Even If i Walk Alone

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

works

Measuring Up

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Being a follower of Christ is more than just proclaiming yourself to be one. Following Jesus is an active pursuit, not suitable for those more comfortable sitting in the stands or even on the sidelines. To be a follower of Jesus requires purposeful action and a definiteness of direction. Ultimately, whether we are or are not a true follower will be determined by our actions. You can believe in Jesus right where you are, but you cannot follow Him until you move from where you are to where He is.

We should always be working to improve our character, moving ever closer to the life modeled by Jesus. The way we follow Jesus is to do the things that He would do, to go the places He would go. The entire life of Jesus was marked by integrity. He was always focused and stayed on mission. While some of the religious leaders of His day questioned His character, they could never find any flaws with Him. Try as they might, they always went away from conversations with Him having their tail tucked between their legs. Jesus never had to worry about people seeing Him doing something questionable, because there was no room in His character for questionable activities. We can live the same way. Having first determined to be a person of integrity, we can spend the rest of our days strengthening that same resolve. All questionable activities must be immediately rejected; all negative and derogatory speech must be stopped before it leaves our lips. These are not impossible achievements for us. They are matters of choice and discipline.

Modeling our life after Jesus requires that we act with kindness and generosity towards others. These “others” would include everyone we meet. Jesus loves all people equally and so we must strive to do the same. Become know as a person of compassion, one whom can always be depended on to provide an encouraging or comforting word. People long for someone to listen to them, to share their pain. Let’s be that person they turn to when life has them down, regardless of the circumstances. Following Jesus means we will be living a life that looks quite different from the world around us. What better way to start than with a tender and compassionate heart for everyone we meet? Make certain the love you share with others is genuine and not forced. With practice – lots of practice – loving others can truly become second nature.

It’s easy to claim that we are followers of Jesus. It’s easy to articulate our beliefs and encourage others to join us in those beliefs. The difficulty arises when we realize that we must put those beliefs into action. Regardless of how deeply held your beliefs are they will be inconsequential until you take action on their behalf. You can’t love people without actually loving them. Love that matters is not simply a concept, it is an active verb. So it is with all our beliefs. If we do not act them out, they are ultimately useless.

In the end, we may have talked a great game. We may sound like the holiest person on the planet. But if we haven’t given of ourselves to live out our faith, if we haven’t lived sacrificially in order to share what we have with others, we will have missed the entire point of God’s love. It will be up to us whether or not we believe the cost is worth it. However, if we would be a follower of Jesus, this is a price we must be willing to pay. So how well are you measuring up to Jesus? Are you merely practicing a tired rhetoric or are you living your faith out loud and in full view of everyone? All that matters is what we do with our faith. We are known by our confession but measured by our works for Jesus. Are you a true follower? How do you measure up?

Just One

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Margaret Mead is quoted to have said “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” The original disciples of Christ are a perfect example of this principle. Though just twelve in number, they changed the world forever as they steadfastly preached the message of Jesus. Even with such a few number of men, they were able to impact the entire world, and in fact continue to impact the world over two thousand years since their death. Except for the obvious advantage of having known Jesus in His physical form, they were ordinary folks, just like you and me.

The impact the disciples had on the lives of literally billions remains mindboggling to me, while at the same time encouraging me that we do not need large numbers to make a difference. In fact, I would argue that twelve was actually an extraordinary number of people to accomplish something in the name of Jesus. Look at the number of Biblical examples where only one man had a tremendous impact on history. Through the power of God, Samuel helped shape the theology of a nation; Moses led an entire nation out of captivity from a much more powerful captor. The writings of David continue to comfort masses to this very day. Solomon’s wisdom directed the morals and laws of countless nations.

It’s easy to feel like we cannot make a difference by our self. We make the mistake of thinking of ourselves as being all alone. As followers of Jesus, we have the power of God within us. The same power that fueled Gideon’s army, Samson’s strength and Daniel’s prophetic visions dwells in us. Too often we read the Biblical stories of great men and see them as some sort of super humans. The same blood that coursed through their veins centuries ago continues to flow through ours today. We are all flesh and blood, and we are all gifted by God with abilities to do marvelous and incredible works in His name. Though we are few and weak, through us, God simply does the impossible.

The real difference between the Biblical heroes and us is that they chose to trust and to act. How much more could we do if we would simply put our entire trust in Jesus? How much more would we achieve if we would only act on what He gives us to do? How much more fulfilled would we be if we knew without a doubt that we were doing all we were created to do. We need to renew our trust in Him and boldly act with courage. We must do all that He has given us to do.

One man, John the Baptist, with a small band of followers prepared the way for Jesus. Twelve men, followers of Jesus, literally changed the world. One man, Jesus, lived a short but humble life, and secured eternity for everyone who would believe. One man, Paul, along with a companion or two spread the gospel throughout much of the known world. In our modern day world, one man named Bob Pierce took the time to care for one child and in turn founded World Vision, which has since touched the lives of millions. One person, one small group, can indeed impact the world in astounding ways. One person; why not you? Why not me?

