Even If i Walk Alone

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

Matthew

Faith Requires Work

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How hard are you working at your faith? Are you a lip-service Christian who professes to love Jesus with your speech but fail to back up that claim with any proof? The world around us is spiraling out of control and Western Christianity is not to be found. We stand mostly silent to the atrocities that are occurring on our watch. I am extremely thankful for the people and ministries that have broken out of the trance and are doing their work as the hands and feet of God. For the vast majority of Christians, however, the response is a deafening silence. We’re content to let others do the heavy lifting, convinced that somehow we just don’t feel “led” to participate in that way. I believe much of the rhetoric of “not feeling led is synonymous with “feeling fearful”.

There is no fear in Jesus; neither should there be any fear found in the body of believers who love and trust Him. Many wait to “feel led” or find their “calling” before they will surrender everything to Christ. The fact of the matter is if you choose to follow Christ, you will automatically be led to all the places He goes. By definition, if you are following then you are already being led. To follow Jesus is to be led by Him. When faced with a decision, ask yourself, “Would Jesus go there?” If the answer is ‘yes’, then you are being led there as well. It’s not a matter of whether or not you feel led, because if you are following Christ, you are always being led. It’s really a simple matter of whether or not you will choose to follow.

What about your “calling”? What if you are not yet certain what your calling even is? I have good news; you have already received your calling. As Jesus explained in Matthew 25:31-46, you are called to feed the hungry, care for the sick, clothe those in need, and to shelter the poor. This is the calling of everyone who chooses a life of following Christ. In the modern era, people have come to equate their vocation with their calling. Jesus doesn’t call you to be, for example, a doctor; He calls you to serve. If by becoming a doctor you use your skills to care for the sick, then your vocation is one that can be utilized to live out your calling. Your calling, again, is to serve; whether you render that service as a doctor, a farmer, a janitor or a CEO is irrelevant. Your vocation is simply a means of accomplishing what you are called to do. Do whatever you wish for a vocation as long as it enables you to fulfill your calling to love and serve others.

Do not wait to be led or to be called before surrendering your life completely to God. You are already both led and called. We simply must humbly submit every area of our lives to Him. Then we must follow wherever He leads, and do so without fear or question. Every day of our life must be spent in service to others. Live your life constantly seeking someone whom you might help. Sacrifice that with which you have been blessed in order to give to others. Feed the poor; clothe those in need; give a drink to those who thirst. Your faith in Jesus must never be a spectator sport; it requires work.

Which Parts of the Bible Do You Ignore?

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In my reading this week I was challenged by a question that, on its face, seemed ludicrous. Yet I could neither ignore it nor get it out of my head. The question was, “Which parts of the Bible are you choosing to ignore?” It was preposterous in both its implication that I would even think of picking and choosing parts of the Bible to ignore, and also by the insinuation that I indeed was ignoring parts of the Bible. I have been diligently striving to follow in the way of Jesus Christ, to do the things that He would do. That involves not allowing any compromise along the way. So how could I possibly be ignoring parts of the Bible, much less by conscious choice? This story, however, does not have a happy ending. Prayer and introspection revealed that indeed I have been ignoring parts of the Bible. In fact, I have been ignoring multiple parts of Scripture. This realization has been both sobering and challenging. Allow me to share a couple of areas I have been choosing to ignore.

The second greatest commandment, according to Jesus, is to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:28-31). I do my best to show kindness to my neighbors. I always smile and wave whenever I see them outside. In the winter I even clear their driveways and sidewalks with my snow blower. Therefore, I must be demonstrating love to my neighbor. So apparently I can check this box with an affirmative. Or can I? I am ashamed to admit, I’ve never invited one of my current neighbors over for dinner; I’ve never stopped over just to see if I can help in any way. I’m a great neighbor as long as we happen to be outside at the same time. Otherwise it takes a little work, and apparently that’s been a bit too much for me. For those who are way ahead of me at this point and are still content that they can easily check off the “love my neighbor as myself” box, let me ask you a question. Have you, like a great number of Americans, purchased one of the new, large, flat screen televisions in the past couple of years? If you answered yes to that question, did you purchase one for your neighbor as well? If not, why not? Do you not love your neighbor at least as much as you love yourself? In the interest of full disclosure, I picked the flat screen television example because I don’t have one. I figured that was fair since I took my lumps in the first half of this paragraph. How about groceries? When you purchase food each week, do you purchase a bag for your neighbor as well? I hope you see my point.

