Even If i Walk Alone

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

mission

Your Role in the Kingdom

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What is your role in the Kingdom? Specifically, what are you uniquely gifted to do? I’ve recently been mulling over the concept that we all have the same command, but each of us have been uniquely gifted as to the ways we go about accomplishing that command. Every one of us is called to go and tell others about Jesus, to lead them to Christ and then to disciple them. We are told to go to the ends of the earth teaching about Him and demonstrating His love. Every follower of Jesus has the responsibility to feed the hungry, give water to those who thirst, clothe the needy, visit the sick and to care for those less fortunate than themselves. The orphans, the homeless, the discarded children from broken homes, the widows, and the single mothers are to be our focus. We are to love God with all that we are; He is to be everything to us. Finally we are to love everyone else the same way that we love ourselves; we are to put their needs before our own.

That is essentially what it means to be a follower of Jesus. In one paragraph we see all that we are supposed to do with our lives. It’s so simple. Following Jesus is not about a list of “do not’s” but rather a list of “do’s”. The Western church has become known more for what we are against than what we are for. Modern Christianity is more famous for its list of restrictions than it is for its charitable acts. This is antithetical to what Christ intended for His followers, and it is the polar opposite of the way we must live.

We know what to do, so the only questions that remain are “how will we live out our calling?” In what way will we use our unique talents and personality traits to do the work Jesus commanded us to do? The choreography of the cosmic dance orchestrated by God must be a thing of beauty to observe from Heaven. All of our unique expressions freely applied in His service, weaving back and forth in concert with one another. When we are all doing the things we should be doing, the resulting performance must be an amazing sight to behold. Unfortunately I’m sure that more often than not, our dance more resembles that of a kindergarten ballet, a chaotic sea of aimless movement teetering ever so closely to being out of control. It is only when we come together in unified purpose, when we begin to take our cues from the director, that our aimless flailing is turned into beautiful dance.

One of the beautiful mysteries of our mission is the way each of us has been given unique and specific gifts, yet we are urged to “diligently keep the unity of the Spirit” (Ephesians 4:3). With all of the freewill and individuality that God has placed within us all, His goal is that we might use all that diversity to form one complete picture. Much like a puzzle that depicts a beautiful mountainside, the individual pieces do not convey the majesty of the final scene. We must never be proud of the gifts we possess, because each is made more beautiful when fitted together with the gifts of another. We can achieve a little on our own; we can achieve much when working together with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

How have you been uniquely gifted? What role has God given you to play in His grand design? Think back to your childhood, what sort of things were you passionate about? What excites you? These are great clues to the gifts God has placed within you. He gives us passions and interests that are uniquely blended on His canvas. Don’t waste what God has given you, don’t refuse to play your part in His masterpiece. You were created for a purpose and you are alive to fulfill it. The stage is set; the Director awaits. Join the ensemble; play your role. Dance to the rhythm He has defined in you alone, for the Glory of the One who sits on Heaven’s throne.

How Far Would You Go?

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How far would you go to follow Jesus? It’s easy to say you love Him; most of us would even say we’d die for Him. In Matthew 10, Jesus tells His us that if we follow Him, the world at large will hate us. Are we willing to be hated by the world? The leaders of Israel were constantly conspiring to kill Jesus, or to trap Him in His own words. They were determined to take Him down, one way or the other. Are you prepared to live that way, under that kind of scrutiny? Again in Matthew 10, Jesus issues another warning, telling us that our own family members will betray, disown and kill us. They will do this simply because we choose to follow Jesus. Are you prepared to cause division and strife in your family? Are you willing to love God more than you love them? Obedience to the call of Jesus is not an easy road.

