Even If i Walk Alone

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

purpose

Seeking the Kingdom First

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For those familiar with Scripture, you are more than likely aware of the command to “Seek first the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33). This is pretty clear and straightforward. If you are a list oriented person like me, you may be wondering what numbers two, three and four might be. We’re good with seeking the Kingdom first, but what are we to seek next? In truth there is no next. There are two reasons why this is a list of one, and why one is all that we need.

First, we are never able to check off the first (and only) item on the list. We never fully accomplish seeking the Kingdom of God first. Seeking the Kingdom of God is a moment by moment endeavor. We may successfully seek the Kingdom first in one moment, but in the next we are back to our own selfish pursuits. Since we are no longer seeking the Kingdom first, we must return to number one on our list. In fact the very moment we cross off “Seek God’s Kingdom” from our list, we immediately nullify its completion. At that moment we have become self-serving and are no longer seeking the Kingdom first. Seeking first the Kingdom of God is a lifelong activity. We must consciously choose to seek His Kingdom every moment we live. Since He never told us to stop seeking, and since He never rescinded that command, we must continue on with the last instruction we received. We must continue to seek Him. It can be a daunting challenge to constantly seek His kingdom first; daunting, but not impossible. God is with us at every moment. He is with you right now. We often forget that His Spirit is alive and at work within us. If you are a sincere follower of Christ, the Spirit of God is part of your life at all times. He gives us the ability to consult with Him at any moment, for as long as we need. Our job is simply to remind ourselves that He is with us; we must master the discipline of becoming intimately and consciously aware of His constant presence in our lives.

The second reason we have a list of one is that this one item encompasses all that we are to do in service to Jesus. Seeking His kingdom first means we will see Jesus in everyone. We will see Him as the hungry child orphaned by the plague of AIDS, and we will feed Him. We will see him in the hollow eyes of the crippled homeless man, and we will shelter him. We will see Him sick and in agony, and we will care for his needs. If we seek first God’s Kingdom, we will behave like citizens of that Kingdom. We will love God with all of our heart, all of our soul, and all of our minds. We will love our neighbors more than we love ourselves. We will seek to do the things that Jesus did and we will carry on the mission He left for us to do. If we seek first His kingdom, we will live lives that look like Jesus. We will know what it means to walk as Jesus walked, and to love as Jesus loved.

Seeking the Kingdom is not simply the first thing we are to do as followers of Christ; it is the only thing we are to do. If we will follow this single command, we will do all that Jesus told us to do. Begin recognizing that God is with you at all times. Seek Him out in every situation; get in the habit of engaging in non-stop conversation with our King. As we shift our focus, moment by moment, onto His Kingdom and His plans, we will find that burdens and sins begin to melt away. There is no room for sin in a life that is wholly devoted to God. There is no burden so heavy that it is not diminished in the presence of God. Seek first the Kingdom of God, and seek nothing else. In seeking Him first we will find His peace, His patience and His love. Seek Him first, and seek Him only; then you will be fully and truly whole.

Changing the World

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The world is full of heartbreaking challenges. There is a high probability that if you have the ability to be reading this blog, your life is at least somewhat insulated from these very same challenges. Two-thirds of the women, and 17% of all people, in the world could not read this blog if they had the technological capability to do so; they are illiterate. This is not just an educational handicap or a societal disadvantage. Illiteracy is intimately linked with poverty. So while one might ignore the issue of illiteracy and deem it to be someone else’s problem, we simply cannot ignore the call of Jesus to care for the poor. In this way the illiterate are very much “our problem”; to say it better, they are our mission.

Nearly half the world earns less than $2 (US) per day. Many own only the clothes on their back and nothing more. Many others have no shoes. Jesus admonished us to clothe the naked. As Richard Stearns notes in his excellent book, “The Hole in Our Gospel”, ones such as these are our modern day “naked”. While they may not be literally naked, they have no means to buy clothing or to provide adequate shelter for their families. They are exposed to the elements and are vulnerable to the hostilities of the world around them. They are indeed naked in a very real, if not literal, sense. These too are part of our mission.

While slavery may have been eradicated long ago in the country where you live, make no mistake in knowing that it continues to thrive around the world. Children as young as five (and younger still by some reports) are subjected to the horror that is human trafficking, forced to exchange the innocence of their youth for a life that no human should ever have to endure. Those lucky enough to escape the sex trade are often sold by their own families into lives of indentured servant hood, forced to work eighteen hour days under horrid conditions and with little food. The terms of their purchase are structured in such a way so as their families can never afford to redeem them, or “buy them back.” We know this is happening; we can never claim that we didn’t have any idea. The injustices inflicted upon the weakest and most vulnerable among us, our children, are atrocious and must be abolished. Since we are called to put an end to injustice, those in slavery are also part of our mission.

