Even If i Walk Alone

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

priorities

Close to God

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Your discipleship is up to you. Your level of commitment is your choice. It’s one of the beautiful aspects of free will: God chooses us, but we are free to decide if we will choose Him. If we are not as close to God as we say we’d like to be, it is because we are choosing not to be. God desires that we would know Him and experience all He is.

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He has already made the first move. Now it’s our turn. If we want to pursue God, we can. He is waiting for us to find Him. There is no further action required of Him. Jesus left nothing undone on the cross, and we have an all-access pass to the Father through the blood of His Son.

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Election Day

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The day after this post publishes, it will be election day in the United States. Each election cycle in recent memory has grown more vicious, more distasteful, and more divisive. It’s not a good trend. I don’t care if you are an Independent, Libertarian, Republican, or Democrat, if you are reading this blog I hope you are finding your identity in Jesus Christ and nowhere else.

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The day after election day, half the country will rejoice, and half will be on the verge of despair. If you can believe the media (a dicey proposition these days), civil unrest will follow the election regardless of results. As followers of Jesus, this is our opportunity to show the love of Christ to those around us and around the world.

Please recognize no matter how dire the apocalyptic warnings preceding the election, no matter how violent the social media-fueled response to the results, our hope is in the Lord. Neither candidate will usher in the Kingdom of God. Only Jesus will do that. The President of the United States will never be the savior of the world. History shows our lives won’t change dramatically over the next four years. Some experts are saying this election is different, and the effect of the results will dramatically alter the trajectory of our country. I don’t know who is right. I do know Jesus is the same today as He will be the day after the election and for an eternity to come.

We do a disservice to the glory of Jesus when we as His followers put politics before the mission of Christ. Our mission will always be to further God’s Kingdom here on earth. This won’t change, no matter the extent of our freedom. We must keep our eye on the ball. Jesus must remain our focus. If our freedoms increase after the election, we must not squander the opportunity to be the light to a broken world. If our freedoms retract, we must shine brightly through persecution just as our brothers and sisters around the world do every day.

Voting is an enormous privilege and responsibility. As an American, please exercise this right and go to the polls to cast your vote after praying for wisdom and guidance. Be thankful we have this wonderful opportunity. After voting, I encourage you to pray for peace, soberness of mind, and civility. As a nation, we are desperate for an intervention of God’s grace and mercy. Pray this election will lead many more to come to Him. That is all that matters.

On election day, do not fear. Love God and love others. Do not be afraid to go to the polls. It is the Lord your God who goes with you into battle (Deuteronomy 31:6). Rejoice in insults and persecution (Luke 6:22-23; John 15:19-21). Understand Jesus endured the same, and by going through this, you are identifying with Him. The most important thing I want to impress upon you is to keep your eyes on Jesus and your identity firmly grounded in Him. We cannot control the outcome of an election, but we can rejoice in being part of God’s elect. Our time on this earth is brief (James 4:14) and we should spend our days reflecting Jesus and telling others of His amazing love. We will spend eternity in His presence. Focus there. This world will pass away. Jesus remains. Jesus rules in power. He loves you, and that will not change based on who is in the White House.

An Abundant Life

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As you read through Scripture, you find that Jesus has called us to live an amazing life. We are to be lights shining on a hill (Matthew 5:14). Our lives are meant to be full of abundance and lived to the fullest (John 10:10). Our passion for Jesus should spill out on all those around us (Matthew 25:31-40). To follow Jesus is difficult, but the fruits of our following are phenomenal! We live for a Savior whose love is uncontainable.

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To know Jesus is to be consumed by Him. A life surrendered to Jesus is not easy, but it is victorious. It is exciting and beyond comparison. Each morning we awake to new mercies (Lamentations 3:22-23) and new possibilities of what Jesus might do through us. We need only surrender and allow Him to use and live through us.

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Love Your Neighbor

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Most of us are familiar with the greatest commandment: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:28-30). And while I think we are aware of the second greatest commandment, “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31), it seems we give that one more lip service. I’m not sure that’s ever more obvious than during a Presidential election season.

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I see a lot of evidence that many forget their allegiance is to Jesus and not to a political party. It manifests in the words we say to each other. To love your neighbor as yourself means to love them even if they support opposing political ideals or candidates than you do. Loving those who agree with us is easy. Discipleship is hard.

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Choosing Sides

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Choosing sides is something we do from cradle to grave. Whether it’s picking teams on a playground or deciding for whom we will vote in a Presidential election, our culture is always pushing us toward choosing sides. Choosing sides reveals something about us. On the playground, it may speak of your popularity. The side you choose in an election shows your political philosophy. As disciples of Jesus, we also choose sides.

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We reject the lies of Satan and align ourselves with the truth and love of Christ. We believe Jesus is the Son of God, died on a cross, and rose to life again. His death provides the way to life for us. No matter what other sides in life we might choose, choosing Jesus is the only side that matters and is the decision that should direct the way we live each day of our lives.

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