Even If i Walk Alone

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

priorities

No More Excuses

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We are great at making excuses. When God calls us to do something for Him, it seems we have a ready arsenal of reasons He needs to ask someone else. In fact, judging by own life and observations of life in general, there is apparently no right time to do the work of the Kingdom.

No More Excuses

Sometimes we’re too young, while other times we’re too old. We don’t have enough money to help, or we have too many resources to be able to sacrifice them all. Whatever the request, we always seem able to manufacture an excuse as to why now is not a good time. [Read more…] about No More Excuses

Starting the Day off Right

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Getting out of bed in the morning can be a challenge or a gift. I have thankfully gotten to the place where I wake without an alarm clock, because I’m certain that the sound they make is akin to something of a demonic nature. Regardless of whether we waken to the sound of a buzzer, a rooster or simply to the sounds of the day, that moment provides us the opportunity to spend some time alone with God. We can choose to roll over and grab ten more minutes of sleep or eagerly embrace the chance to commune with the One who gave us life. I long excused my surly attitude in the early hours by simply saying that I was not a morning person. I still prefer late nights, but the practice of rising before dawn and enjoying some time with God has softened my interactions with others in the morning. [Read more…] about Starting the Day off Right

No Right to Complain

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I was recently out walking in the early morning hours and got caught in a torrential downpour about three quarters of a mile from my house. The rain was coming down so hard I could barely see, and the drops were thudding against me in a way that had exhausted me by the time I reached the front porch. After getting dried off and into a fresh set of clothes, I was reminded again of the plight of the homeless. How many times have they endured such storms but had no place to find suitable shelter? How long did it take for their only set of clothes to dry before they could once again move about comfortably?

Every day we take so many things for granted. We are blessed beyond measure yet always find something about which to complain. We get hungry and we grab something out of the cupboards to eat; we get thirsty and pour a glass of clean water from the faucet. When we are wet, we dry off with towels and change into a different set of clothing; when we are cold we turn up the heat and put on a sweatshirt or a jacket. All of these simple everyday things we do, we take for granted. We don’t give them a second thought because they are simply a part of the fabric of our lives.

What if there were no cupboards of food and no running water? What if there were no towels, no change of clothes and no heat? According to a 2007 study by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, this is a reality for over 3 million people in the United States of America alone. Perhaps even more startling is the fact that 39% of the homeless in America are children. Worldwide, the United Nations estimates that nearly 100 million people are homeless; worse still, up to 600 million live in makeshift shelters that threaten their health or even their life.

Despite our obvious blessings, we all find much too complain about every day. We complain that we have nothing to wear or that there’s nothing to eat. Our greed and self-centeredness has blinded us to the reality in which we live. We have plenty to wear and eat, but our appetite for both food and possessions is insatiable. We have more than most in the world, but it is not enough for us; we must have more. It appears it is not enough to have our needs provided for; we have the audacity to complain that what we have isn’t good enough because it isn’t exactly what we want.

As followers of Christ, we need to be content with whatever God has given us (Philippians 4:11-13). We also need to be generous and care for those in need (Deuteronomy 15:9-11, 1 Timothy 6:17-19). Jesus instructed us to provide shelter for the homeless (Matthew 25:31-41). This is not the job of the government; it’s the job of the church. If we as a body cannot house the homeless and look after the poor, then we are not following Christ. We build grand luxurious buildings for us to gather on weekends but we look the other way when we see someone sleeping on the street. We serve lavish meals to build community with one another but we can’t spare a piece of bread for the starving children on our streets and around the world. As for those big buildings and large meals, we usually find some reason to complain about those as well.

Picture what God sees when He looks at His Church, particularly in the Western world. He sees a people who have been blessed like none other, yet have become fat, lazy and apathetic to the needs of the lost and the poor. Christ did not die so we might lead happy, healthy and comfortable lives. He died to rescue us from our sin and asks only that we serve Him in return. Apparently, that was too much to ask. We must all repent of our selfishness and greed, and for taking His blessings for granted. Beyond that we must do something to care for the poor and homeless. Working together we can eliminate this suffering from the world; we only lack the will. I have turned away for too many years and suspect you have done the same. No longer can we feign either ignorance or innocence. We have no more excuses and no right to complain.

