Even If i Walk Alone

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

purpose

Thankfulness and the American Orphan

by

To most of us in America, Thanksgiving Day is all about three things: turkey, football and a day off. Quite honestly, I’m a big fan of all of those things. Unfortunately there are many for whom this day has no meaning. They have lost hope amid the struggles and trials of our modern society. They have become too bitter to be thankful for anything; they are simply in need. For those of us with Christ in our lives, we have something to give. We have hope for the future, and we have love. These gifts are not to be hoarded; they are to be given away.

I’ve been reading the book “Street Lives: An Oral History of Homeless Americans” recently. It’s a collection of firsthand accounts of living on the street. It is truly heartbreaking to read their stories. While the language and subject matter can be a bit rough at times, I encourage you to read this book or books like it. We are so isolated in our comfortable homes and neighborhoods. Few of us know what true hunger feels like. Even fewer know what it’s like to have no bed, no home and no hope. While there are many shelters that do a good work, there are far more that are abusive and even perpetuate the mindset that keeps people living in despair. The number of children and veterans among the population of the homeless is staggering. Many of the homeless have no family remaining, no place to turn for help and no one to love them. They are truly the orphans of America, regardless of their age.

As followers of Jesus we are called to care for the orphans. What are we doing to help? For most of us, helping involves giving to shelters and inner city ministries, and probably buying some groceries or meals for those in need. This is necessary and admirable, but it does not go far enough. Food for the belly is obviously important, but food for the soul is paramount. We need to feed more than their stomachs. We need to feed their hearts, their minds, and their self worth. We need to clothe them not only with blankets and coats, but with love. What can you do to help? What can I do? We must come together and do something about this crisis. Why? The answer is simply because Jesus said to do so; that is enough. We who choose to follow Christ have an obligation to do the things He did. As the orphans in need of love cry out to us, they convict us of that which we are not doing. None of us can end homelessness by ourselves. We can, however, love one person. Together we can solve the problem in our cities by determining that we will not tolerate the way homeless orphans are treated.

The love of God provides the love, strength and hope that we all need. There is enough for us to bask in and still have plenty in reserve to give away. I am thankful for the love of Christ. I am thankful that He saved me. I am thankful that I am not an orphan. Yet I am thankful for the orphans all around us, for they are opportunities to share the immeasurable love of Christ. We must put aside our fear, our prejudices and our preconceived notions; it’s time to reach out and love the orphans all around us. Put your arms around someone in need today, and rejoice in the opportunity to be able to do so. Be thankful for all you have, and then give others something to be thankful for as well.

The Alive and Devoted Church

by

I write a lot about personal responsibility, focused here on this blog as our duty to follow Christ with all that we are. This is our call as followers of Jesus. If we are not personally “all in” for Jesus, we cannot expect to have any merit with those to whom we would speak. We have to model our beliefs without wavering, trusting always in Christ rather than in anything we might possess or accomplish. I would be remiss, however, if I were to stop at personal responsibility. We are called the body of Christ, meaning we are part of a connected network, a family. Jesus called this family His bride, the church.

Today we tend to think of church as a building, indeed as several building throughout our cities. This is a misrepresentation of what the Church was created to be. The Biblical church never referred to a building, but rather a body. We are supposed to amplify all the things we are called to do as individual followers of Christ, by gathering with other believers and doing those same things together. The power in a group of followers of Jesus can be breath taking. There is more power in love than any other force in the universe. This is true on an individual level, but even more pronounced when a group of people come together to love others.

Together, through love, we can feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, care for the widows and single moms, and look after the orphans and those from broken homes. Love is powerful. Love, amplified, is unstoppable. We are called to be the church, yet most of us associate being the church as going to a predetermined building each Sunday morning, being entertained for an hour or two, then maybe even getting involved in a couple of programs. Mission accomplished, duty fulfilled, right? Doubtful. There are a few modern “churches” that get it right. They do the things Christ commanded us to do. But by and large, the modern Western church has become a divisive collection of mini-corporations with building campaigns, catering budgets and medical insurance benefits. Much of the money collected from the church members goes to pay the overhead of the staff and electricity bills. Thankfully we squeeze small corners of the budget in so we can help out in the inner city and send some rice overseas. We manage to earmark just enough money to soothe our conscious so we can get on with bigger ideas such as building campaigns.