Most of us do just enough to make us believe we are doing what Jesus commanded us to do. But when we look a little deeper, if we’re honest with ourselves, we will be forced to admit that we are indeed ignoring parts of the Bible. We ignore that which makes us uncomfortable or requires too great a sacrifice. We give money to those in need, but will we sell all we have and then turn around and give all the proceeds to the poor (Luke 18:18-22)? We’ll volunteer at the soup kitchen, but will we take a stranger in to live with us (Matthew 25:35)? We are ignoring the parts of the Bible that most reflect the mission of Jesus. How dare we call ourselves disciples? We are at best a weak and hypocritical people. The Church is supposed to be the unified body, the very hands and feet, of Jesus. We are to be ushering in His Kingdom by doing the things He commanded us to do while we are still on this earth. We are only half committed; we speak the language but we fail in the execution of the plan.

We must all repent of the parts of the Bible we have ignored out of our selfish sense of comfort. If we would indeed be a follower of Christ, we must look again at what He expects of us. We must look again at the way He lived and the things He did. We must repent of the words He spoke that we have ignored. It is time to rise up as the body of Christ and leave behind the half-hearted effort most of us have given to this point; it is time to work in unison to accomplish the mission of Jesus. As you prayerfully consider the way in which you will live for Him, give fresh consideration to the parts of the Bible you have been choosing to ignore.

Preparing to Serve

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Last week we talked about not waiting around for the perfect moment to start serving Christ (see, “Life is Not a Bus Stop”). There is a flip side to this coin as well: we must be prepared to serve. If you want to help the homeless, it’s rarely a good or effective idea to head downtown and simply start handing out hotel keys. You need to understand the environment and the mentality of those you wish to serve. Jesus told us to be shrewd (Matthew 10:16) in our dealings with the world, so we need to be wise in our decisions, and utilize the gifts with which we have been entrusted.

As with any venture in life, you must prepare for success before you can achieve it. Achievement rarely falls into your lap, but rather is the result of diligence and hard work. In the above scenario, before you start a ministry to the homeless, you need to study everything you can lay your hands on that pertains to homelessness. You need to understand the psychology of the citizens of the streets and learn the rules that govern them. Pray, study, pray, read, pray; prepare your heart, mind and body for the work that lies ahead of you. Volunteer at a shelter in your city or in several cities. The point is if you are not actively engaged in the ministry for which you are gifted, you need to be preparing for the road ahead. Success comes to the diligent, and if you will prepare well, you will find great joy once your ministry begins. The goal is to glorify Christ by using the gifts He has given us. We would do well to become well versed in their usage. Someone with the gift of music doesn’t one day pick up an instrument and begin to play flawless works. No, they practice for hours on end, day in and day out. They are honing their gift, just as we all must do, regardless of what our gifts may be.

It can be easy to become discouraged during this time of sowing or practicing. It’s also easy to become frustrated when we are involved in active ministry but we aren’t seeing any tangible results. These feelings are natural. We want to glorify our King; we want to be out in the battle. It really becomes a matter of attitude. Are we seeking to glorify God or ourselves? If we truly have Christ in mind, we will patiently and positively bide our time, diligently preparing ourselves for the moment we will find ourselves thrust onto the front lines. By keeping our talents sharpened and our focus always on Jesus, we will be prepared at any moment for whatever may come our way. Remember, ministry happens every day in the interactions you have with others. Pray and study, then actively seek to apply what you have learned to your own life and in service to others. Those without Christ are always watching us, watching our attitudes. Stay positive and ready to serve Jesus at all times.

Finally, whether you are in a sowing or reaping phase, whether you are practicing or executing, do it with excellence. You represent the King and Creator of the universe. Do no shoddy work for Jesus. Remember what He gave up for you; certainly we can give no less in return! God rewards the diligent. Today’s frustration is tomorrow’s joy and triumph. Keep moving regardless of where you are in life. Take action, and do so with excellence. Read the book of Proverbs and see all the wonderful wisdom contained in that book as it pertains to diligence and work. God has uniquely gifted you for service, not for discouragement. If you will hone and use your gifts unabashedly for Him, He will use you to glorify Himself. In so doing, you will find the peace and the joy you have been seeking.

Don’t wait for divine intervention; identify and learn how to use your gifts so that you might be prepared at any moment to be the very hands and feet of God. Remember to stay focused and maintain a positive attitude when nothing seems to be working. In all you do, do it with excellence. God has supplied you with gifts for His service; He expects us to learn to use them well. God will reward those who passionately seek to serve Him. Prepare to serve, and then serve well.


Gifts from God

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What are you holding back from the Kingdom? I’m not speaking of something you do or have that you don’t want to give up (although those areas are certainly worth a separate discussion!). I’m talking about the things you aren’t doing, the things you could be doing but don’t. What gifts have you been given that you are keeping locked inside of yourself? What part of the body is not functioning as it should because you are choosing to not do your part?

