Even If i Walk Alone

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

purpose

What Are You Waiting For?

by

Some people wait their entire lives for permission to do the thing they were created to do. They make excuses of being too young and then too old; too inexperienced and then overqualified. It seems like there are always a million reasons not to do the very thing we know we should be doing. Some wait to reach a certain level of financial security, while others convince themselves they don’t deserve to live the life of which they dream.

What Are You Waiting For

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng/Lenscap

As followers of Christ, we have to understand that time is both finite and fleeting. We have been called to carry out the mission of Christ, yet we hesitate, waiting for a sign or the stars to align. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus said, “Go”. What are you waiting for? [Read more…] about What Are You Waiting For?

Born This Way

by

One of the greatest realizations you can have is that you were uniquely created with gifts and talents to continue the mission of Christ. Not only did He love you enough to die for you, but He also gifted you specifically to collaborate with Him in bringing the Kingdom of God to fruition.

Born This Way

So many wander through life discouraged because they believe themselves to be insignificant and without purpose; this is tragic and we need to be telling them how special they are in the eyes of God. [Read more…] about Born This Way

Working From the Inside Out

by

As I progress through studying the Old Testament, I continue to be transfixed by the succession of Kings of Israel who did evil in the sight of the Lord, contrasted with those who did what was right. Time after time a ruler is appointed who does not follow God, only to be saved by the occasional rise to power of one who fears the Lord and does everything He commands; they did not turn to the left or to the right but followed the Lord with all their heart.

Working from the Inside Out

Photo courtesy of Sarah Vaughan

Despite years of recent history where they could see disastrous results when they turned from the Lord and favorable blessings when they followed Him, still the people continually returned to doing evil. The good kings would come to power and destroy the temples created for foreign gods, the high places that had been built up for worship, and they would put to death those who were leading others to live in a manner contrary to God’s commands. In a word, they were zealous for the Lord. [Read more…] about Working From the Inside Out

Touching the Sick

by

I’ll admit it: I’m a total germaphobe. It only got worse when I married a woman who was just as bad as I am! I unequivocally hate being sick. Now I know nobody actually enjoys being sick, but I absolutely loathe it. I work hard (and pray a lot!) at avoiding sickness and germs. If someone coughs coming towards me, I will head another direction. I’ll send sick people home from work. Whatever I can do, I do it. I want no part of being ill.

All of this might be okay and simply label me as quirky (or freakish), but it doesn’t play well in light of Jesus’ command to care for the sick (Matthew 25:31-46). It fares even worse when I try and model my life after Christ and I read the stories where He actually touched the sick people. He touched those who had serious infectious diseases. I don’t even want to be in the same room as someone with a simple cold. I am absolutely fine with giving money to organizations to care for the sick, but when it gets personal, I shamefully confess I am woefully inadequate. We all have our areas of weakness, and this is definitely one of mine.

When I hear of someone in need who is sick, I know I must go to them. I generally pray for protection from illness before meeting with them and trust that God will keep me healthy so I can continue to minister to both them and others. By the time I leave, I am generally calm and believe that God will bless my effort and keep me healthy. I also know that I may indeed get sick, and I really am okay with that thought; the sacrifice is worth the pain. I would rather get sick helping someone than be healthy but accomplishing nothing for the kingdom. Mentally, I am good with all of this. Truth be told, I haven’t been sick in almost two years, so I wonder if my newfound courage in approaching the sick is a result of that or a true change in my heart. I know the Lord is working on me in this area and I truly hope that I am growing.

The point of all this is to say that we can’t pick and choose our way through the commands of Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46. The people He blesses and welcomes into His Kingdom are those who do all of these things. We can’t feed the hungry and ignore the sick. We can’t visit those in prison and turn a blind eye to the homeless. Following Jesus is an all or nothing deal, and we will all struggle with different elements of what it means to carry on the mission of Christ. God will surely stretch us in our areas of weakness and place opportunities before us where we must choose between our love for Him and our own selfish inhibitions. We need to encourage each other along the way, to pick up one who has fallen and walk with them through the trial. Ignoring an opportunity to serve Christ because it goes against our personality or lies beyond our comfort zone is not acceptable behavior for a follower of Jesus. We must allow our love for God to overshadow our fears and apprehension.