The number of single mothers in the world is growing at a staggering rate. Women seeking love at any cost, widows of war time casualties, and those who have conceived children at the abusive hands of others all have one thing in common: the need for love, stability and hope. These women often work tirelessly to provide for their children only to have all their efforts wiped out by a single illness or layoff. Many of these families are simply one misfortune away from being homeless, hungry or destitute. James said that part of true religion was to look after the widows. They, and the single mom’s among us, are our mission as well.

I could sadly go on for hours discussing the tragedies in our world that break the heart of God. This is not what He had in mind at creation. He desired a world of beauty and purity, a world where the created were intimately acquainted with their Creator. Jesus came to earth to begin the mission of restoring our world to its original state. He came to begin the process of making His kingdom a reality on earth. We are heirs to His kingdom, and heirs to His mission. We are called to feed the poor, to clothe the naked, to right the wrongs of injustice, and to care for the widows. The extent of the problems facing us is staggering; the depth of depravity we must wade into is overwhelming. There is so much heartache, where do we possibly begin?

We begin with one. Each one of us possesses the ability to change the world for one person. By many estimates there are two billion Christians in the world. Even if those estimates are half wrong, that still leaves one billion Christians on earth. If each Christian would simply change the world for one person, and then each of those now two billion Christians would in turn change the world for just one other person, we could eradicate poverty, hunger, nakedness and slavery in relatively short order. This is where the rubber hits the road; each of us must actually be willing to sacrifice and follow the lead of Jesus in order to change the world for someone else. Are you up to the task? Will you follow Christ regardless of the sacrifice? Will you love someone for the simple reason that Christ loves them? We can truly change the world one person at a time. The mission is clear, the challenge is large. The solution is known and the solution is you.

Recovering From Discouragement

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Discouragement can catch up with the best of us. No matter how positive our outlook or how determined our resolve, we all go through periods of discouragement. At times we don’t even know for certain what caused the feelings, while there will be other periods of life where Murphy’s Law comes into play and virtually everything that could go wrong does indeed go wrong. As long as we live in a fallen and broken world, discouragement is inevitable.

The key, of course, is how we recover. As followers of Jesus, discouragement has no long term place in our lives. If you find yourself sinking ever deeper into discouragement, (or its close cousin, depression), then it is your duty to find a way out as quickly as possible. We are called to victory in Christ, not despair. No matter what occurs in your life, what remains is the fact that Jesus loves you more than His own life and that His power is available for the asking. If we have devoted our lives to Him, we have already overcome anything this world can throw at us. This doesn’t mean life will be easy, happy, or free from discouragement, but it certainly should allow us to look at life with a different perspective.

On this blog, we generally focus on what our duties are as we strive to be true followers of Jesus. What we don’t spend a lot of time on are the rewards of being a follower. The reason for this is that even without the rewards and privileges associated with following Christ, we would follow Jesus anyway simply because of our love for Him. There are rewards however; we are now heirs to the Kingdom of God. Jesus freely gives all that He has to us; His love, His grace and His power. It’s easy to read words such as these and simply move on. Take a moment and really consider all that you have in Christ. It’s mind-blowing and almost beyond belief.

If focusing on the power of God is not enough to lift you from your discouragement, try taking inventory of all the blessings in your life. Nearly half the world lives on less than $2 dollars a day. What would you do if your income was $60 per month? How would your life change? Picture yourself having to live on that amount, then make a list of all the possessions, conveniences and luxuries you now have that would go away if you had to live on $2 per day. For extra credit, enter your income at the ‘Global Rich List’ web site to see where you rank. It’s a humbling realization. Pray over your inventory of blessings, thanking God for each and every one. It’s hard to be depressed or discouraged when you realize how amazingly blessed you are.

Finally, you must do something to improve your situation and your mindset. You must take action; you can either choose to remain motionless and allow life to continue to happen to you, or you can choose to move and throw yourself into life and force it to react to you. Refusing to move virtually guarantees you will stay in your discouragement. God gives you the strength and power to pull out of your state of mind, but you must actively utilize that strength. We were designed to live in an interactive communion with God. It takes two to dance this cosmic tango and we must do our part. Realize that we were created for purpose and we were designed for motion; so get moving! We are far too blessed to feel depressed and far too gifted to be discouraged. Change something in your life, do something different tomorrow from what you’ve done before. Sometimes simply participating in a worthy endeavor, especially one we’ve not attempted before is enough to shake us from our rotten mindset. Be kind to a stranger, buy lunch for a friend, or help a neighbor. Remember your blessings and the person you are in Christ. Don’t revel in your discouragement; instead, recover from it!

How Should We Then Live?