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?

Choosing Jesus Over Heaven

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Why do you follow Jesus? Is it because of what you will gain in the process or because of what you can give? Jesus led a life that had one purpose: to sacrifice His life for others. If we would walk in the way that He walked, this is what we must do as well. If we don’t love Him enough to give up everything for the sake of His mission, then we cannot perfectly follow in His footsteps. We must be willing to love Christ regardless of any reward; we simply follow Him out of our love for Him and our gratitude for what He gave up for us.

Many of us came to Christianity because of the offer of eternal life. It’s a great benefit, to be certain, but would we have been so drawn if the promise of our relationship with God did not include the promise of Heaven? Would the sheer knowledge that the Creator of the universe desired to interact with us be enough if there were no other reward? It’s important to remember that Heaven is the eventuality, not the goal. The goal is to love God with all our hearts and to love and serve those around us. (Matthew 22:35-40). The mission of Jesus was to redeem His people, and our mission is to carry that message to the world.

While He was here on earth, Jesus did not live in luxury. He was constantly on the road in an effort to touch as many people as He possibly could before His time was up. Are we doing the same? My adult life has been spent climbing the ladder of business success, providing a nice home for my family and securing my retirement in the future. None of that looks like Jesus. I suspect you are in a similar situation. This is what has to change. We have been sold a bill of goods in the past few hundred years about what it looks like to be a follower of Christ. We have gotten very good at practicing a Western flavor of Christianity that has very little to do with the life Christ told us to live. We gather in large buildings to worship and devote a tiny sliver of that budget to actually carry out the mission of Jesus as it is defined in the Bible.

I have a challenge for you: obtain a copy of your church’s annual budget and compare it to Matthew 25:31-46, James 1:27 and Isaiah 58:6-10. My guess is you will be mortified. We spend money on heating and cooling costs, lawn and building maintenance, office supplies and holiday decorations. Add up the items that specifically relate to the Scriptures above and see what percentage is being spent on the mission of Jesus. Before you feel too judgmental however, let’s also turn the same mirror on ourselves. Let’s take a look at our own household budget. What percentage of our own money are we dedicating to doing the work we have been commanded to do? Regardless of what our lips may say, the evidence seems to point to the fact that we are more interested in the reward of Heaven than in the beauty of a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Our priorities have to change. If being a Christian is not about following Jesus simply because of who He is, then there is little point. If our faith in Him is not proven by the way we live our lives, then there is a strong question of whether or not that faith will actually save us and bring about the eternal life we are so desperate to achieve (James 2:14-17). Until we are ready to follow Jesus simply because we love Him and desire to be in relationship with Him, we will simply be practicing an empty religion that looks nothing like what God designed for us. We don’t marry for the sake of what we might acquire when the marriage is over; we marry for what the relationship will be throughout the journey. It is the same in our relationship with Jesus Christ; it’s not about what happens when we die, it’s about what happens while we live.

I look forward to spending eternity with Jesus in Heaven; I am definitely eager to obtain the peace and rest He promises. But I don’t want to wish away the years of getting to know Him while I am still walking this planet. I don’t want to miss a single opportunity to serve Him and grow in my relationship with Him. I want to take hold of each moment I have been given to get to know Him better and to share His love with the world around me. This is my aspiration; more than anything else I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I want to obey His commands out of love, respect and trust in Him. I want Heaven, but I don’t want to miss a thing between the now and the not yet. So why do you follow Jesus? Is it for what you will gain or perhaps to protect what you might lose? Or is it simply for the sake of knowing Him? Do you struggle like me in maintaining perspective and the proper priorities in your life? I’d love to hear your thoughts and encourage you to leave a comment below. Let’s be real with each other and simply tell it like it is. We are all together on this journey. As for me, I definitely want the reward, but not at the expense of the relationship. Even if there were nothing else, I’d still choose Jesus. I have a long way to go, but this is my desire; He alone is my hope.