What parts of the mission cause you the most trouble? Where is God stretching you these days? Growth does not occur without stretching, so embrace the challenge and ask Jesus to give you the courage and the commitment to seize divine moments and reflect His love to another. We all have our weaknesses, but together we are stronger. Through Him we can overcome any challenge. It’s all or nothing; don’t waver in the face of discomfort or uncertainty. Pray for His grace that you might further His Kingdom and bring glory to His Name.

The Music of Your Life

by

Music has always played a significant role in our society, and it has long impacted my own life. Lyrics can lift you up or bring you low; differing chords and notes can cause your mind to soar or your eyes to weep. The simple notes of a piano can invade your deepest thoughts, while the soaring wail of a guitar can pierce your soul. Beyond the strains of melody, the lyrical message of a song can move you to action or trap you in despair. Perhaps nothing has a greater influence on our mood than a song we hear on the radio or find playing in our head.

One of the most revered songwriters of the past forty years or so was John Lennon. Many people took his words almost as a gospel for their lives. Sadly, too many of us can relate to the lyrics of his 1981 song, “Watching the Wheels”. Take a look at a few lines:

“People say I’m lazy dreaming my life away”

“I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
I really love to watch them roll”

“I tell them there’s no hurry
I’m just sitting here doing time”

When I was younger, I remember relishing the words of this song. They seemed to depict such an easy going life, one without cares or worry. For followers of Jesus, however, these words are poison. They speak of a lackadaisical life, a life focused on ease and comfort. While I’m certain there are times in each of our lives when we just want to stop all the motion around us and play spectator for awhile, this is not an option if we are seriously committed to carrying out the mission of Christ. Contrast Lennon’s words with those of a more recent talented songwriter, Matthew West:

“I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions”

This should be the cry of every heart that loves Jesus. We should never be content with sitting still and “watching the world go by”. Jesus called us to be people of action. His first word of what has come to be known as the great commission was, “Go”. Jesus never commanded His followers to sit still and do nothing. He commanded them to be busy doing the same work that they had seen Him doing. We are not called to be assimilated into the culture of our day; we are called to be different and to reflect the love of Christ to a dark and bitter world. We have all been created with different gifts and passions so that we might share the message of Jesus with everyone we encounter. If we are content to simply go through the motions, we will never experience the power of God in our lives and the world will be deprived of the song we have been given to sing.

Recently I have been very moved by the lyrics of another young songwriter named Josh Wilson. Here are some words from his song, “I Refuse”:

“I don’t want to live like I don’t care.
I don’t want to say another empty prayer.
Oh, I refuse to
Sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself.
Oh, I could choose
Not to move but I refuse.”

I want those words to be the prayer of my life. I never want to take a pass on the things God has given me to do. As followers of Jesus we should always seek to be proactive in carrying out the mission of Christ. We already have our marching orders, it is our duty to carry them out and follow through.

What will be the song of your life? Will you be content to simply watch the world pass by in front of your eyes or will you refuse to leave the work to someone else and throw yourself into the great adventure of following Jesus? At the end of your life will you stand before God with the music of His love bursting from deep within or will you, in the words of Emerson, die with the music still in you? We all must choose to live life either as a passive spectator or an active participant being the hands and feet of Jesus. The choice is simple, the implementation is not. Don’t be content with going through the motions and simply watching the wheels go ‘round and ‘round; refuse to be idle and wait for someone else to do what God has given you to do. Share the song He has given you while there is still time to let your life sing. May the love of Jesus resonate loudly from deep within your soul; let this be the music of your life.