Even If i Walk Alone

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

Philippians

Outsiders

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If you follow Jesus with any consistency in this life, you’re going to find yourself as a cultural outsider. There’s no way around it. Our values are different. Our morals are different. Even our goals in life are different. We are not of this world, and we do not live like we are of this world (John 17:14-16). The very act of following Jesus Christ puts you on the outside, looking in on the rest of the world. You’ll be weird.

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The people of this world will hate, despise, and maybe even kill you. For certain, they will never understand you. Jesus lived on the outside too and he promised we would face trouble (John 16:33). He told us in advance that the world would hate us because it hated him (John 15:18-19). Authentic followers of Jesus will never be on the inside of the coolest and most popular circles. They will always be outsiders.

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What Can You Do?

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What can you do about the increasing evil that is penetrating every corner of our world? To be realistic and blunt, not much. The fall of this world was a foregone certainty before the Lord spoke the first word to create it all (Isaiah 46:9-10). None of what is transpiring is surprising to God. Every bit is part of His mysterious but sovereign plan (Ephesians 1:11-12). I don’t get it.

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This isn’t in any way how I would write this grand story. Then again, I am so obviously not God. My “perfect plan” would fall apart within seconds. No, that’s too long; it would immediately fail because I am not omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, or omnibenevolent. It’s not all bad news though. While we can’t stem the tide of evil flooding our world, there is something we can do.

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Selfish Prayers

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Let me say at the outset that I believe God wants us to bring our burdens to Him. He was explicit in telling us to do so (Psalm 55:22; Matthew 11:28-30; 1 Peter 5:6-7). While this is true, I believe it’s important we don’t tip the scales too far in that direction as we spend time with our Lord in prayer. In studying the Lord’s prayer, the model He gave to us for praying, it’s important to note the words “I” and “my” never appear (Matthew 6:9-13).

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There is nothing in His prayer about our individual gain or advancement. Too often, these things are the focus of our prayers, but it’s not the way Jesus instructed us to pray. So, what is the proper focus when talking to God, and how do we avoid praying selfish prayers?

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Good News

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Do you ever wonder if there’s any good news anymore? When was the last time you turned on the television or scrolled through your social media feed and found stories celebrating kindness, happiness, good character, or high morals? Instead, we see a steady diet of hate, division, perversion, and idolatry. It’s no wonder suicide rates and depression are at all-time highs.

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Media now rules every aspect of society. It’s inescapable, and there is no doubt it has become Satan’s greatest tool. The murder and mutilation of children is not only accepted, but celebrated on the front pages of newspapers and websites around the globe. The world has lost its mind and any sense of hope is being dragged down into the pits of Hell (Romans 1:28-32).

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Finding Joy

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Do you find yourself a little less joyful these days than you have been in the past? Life seems harder than it used to be, civility is difficult to find, and decorum seems to be a relic of the past. From news reports and social media to common experiences in our everyday lives, the world is teeming with anger, despair, and outright evil. It’s understandable we may experience a lack of joy in such a world.

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Against this backdrop, we must reconcile our feelings with the Apostle Paul’s admonition to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4). Considering these words, how and where can we go about finding joy and peace for our souls in these dark days? I assure you that hope is not lost and indeed, if we are faithful, joy will come again tomorrow (Psalm 30:5).

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