put nothing in it except the food you throw away for a week. At the end of the week, weigh it and see how much you have wasted. According to the United Nations, about 25,000 people die each day due to hunger or hunger-related diseases. How many lives might have been saved with the food we waste each week? It is sobering and it is not acceptable. Jesus called us to be His hands and feet in this world that has so much hunger. He called us to feed them. We, in turn, have become blind to the needs of others while continuing to satisfy our own selfish desires.

We all need our daily bread, but none of us needs any more than that. What if we all cut back to eating simply what we needed and gave the money we saved to feed someone who is impoverished? We can change the world, one person at a time. We can all make a difference if we would simply do the things Jesus commanded us to do. Don’t turn away from the hungry. God loves them and we should too. Determine today to make a difference in their lives; in the name of Jesus, be the hands that deliver their daily bread.

Finding Your Purpose

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One of the most common causes of consternation among Christians is trying to determine God’s will for their life. We’ve discussed this previously, but I was recently struck with a different take on the subject. Countless books and articles have tackled this subject, but I believe they have come at if from the wrong angle. Recently I’ve been reading Erwin McManus’ “Chasing Daylight” again, and it provided the framework for my thinking. The first thing that we need to recognize is that God doesn’t have some massive blueprint for each of our lives. Believing that God has every twist and turn in your life mapped out for you eliminates the Biblical concept of freewill. For an excellent discussion on this, I recommend “Decision Making and the Will of God” by Garry Friesen or “Divine Foreknowledge: Four Views” by Greg Boyd, William Lane Craig, Paul Eddy and James Beilby. With this as our starting point, I believe there are three steps to finding your purpose. Ask yourself the following questions:

  • What are my passions? Remember when you were younger and had visions of grandeur? We all dreamed dreams that were far bigger than ourselves and had goals of someday becoming something of note in this world. In our imaginations, we could be anything we wanted to be. As we grew older we were told that dreams were for children and we needed to focus on what we were really going to do with our lives. It seems to be the mission of those who have failed to live their dreams to quash the dreams of others as well. The passions and dreams we used to feel are what God has instilled in us. Our dreams are what make us unique from everyone else. Each of us was created for a purpose, a purpose that God carefully planted inside of us. If time and money was no object, what is it that you would most want to do? In the deepest depths of your heart, what is it that drives you? Make a note of each of your passions.

  • What are my skills? In addition to passions, God has given each of us a set of skills and gifts to be used for His Glory. People with low self esteem often disregard this question, assuming they are not good at anything and therefore have no skills. The fact is, we are indeed all gifted, we simply have not taken the time to reflect and discover all that we have to offer. Some are leaders, teachers, care-givers, good listeners, handy, a good cook or have a knack for dealing with certain age groups; the list could go on and on. Spiritual gifts and personal skills are very closely related. If you are aware of your spiritual gifts, I would encourage you to make a list of all the skills associated with that particular set of gifts. If you aren’t certain what your spiritual gifts are, there are several resources (many are free) available to help you discover your gifts. Email me at [email protected] if you would like a list.

  • Finally, ask how you can use your passions and your skills to best allow you to fulfill God’s will. Instead of asking what His will is for our life, we need to be asking how we can use our lives to accomplish His will. We know what His will is; He wills that none would perish, that none would go hungry or be treated unjustly. This is the will of God; He longs for unity and justice among all people. He commands us to love Him with all of our heart, soul and mind. He commands us to love others as much as we love ourselves, to treat them as we wish to be treated (Matthew 22:35-38). His mission for all who would follow Him is to tell everyone about His love and to demonstrate that love through our own lives. Looking back over your passions and skills, how might you utilize those to tell others about Christ or demonstrate His love to them? How could you use your passions and gifts to bring peace to a situation or to alleviate injustice or serve the poor? This is what following Jesus is all about; again, it’s not asking what His will is for our life but rather discovering how we can use our life to bring about His will.

Each person’s combination of passions and skills is unique, so it is difficult to give concrete examples in this limited space. I’d love to help anyone who struggles with determining how they can use what they have to fulfill the will of God. Leave a comment below describing your unique blend of dreams and gifts and I’ll respond with some real world ideas of how you might use them for God’s glory. If you prefer privacy, email me at [email protected]. I’d love to help. Knowing the will of God is as simple as living out His Word and reflecting His love to others; we all have been uniquely gifted to do so. Stop stressing over what it is God wants you to do with your life, and start living in the freedom of using your life to accomplish His will.

The Fear of Losing

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We all find security in something. For some it’s our jobs, for others it’s their money. Some find security in their possessions and others in their families. The true follower of Christ will find their security only in Him. Jesus said that whatever we gain on this earth will be lost, but if we put our trust and faith in Him, we will gain eternal life (Matthew 16:24-27). We clutch tightly to what we perceive to be secure while neglecting that which truly is.

There is an art to letting go and a freedom in travelling light. Anything gained in this world will at some point become a burden. Money becomes a stumbling block to stepping out in faith. Families bring responsibilities that can limit our movement. Both money and family can be tremendous blessings, but we must realize that earthly blessings come with some sacrifice. Any responsibility by its very nature requires our time and energy which results in time not entirely focused on God. Again, this is not inherently sinful; it’s simply a restriction of human beings. Physical entities do not have the ability to be more than one place at once. Our brains can only accommodate one thought at a time. Yes, we can perform rote tasks while thinking about something else, but our minds will be rapidly and constantly shifting focus from one task to the next. True focus requires our undivided attention.