I cannot begin to imagine the sorrow of Christ as He looks down on all of this. Is this the reason He sacrificed His own life, so that we could build better playgrounds and more adequately cool our “sanctuaries”? God, forgive us. What have we become? How we have twisted His mission to the point that our own professed Lord would no longer recognize it. This is not the church Christ died for. We – you and me – we are the Church for which He died. Yet we ignore the commandments of Jesus and we spit on the cross where He bled for us because we can’t see past our own comfort to notice a wounded and dying world, a world that cries out to us for help. We pass by the homeless and overlook the poor. We ignore the needs of the outcast and cater to those more like ourselves. We are the Church, but where is the work of the church, where are the results? We need more than Sunday morning sermons and soon forgotten resolutions of commitment. We need true followers banding together to go out and care for this world. We need to come together and be the Church. We need to be the ones who are not afraid to stand in the face of oppression and persecution. We as the Church should be throwing our bodies over those in need, protecting them, loving them and nursing them back to health.

But we stand off to the side. We bicker over styles of worship, the length of sermons and meaningless nuances of religion. We are not called to be a people divided, but rather a people united under Christ. He is to be our Lord and Leader. So how about it Church, are you with me? Are you ready to abandon the buildings and divisions and begin to be about being the Church rather than simply attending one? The church is the bride of Christ. A bride does not merely attend her wedding but rather is fully engaged in all facets of it and fully focused on the one she loves. It’s time to stop merely being in attendance. It’s time to be the Church, fully devoted, fully alive.

Where Are You From?

by

For many years growing up, I used to dread the inevitable, “Where you from?” question that came with introductions to new people. As a military “brat”, we moved around a lot. I had lived in three states and in three different countries before I ever hit first grade. While being exposed to different cultures and ethnic groups has forever shaped who I am today, in the early years I was left with somewhat of an identity crisis. These days, for the first time in my life, I have a solid handle on that dreaded “Where you from?” question.

One of the reasons I really struggled with the question earlier in my life stemmed from the fact that I didn’t really identify with any area or group of people. Today it’s the same, but I now understand the reason why. I am a follower of Christ, I belong to Him. I identify with Jesus. Spending time with Him is when I feel most at peace, when I feel at home.

Lately I can’t turn on the television or radio, much less pick up a newspaper, without being bombarded with the latest political argument of what it means to be an American. I hear arguments from both Christian and non-Christian friends, both trying to win me over to their point of view. I feel wonderfully disconnected, if not somewhat frustrated, from all the fuss. You see, I’m not from America. Sure, my birth certificate will tell you I was born on United States territory, but that is simply geography. I am extremely thankful to have been born in a country that has allowed me to express my opinion freely, and a country that has let me pursue a way of life of my own choosing. But make no mistake, I pledge my allegiance to the Creator God and to His Son who sacrificed His life for me. I do not pledge allegiance to a colorful rag, but rather to the blood stained robes of my Lord and Savior. I do not love any particular area of dirt, but will bow on any piece of land before my God.

If you ask me where I’m from, I will proudly and unashamedly tell you that I am part of the Kingdom of God. This is where I place my allegiance. How about you? Where are you from? With whom do you identify? The Bible makes it clear that we cannot serve two masters. We can’t serve “God and country”, because our country will most assuredly come into conflict with God. Whom then will you choose? Do you boast in your country of origin or in your true place of origin? God created you with specific talents and abilities, intended for use according to His purpose. All that we have and all that we are originated with God. We are from Him, not any plot of soil. Do you show God the same allegiance you do to your country? If not, it’s time to choose this day whom you will serve.

Tendrils

by

John White once wrote that we must “detach our tendril hopes from crumbling walls in order to train them to climb solid Rock”.  It strikes me as lunacy that I would continue to endeavor in anything that is not of Christ.  We know that there is nothing on earth that will ever satisfy us the way His love can.  We strive to achieve fortune or fame, but to what end?  History is littered with lives of extravagant people who in the end died lonely and broken.  Is this what we desire?  Jesus promises comfort, unqualified acceptance and love.  All He asks in return is that we trust and follow Him.  How can we discard such a simple, yet fantastic, offer?

Are we so shallow that we can’t bear to give up anything that might make us feel better for a fleeting moment in exchange for that which fulfills for a lifetime (and then some!)?  We are well educated, well studied and well equipped to understand this truth better than perhaps anyone in history.  But what do we do with this knowledge but let it lie in waste?  It is a tragedy of truly epic proportions.  We understand the message of Jesus Christ, but we refuse to act upon it.  We fully comprehend the meaning and the consequences, but still we turn away.