It doesn’t end here. Still in Matthew 10, Jesus tells his followers that they will be persecuted and tortured because of His name. This is not a calling for the marginally curious. Following Jesus is extremely serious, and you must be willing to pay the price before you endeavor to do so. We are not promised an easy, secure life; rather we are told by Jesus that we’ll be like a lone sheep surrounded by many hungry wolves (Matthew 10:16). We will suffer. We may die. We will alienate many around us, and we may lose our friends and family. These are the facts given by Jesus Himself; this is not a game. Following Jesus calls for a radical commitment devoid of any self-interest. Is the cost worth it to you? Are you still willing to come along?

In another passage in Matthew (chapter 8, verses 20-22), Jesus tells us we should expect to be homeless if we follow Him. This is almost unfathomable to Christians in the West who have intertwined their faith with the American dream. If we are traveling into all nations telling others about Jesus, just as He commanded us to do, then what need of a home would we have anyway? Jesus goes on to say that we should not even take the time to bury our family members. This is urgent, and there is no time to lose. The days are evil and counting furiously down. Time is against us, so we cannot deviate from our mission for even an hour. We have to reject all that the world offers us and instead, accept all that Christ will freely give. Though others may curse us and spit on us, we must respond by loving them, understanding that they are simply in need of a Savior and that God considers them to be of infinite worth. Though others may jeer and even torture us, we must remain steadfastly committed to praying for them, and loving them. This is what Jesus did. If we would follow Him, we must not waver.

Are you in? Are you still able to say that you truly love Jesus? Do you love Him to the extent that you would die for Him? Christ took the time to warn us of exactly what we should expect. There should be no surprises when it comes our time to face and endure trials and persecutions. Rather, we should seriously consider our walk with Him if we are not already facing these trials. Perhaps we’ve given in to the Westernized view of Christianity, the one that is replete with multi-million dollar buildings and with sermons proclaiming a safe, successful version of Christianity. This isn’t about being comfortable or feeling secure. This is about following hard after Jesus Christ with an unbridled and unrestrained passion. The road is narrow and difficult, and only a few will persist.

Let me ask once more, “Are you in?” Are you ready to literally lose everything for the sake of Jesus Christ? Are you ready to travel all over the world to proclaim His message? Will you endure being mocked, spit upon, and tortured? Will you concede all of your friends and family in order to follow Him? Are you willing to die for the sake of Jesus? How far would you go?

Persist Without Exception

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One of the most appealing characteristics of the life of Jesus was his dogged persistence, His refusal to give in or give up. In the face of ridicule and persecution, He pressed steadfastly toward the mission for His earthly life. As Napoleon Hill would say, Jesus had a well defined “definite chief aim”. He knew what He was here to do, and nothing was going to prevent Him from achieving His goal. In the book “
The Traveler’s Gift”, author Andy Andrews relates the seven most important decisions one can make in life. The seventh decision, the one that ties the rest together, is to “persist without exception”. As Mr. Andrews writes, “I will continue despite exhaustion. I focus on results. I am a person of great faith.” Those are powerful words; we would do well to heed them in our walk with Christ.

Constantly, we are tempted to cut corners or to take the easy way out. It has been my experience following Jesus that He has never once chosen the path of least resistance. Without fail, He seems to choose the more challenging road. The people you encounter along that way are infinitely more interesting than those you might encounter on “Easy Street”. On the rugged road of life you find warriors, beaten and bloodied people, some on the verge of giving up, others who already have. On this path you will find opportunities to learn and to serve. By contrast, the smooth road that most will take is filled with blasé people content to coast through life oblivious to the richness and wonder of it all. As I’ve said many times, following Jesus is hard. If it wasn’t, everyone would do it. Everyone would sign up for their “fire insurance” and be done with it. This, however, is not the case.

Following Jesus means you will face struggles; you will have to endure difficult challenges. When the trials come, you will be faced with a choice: will you press forward, persist, and endure what has come into your life? Or will you lie down on the side of the road convinced you have done all you can and that you can go no further? While he’s certainly not a theologian, I like the way personal development guru Brian Tracy puts it: “Between you and every goal that you wish to achieve, there is a series of obstacles, and the bigger the goal, the bigger the obstacles. Your decision to be, have and do something out of the ordinary entails facing difficulties and challenges that are out of the ordinary as well. Sometimes your greatest asset is simply your ability to stay with it longer than anyone else.” Our goal is the biggest goal to which anyone could ever aspire; our goal is to live a life that looks like that of the Son of God. It doesn’t get much bigger than that.