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With apologies to the classic book of the same name by Francis Schaeffer, I have recently been struck by the phrase “How should we then live?” It’s one of those thoughts that is stuck in my head and refuses to leave. In what ways will I set myself apart from the rest of the world and be identified as a disciple of Christ? In what ways will I pursue justice for the weak, the homeless, the orphan and the widow? How should I then speak for them? How should I then stand up for those who cannot do so on their own?

In Proverbs 30:8, it says that we should desire “just enough”. We should not desire too much or we might become greedy and slothful. If we have too little, we may become jealous of others and perhaps even resort to dishonesty and theft to gain what belongs to someone else. Paul echoes these sentiments in his letter to the Philippians (chapter 4, verses 11 and 12). I have prayed this prayer in relation to my finances. I desire to have “just enough”; if I am blessed with anything more, then I know I must invest that money in the kingdom by giving it to the poor. If I am blessed to have “too little”, then it is my responsibility to learn to draw closer to God during this time and allow Him to grow my faith in Him. To receive the blessing of “just enough” is a great practice in humility and should not cause stress, but rather thanksgiving.

I believe that this same principal applies to all other areas of our life as well. Having “just enough” to eat leads to far greater health than overindulgence. To have “just enough” in terms of our clothing, the number of our possessions or the size of our homes is to live in humility before the Lord. A follower of Christ should never be attempting to keep up with the Jones’, but rather to find favor from Jesus! And so on a very personal level, I believe that is how we should live. We should live in a constant state of “just enough”. Be content with that which the Lord has blessed you. If ever you feel like you do not have enough, cry out to God to further fill you with His Spirit, because He is definitely enough. Let Jesus fill the emptiness in your life and you will be eternally full.

Having “just enough”, living humbly and in full faith before our God, will give us the attitude we need to spread His love to those around us. Having just enough food will cause us to sacrifice when we feed someone in need; having just enough “stuff” will enable us to be blessed by giving more than we are able. Ultimately, the way we should live is in service to others; it’s demonstrating the love of God to friend and stranger, acquaintance and neighbor. We are called to love, service and obedience. We have been given just enough strength to accomplish what God has created us to do.

How should we then live? We should live in humility and faith, seeking just enough to survive and serve, and being content with whatever we are provided. We should live always putting the needs of others before our own. We should live in a constant state of devotion and submission to God. We should live as people who pursue justice for all people, who feed the hungry and clothe those in need. We should live as obedient, faithful and loving servants of Jesus Christ. This, then, is how we should live.

Faith Requires Work

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How hard are you working at your faith? Are you a lip-service Christian who professes to love Jesus with your speech but fail to back up that claim with any proof? The world around us is spiraling out of control and Western Christianity is not to be found. We stand mostly silent to the atrocities that are occurring on our watch. I am extremely thankful for the people and ministries that have broken out of the trance and are doing their work as the hands and feet of God. For the vast majority of Christians, however, the response is a deafening silence. We’re content to let others do the heavy lifting, convinced that somehow we just don’t feel “led” to participate in that way. I believe much of the rhetoric of “not feeling led is synonymous with “feeling fearful”.

There is no fear in Jesus; neither should there be any fear found in the body of believers who love and trust Him. Many wait to “feel led” or find their “calling” before they will surrender everything to Christ. The fact of the matter is if you choose to follow Christ, you will automatically be led to all the places He goes. By definition, if you are following then you are already being led. To follow Jesus is to be led by Him. When faced with a decision, ask yourself, “Would Jesus go there?” If the answer is ‘yes’, then you are being led there as well. It’s not a matter of whether or not you feel led, because if you are following Christ, you are always being led. It’s really a simple matter of whether or not you will choose to follow.

What about your “calling”? What if you are not yet certain what your calling even is? I have good news; you have already received your calling. As Jesus explained in Matthew 25:31-46, you are called to feed the hungry, care for the sick, clothe those in need, and to shelter the poor. This is the calling of everyone who chooses a life of following Christ. In the modern era, people have come to equate their vocation with their calling. Jesus doesn’t call you to be, for example, a doctor; He calls you to serve. If by becoming a doctor you use your skills to care for the sick, then your vocation is one that can be utilized to live out your calling. Your calling, again, is to serve; whether you render that service as a doctor, a farmer, a janitor or a CEO is irrelevant. Your vocation is simply a means of accomplishing what you are called to do. Do whatever you wish for a vocation as long as it enables you to fulfill your calling to love and serve others.

Do not wait to be led or to be called before surrendering your life completely to God. You are already both led and called. We simply must humbly submit every area of our lives to Him. Then we must follow wherever He leads, and do so without fear or question. Every day of our life must be spent in service to others. Live your life constantly seeking someone whom you might help. Sacrifice that with which you have been blessed in order to give to others. Feed the poor; clothe those in need; give a drink to those who thirst. Your faith in Jesus must never be a spectator sport; it requires work.