We all have gifts, gifts that God has given to each one of us (Ephesians 4:8, 11-12). These gifts are meant to build up the body of Christ. When we aren’t using our gifts, the body cannot be fully built up. Each gift is necessary and essential (Ephesians 4:16). Some of us have talents that are meant to reach out to the lost, gifts of evangelism. This doesn’t mean you have to be a travelling preacher, it could simply mean you have been gifted to talk to your next door neighbor about Christ. Some have been gifted as prophets, people who God reveals truth to, and you are to declare that truth to a particular audience. That audience may be of one or it may be one million, the size of the audience doesn’t matter; you are simply to deliver the message. Some are called to be pastors or shepherds, people who look after and lead other believers. Still others are called to be teachers, instructing others about the good news of Jesus Christ and how to live as a kingdom believer. Finally there are those who are called to be apostles, or missionaries; these are the ones who go throughout their neighborhood, their city, their state, their country or other nations bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to any who will listen.

Each one of us can find a place within these gifts. We often make the mistake of thinking we can’t be a shepherd because we don’t have a church or we can’t be a missionary because we wear normal clothes and live in a traditional house. We need to look past the stereotypical definitions of what these words have come to mean in the Western culture. Find yourself in one of these gifts. What can you do today to use that gift? Sadly, many of us are aware of how we are gifted but we choose not to exercise the gift out of fear of ridicule, fear of criticism, or fear of giving up something we treasure. Read again the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. I am horrified by the prospect of identifying with the one who hid his talent. I shudder at the thought of being sent away from God’s presence because I chose to not use the gift He entrusted to me.

We have a choice to make. Will we play our part in His kingdom? Will we use what He placed inside of us to do something special for God? Or will we continue to live life on cruise, surviving the day only to begin again the next day? I want to live for Jesus in every way I can. I want to die knowing I have used up everything He gave me; I want to leave nothing behind. We need each part to be working toward the common goal of bringing the kingdom of God to everyone. Don’t hold anything back, but rather give everything that is within you. Don’t die with God’s gifts buried inside you. Live your calling; be the person He created you to be.

Give Me Just Enough

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Reading in Proverbs the other day, a couple of verses really stood out to me. You read a passage you’ve read many, many times before and God just sticks His finger in the book and says, “Look, Right there!” I love when that happens. The passage I read was Proverbs 30:7-9:

Two things I ask of You; don’t deny them to me before I die:
Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me.
Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need.
Otherwise, I might have too much and deny You, saying, “Who is the LORD?”
Or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God. (HCSB)

I immediately prayed these words for my own life. I want my words to be always measured and truthful. Proverbs tells us, and life confirms, the more you speak the more prone you are to say something that is not true. Let your words be few; speak slowly and let every word count. Never lie or deceive another. We are servants of the king. Jesus said to let our ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and our ‘no’ be ‘no’. (Matthew 5:37) The ninth commandment in the Old Testament tells us not to lie. (Exodus 20:16) There is no wiggle room. God demands honesty. In addition to keeping deceit from my own lips, I also pray that those who would deceive me would stay far away. Flattering lips and scheming individuals tempt us to walk a path Christ would not. I want these types of people as far from me as possible. Don’t keep close company with those who make a habit of lying to you or to others. Surround yourself with those of the highest character or you may be enticed to live in a manner that is against God.

The second thing I prayed was to be neither poor nor wealthy. I have on some small level touched both ends of the spectrum in my own life and can attest to the temptations of each. (As a side note, do you realize if you make in excess of $25,000 per year you are wealthier than 97% of the world? If you make in excess of $50,000 per year, you are wealthier than 99% of the world’s population! I’d wager you are wealthier than you may have previously thought! ) If I have too much excess available to me, I might easily be tempted to spend it selfishly on things I don’t necessarily need. Money and time are finite; are we spending them in a way that is pleasing to God? If I have too little, there is pressure to perhaps take what we did not pay for in order to satisfy our need for food or clothing or perhaps even just our desire to have something we could not otherwise afford. Better to have just enough for the day. This will cause me to faithfully trust Christ every day for His provision of my needs. If I have too much, my response should be to give that excess to those who do not have enough.

It is beautiful and astounding that the words of Proverbs written so long ago are still so relevant today. We are bombarded by advertising that makes us think we need the latest gadget or service. We are encouraged to do whatever it takes to get ahead. There is the concept of a “white lie” that apparently doesn’t count as an actual lie; who thought of this ludicrous idea? Lord, keep all deceit from my lips, and keep those who would deceive me far away. Give me simply just enough to provide for my day and let me fully trust you to take care of tomorrow. Keep my eyes on You and You alone; may I remain ever faithful with all you entrust into my care. Please, give me just enough.