With large goals come large enemies. Satan will do everything in his power to discourage, dissuade, and disorient you. He hates God and he hates you. You need to realize and understand this going in. The reason following Jesus is so difficult is because demonic powers of great strength will oppose you. You may suffer financial loss, emotional turmoil and spiritual discouragement. Demonic oppression is not only real, it is certain for those diligently seeking to affect their world with the love and power of Jesus. You will face trial and you will face pain. It is during these times that we will choose to follow or to flee.

On the other side of each tribulation is Jesus. He has gone before us and leads us down the rugged path of truth and light. The road is there before us. In our own power, we could never walk it; but by keeping our eyes on Jesus, by breathing deeply of His power, we are able to overcome whatever lies between us and Him. Whether or not we make it through depends largely on whether or not we will persist. Will we give up when the pain increases, when the joy we thought we’d find seems light years away? Will we fold when challenged, or cower when threatened? Or will we persist? Jesus has provided the way and beckons for us to follow. As we pursue Him and begin to encounter the obstacles between us, will we fall away or will we press on? Determine with me today that you will push forward, and that you will persist without exception.

World Wide Neighborhood

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At 42 years of age, I have seen many amazing technical innovations in my time. None can compare, in my view, to the piece of technology you are utilizing right now to read this blog: the World Wide Web. Never in history has the world been so small, so connected. There are nearly seven billion people on this planet, yet we can be almost instantly connected with a great many of them at any time of the day or night. The internet provides the medium for novice on-site reporters to broadcast images of what is truly happening around them. We are no longer beholden to the filtered and slanted view of the news we have historically gotten from our own media. This isn’t a political statement, but rather one of nationalism. It is quite obvious and common that every country tells its history from its own self-serving angle. This is why early American history will sound quite different when reading Anglo-American, British or Native American writings. All of this is to say that it is now extremely difficult to hide the truths and atrocities that occur around the world every single day.

The ultimate result of this brave new world that is laid bare before us is that we, as followers of Christ, can no longer feign ignorance to what is happening to our brothers and sisters on our watch. In countries all around the planet, Christians are brutally slaughtered and mercilessly tortured simply for professing to the same faith that we do. In a great number of countries, churches are illegal and not tolerated. Christians gather in homes, in secret shelters and hiding places to worship the Lord together. They risk being beaten, raped and murdered all for the sake of Jesus. Families are torn apart; loved ones who are sent to far off prisons are never heard from again. They are forced into 18 hour days of hard labor and given little food, clothing or shelter. Yet, still they endure; still they gather together to praise and worship Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile, followers of Christ in the Western world leave the church and even walk away from their faith because of disagreements over the color of the new carpeting in the sanctuary or the style of music played in the morning service. We put in our hour every Sunday morning and forget about our commitment to God until the next week. We spend the days in between griping about the fact that there’s nothing to eat while our cupboards are full. We complain that we have nothing to wear while our closets resemble the inventory of a small boutique. We grumble that life is unfair and difficult while depositing a six figure income into the bank.

I am humbled and sickened when I reflect on our greed, self-centeredness and apathy. I am heartbroken when I recall the parable of the Good Samaritan and the command to love my neighbor as myself. We’re not getting it done; we are not obeying the simple command of Jesus. I’m not worthy to call Him Lord. When will we begin to understand and own up to the fact that our petty annoyances are repulsive to God? Much like the Israelites who wandered in the desert, we are a stubborn and whining people, unable or unwilling to see God for who He is. The blood of a billion neighbors cries out to us, and we walk by on the other side. God forgive us; God help us to repent and seek Your face and to live lives worthy of our calling.