What can one say to this generation, what would the prophets of old say to we who live in this age?  Each day we drive away from beautiful homes in our fancy cars (even having access to a car is inconceivable in parts of this world) to our well paying jobs or leisurely activities.  Every day we drive past someone who is in need.  Every day we drive past someone who could use some good news and some love.  We drive on, oblivious to the world and need around us.  We drive on, wrapped up in the petty annoyances in our own lives.  We are selfish, thoughtless and unloving people.

Maybe at this point you are annoyed.  Maybe you are thinking that you’re not as bad as all that.  You give to your church and even drop off some canned goods at the food pantry.  You hold the door for elderly folks.  Why, you even helped a blind person across the street once!  Do you do it consistently?  Do you stop every time there is a need?  Do you give love without expecting anything in return, even to those you despise?  We all fall so very short.  We cling to those things in the world that bring us status and nods of approval, and they will all crumble to dust in the end.  If we aren’t securely fastened to the solid rock of Jesus Christ and His love, we don’t stand a chance.  If we aren’t demonstrating His love in real, tangible ways, and doing so every day, we don’t stand a chance.  Our only hope is to anchor ourselves to God’s rock-solid foundation of love.  As we grow, we must cling so tightly to his love that we become one with it.  Anything else falls short and misses the mark.

What are you reaching toward for stability, where do you get your strength?  Is it from the flash and glitz of this world or is it from the rock steady love of God?  We reach out to something every day; the choice is ours.  Only one choice brings hope, peace, meaning, and ultimately, security.  Why do we reach for that which cannot protect our life, instead of reaching out to the One who gives us life?  What are your tendrils wrapped around?  Whatever it is is it safe?  Is it secure?  Only God has a foundation that can be trusted, one that will allow us to climb in freedom, safety and security.  Wrap your arms around Him, feel His love, then go and share it with everyone you meet.

Fulfilling Our Purpose

by

Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are His creation—created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” (HCSB)  Did you ever pause to consider what this verse means?  I do not believe that God has a massive blueprint of what every step of our life will look like before we are born.  Believing this would be in contradiction to what the Bible teaches us about freewill (For an excellent explanation on this point of view see ‘A Brief Outline and Defense of the Open View’ by Gregory A. Boyd).  No, I think the meaning of this verse is deeper, more subtle and far more beautiful.  Before we were even born, God gave each of us unique talents and had specific purposes in mind for us in which we would utilize those talents.

How beautiful is this?  The creator of the universe and everything in it gave great thought to the purposes He intended us to pursue the moment we were created.  God Himself gave serious thought to the person he envisioned we would become and then gave us the gifts, talents and aptitude to become that person.  Who are we that God should take such care to define a mission for us before we were ever born?  While we may often feel small and insignificant, the very fact that God purposed a life for us flies in the face of such thoughts.

Wow.  How do we possibly respond to such an overwhelming act of love?  I know from experience and observation how we generally tend to respond.  We squander our time on selfish ambitions and pleasures while the very gifts He gave us become atrophied.  He took such time and care in the formation of His purposes for our life, yet we give little time and even less care to the completion of those purposes.

What if we pulled ourselves out of the pool of selfishness we have been bathing in and begin to pursue the purposes He intended?  We are all as equipped as we have ever been.  We may have to shake off some rust and flex our gifted muscles, but the purposes of the living God still reside inside.  They are bursting to be released and shared with a world in desperate need of what we alone can uniquely provide.

Do you ever feel like you were meant for much more than your current life?  Do you have dreams and passions that you buried long ago out of fear or a lack of self-confidence?  Most likely those feelings are driven by the purposes that God built into each one of us.  In our very make-up, we are indeed intended and equipped to fulfill certain objectives.  Not pursuing these purposes leaves us restless, frustrated and dissatisfied with our lives.  We must let go of anything that is preventing us from fulfilling our true purpose in life.  It is our calling, our destiny.  God placed those purposes in you and you will never exorcise them.  When we embark on the path of our purpose we will find rest and joy.  Don’t fight your purpose; rather embrace all that God intended for you.  Surrender everything to Him today and take hold of His purposes for you.  Now embark on the adventure of the life you were meant to live.