We want to seek God above all else and desire to be in His presence always; yet the temptations of this world call out to us, steal away our focus, and erode our faith. Serving as a missionary seems noble, but we have our family to think about. Stepping out in faith is exciting, but we have a lot of financial responsibilities to consider. Giving money to the poor is what Christ would want us to do, but we find ourselves a little short at the end of the month after paying our cell phone bill. We cling to things that are of no consequence. We hold tightly to all we are destined to lose, and we do this at the expense of the Kingdom of God.

When we stand before Jesus and give an account of our lives, I guarantee you He will not be impressed by the square footage of our house, the car we drove, the job we had or the balance of our bank account. All of the things we covet stand in contrast to the will of God. Our selfishness is detestable to Him. We have large homes with extra rooms while millions sleep on the street tonight. We spend thousands and thousands of dollars on multiple cars yet millions in Africa will walk miles just to retrieve some water. Hoarded money swells our investment accounts while billions go hungry. We are holding on to the wrong stuff. We are desperately trying hold onto what we cannot keep, and sacrificing all that truly matters to Jesus.

What is the answer? What is the cure for the disease of selfishness and insecurity? In a word, the answer is Jesus. When we seek to live our lives as He did, we will find our priorities changed. When we begin to take seriously the word He spoke and the commands He gave, we will begin to be like Him and the chains of this world will fall away. Until we become deadly serious about devoting the whole of our lives to Him, we will continue to struggle in our pseudo-Christianity. Until we recognize Him as the Lord of our lives, we will remain lip-service Christians. Our hypocrisy stands in judgment over us. May God save us from ourselves and our paltry attempts to live for Him! Until we are ready to lose it all for His sake, we will never gain the life He has prepared for us. Love God, love others; serve the Lord with all your heart, mind, strength and soul. Don’t be afraid to lose what you cannot keep. Rather, tremble at the thought of never taking hold of that which you cannot lose. Only Jesus is eternal; only that which is done in His name will remain. What are you afraid of losing?

We Know What’s Right

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Too often we choose to do things that are contrary to what we know Christ would have us to do. A wayward glance, an unkind word, a condescending sneer; every day we engage in behavior that is opposed to the Word of God. Yet I believe we fail to weigh the gravity of our actions. Everybody sins, nobody’s perfect, so what else should we expect? We fail to recognize the power of Christ within us; we do have the power to overcome our failures and live as a true follower of Jesus. Ours is not a destiny resigned to defeat. Victory is a prayer away if we would only choose to invoke God’s power in our lives.

Another reason I believe I falter is that I do not consider the pain I cause my Lord. If we truly recognized and understood how much God hates sin, we would be hard pressed to willingly engage in it. Our sin caused God to turn away from His own Son while He hung on a cross for us. God despises sin and demands obedience. We deserve death and punishment, but by the grace of the shed blood of Jesus we receive love and pardon. I don’t want to cause pain for my Savior; I don’t want to fall short of the mark He has set for me.

If only we would keep these thoughts before us, I think we would be much less likely to sin. We need to develop the habit of quickly taking a mental step back at every decision. By pausing a moment to think through the situation and the choices presented, we allow ourselves to affirm who we are in Christ. When we focus on the person we want to be, it becomes far easier to make the right decision. Instead of blurting out a rash word, we can instead temper our speech with patience and love. When faced with temptation we will be able to turn the other way and remove ourselves from the situation. When we choose Christ over our own selfish desires, we learn to walk in the way that He did. Our steps may be small, but they are steps nonetheless.

It’s so simple, yet we make it so difficult. We love Jesus and wish to do things that would please Him. That choice is always up to us. Outside of very rare and extraordinary circumstances, no one is ever forced to sin. You and I both choose to sin; we are not coerced but are rather acting with selfish motives. Somehow we have become convinced that a moment of satisfaction on earth is worth more than choosing to remain faithful to the One who gave His life for us.

The question really comes down to “Do we really love Him?” No one intentionally hurts the one they love. If we find ourselves consistently choosing to sin, then the validity of our love for Jesus must be called into question. We cannot love Him and work against Him at the same time. Each of us must personally ask where our loyalty lies. Will we side with our Creator and Savior, or will we indulge our selfish desires? Our answer will have eternal consequences. Jesus told us plainly that we cannot serve two masters; we will hate the one and love the other (Matthew 6:24). I would much rather be accused of hating life on this earth than despising Jesus Christ. He is our hope and without Him we are lost.

When you are tempted to sin, remember that you know the right thing to do; you know the choice you should make. Whether or not you choose correctly is a reflection on who and what you value. We will either live for Christ or live for ourselves. Live life with your eyes wide open; walk slowly and speak even slower. It is imperative that we give ourselves the opportunity to turn away from temptation and to respond to every situation in a manner that will bring a smile to the face of Jesus. We know the right thing to do and the choice is up to us. Don’t live your life for things that at best bring temporal pleasure. Live for the One who can free your soul and give you eternal peace. Choose the right way, the way that leads to life. Love Jesus and serve others; choose to walk His way.