This isn’t a feel good post. To be perfectly honest, I never really know where the topic is going to end up when I begin to write. Many will read this and be offended. That’s okay; I’m offended as well. I’m offended that I could be so blind and uncaring. I’m offended that I profess to be a follower of Jesus yet do so little to help my neighbor in need. The world has become smaller; our neighborhood now extends the breadth of the globe. Our brothers and sisters lay bleeding in the ditch. We are the called; we are the chosen. We are the ones who must reach out as the hands of Jesus and care for their needs. The command to love our neighbor as ourselves is simple, but it is not easy. We know what the problems are. We know what our response must be. Are we willing to serve Jesus and carry out the mission He entrusted to us? There are only two choices: follow or walk away. Our choice has eternal and incredible consequences. Which path will you choose?

The Dangers of Autopilot

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Too often when I drive to work, I end up pulling into a parking spot without remembering anything about the drive there. I know I took on-ramps and off-ramps, negotiated intersections and stoplights, yet I have no recollection of any of it. I was thinking of this phenomenon when I was in the shower this morning, because as I reached back to turn off the water, I realized I had no recollection of shampooing, conditioning or washing. Since I was certain that I had not simply stood there for the last 20 minutes getting wet, I wasn’t too concerned about being clean. The simple fact is that we often engage an autopilot of sorts for tasks we repeat regularly. Our muscle memory allows us to perform the necessary steps in the proper order to achieve the desired results. This might be okay for showering and driving (okay, maybe it’s just a tad bit dangerous for driving), but it can be detrimental to our spiritual life.

How many times have you read a passage of Scripture, and upon completion find you have no idea what you just read? This is especially easy to do with Bible stories that many of us have grown up hearing our entire lives. We know how they begin and how they end, so any mystery is pretty much nonexistent. Contrast this with those moments when you read Scripture and a new revelation all but leaps off the page at you. A passage you’ve read dozens, perhaps even hundreds of times, suddenly takes on a whole new meaning and lights you up inside. What is the difference? It’s really all in our approach and our attitude. When we pray and ask God to reveal His word to us, when we pick up the Bible with every intention of learning something new, we more often than not will find it. However, if we are simply reading out of a sense of duty or propriety, our autopilot engages and we read without comprehension. It takes focus to seek out and learn new things. Focus is hard, of course, so we often opt for the much easier autopilot course. Following Jesus is rarely easy and it is always a conscious choice. If we are serious about following Him, learning from Him, then we must be willing to put sincere effort into studying His Word with focus and intensity.

Another area where we get in trouble using autopilot is in our family relationships. Sometimes it is so much easier to live a life that looks like Jesus when we are among strangers or friends than it is when we are in our own homes. It is easy to lose focus when surrounded by those who are closest to us because we know they will love and forgive us no matter what. Suddenly our efforts to control our tongue or to maintain an attitude of service are forgotten and we revert to a life that looks like anything but Christ. Our autopilot kicks in and we mindlessly while away what should be the most important hours of our day. Jesus never let up on His concentration; He never ceased living out His mission. If we would live like Jesus, we must engage in the model He demonstrated for us. At home it will take even more work to remain focused and on mission, but the effort is more than worth it since these are the ones with whom we have chosen to spend our lives. Imagine the peace in your household if you were to model Jesus in all of your interactions. Autopilot has no place in our relationships.

Be careful not to live your life on autopilot. Jesus deserves our devotion and our full attention. I don’t want to be like the disciples who fell asleep while keeping watch with Jesus. I want to live my life fully awake and completely aware of His presence. If Jesus thought my life was worth dying for, then surely His life is worth our attention. We must not give lip service to following Christ. A true follower will stay focused and on mission with a passionate intensity. He is the lover of our souls and the Lord of our lives. Let’s take care to stay off of autopilot and to live intentionally for Him.