Build Your Case

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Many years ago, my father had a card on his desk that questioned “If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” I believe this remains a valid question. If you had to prove you were a follower of Jesus, would you be able to do it? You couldn’t just state that you said a prayer one time because more than likely there were very few witnesses to that prayer. In addition, how does saying a prayer prove that you actually follow Jesus? Anyone can say a prayer, right? What if you actually had to give tangible proof, how would you fare? Would there be enough evidence to convict you?

We need to live every day with the sole purpose of building the evidence that we are indeed followers of Jesus. The way to do this, of course, is through tangible acts of love and service to others. We should greet each day with an excitement over the fact that we get to serve people for yet another day. We were created to serve and to love, and every day we get an opportunity to do so is cause for celebration. Life is more than paying bills, crummy jobs and grocery shopping. Our lives should be about seeking ways that we can serve others. What brings you more satisfaction, eating 8 slices of pizza watching the game or doing something genuinely nice and unselfish for someone else? We were made for service which is why there is no feeling quite like it. The peace and fulfillment you feel loving others is a direct result of you doing what you were created to do. You are no longer simply living, you become alive!

Take a walk through your neighborhood and make a checklist of ideas you get while looking around and talking to your neighbors. How might you help them and serve them? Be a good listener; sometimes people just need to talk or a shoulder to cry on. Don’t think you always need to know what to say. Let the other person lead and you can just sit back and watch for moments where you may be able to serve them. As you walk around, remind yourself that you are the hands and feet of Jesus. You are His representative, responsible for the mission of helping to bring His kingdom to reality on this earth. It is an awesome and exciting responsibility.

As you seek ways to serve others, remember that it is important to act on your ideas. Many will need to be acted on immediately, others will develop over time. Develop a sense of urgency and determine to always act immediately; when you hesitate, the moment is lost, usually forever. There is no worse feeling than being given an opportunity to serve and then hesitating. The moment will pass and you will be robbed of a blessing, the knowledge that you were doing exactly what Jesus would have done. Trust me, every time you let an opportunity pass you by, it will haunt you for days and weeks.

What evidence exists to prove you are a follower of Jesus? If you were on trial for being His disciple, would you be convicted? Start building the case against yourself today. Never miss an opportunity to serve someone or to show love to anyone in need. Make certain that there is proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are indeed a follower of Jesus.

Be an Action Hero

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Who doesn’t love an action hero? I grew up a huge fan of Spider Man. When I was quite young, I even wanted to be Spider Man when I grew up. It really didn’t take too long to realize that probably was not going to be in the cards for me, given the shortage of radioactive spiders and such! Yet still, there remains a certain fascination with action heroes. We spend billions of dollars each year to watch movies and read books about these inspiring characters. We vicariously revel in the triumph of good over evil, and in seeing wrongs righted by the hero or the heroine. As we mature, most of us release the dream of becoming an action hero. I think this is a huge mistake. As followers of Jesus, we have the opportunity to be action heroes (or heroines) every day of our lives.

Jesus calls us to right the wrongs of society and to bring justice to those in need. Just as the Bible is full of stories of action heroes (think Noah, Moses, Joshua, Daniel, John the Baptist, Peter and Paul for starters), the world is still full of action heroes. Richard Stearns (president of World Vision), Bono, Tom White (President of the Voice of the Martyrs), Brad Phillips (President of Persecution Project) and many, many others are still doing the work of true religion: caring for the orphans and widows, breaking the chains of injustice, freeing the oppressed, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless and caring for the poor. (James 1:27; Isaiah 58:6-7). Mother Theresa, William Wilberforce, Martin Luther and Martin Luther King Jr. were all action heroes. They were heroic because they took action to share God’s love with the world and to call us all to a deeper walk with Jesus Christ.

To be an action hero, you must do more than simply talk a good game. We must embody the things we say; we must demonstrate our commitment to Jesus. No matter how good we are at communicating our message or encouraging others to follow Christ, what ultimately matters is if we perform the very actions that we talk about. Do we take action or merely talk about doing so? This is what separates the ordinary from the extraordinary. The extraordinary put action behind their words; they became action heroes because of their passion for Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.

We must live up to the words we say. We must deliver on our commitment to following Jesus. Action heroes do not become so by providing only lip service. They are passionate about their beliefs and in bringing justice to the world. If you would be an action hero, practice the behaviors you espouse before opening your mouth. Become known for what you do and not what you say. Nothing is ever accomplished without action of some sort. Redemption is available to us because Christ performed the action of dying on the cross. In that same spirit, we must now take action to make that redemption known to everyone around us. The road to Hell is lined with good intentions and dreams, and with those who failed to act upon them.

When it’s all said and done, when are lives are over and we must give an account to our Creator for how we lived the life He entrusted to us, all that will ultimately matter will be the actions we took. Did we trust Him, did we love Him and did we share that love with others? Did we feed the hungry, care for the poor and come to the aid of the widows, the single moms, the orphans and the homeless? Did we care more for others than we did ourselves, and did our checkbooks reflect that concern? It’s not hard to be a hero for God. It’s simply a matter of taking action for His kingdom; it’s being the hands and feet of Jesus. Are you an action hero? You know you want to be, and now you know you can be. Be extraordinary for Jesus; put your faith into action. Become an action hero.

Apathy

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I am a driven, goal-oriented person. Generally I spend Saturday evenings planning the week ahead. This week, after a particularly successful week, I decided to review the past week in a very different way. Instead of measuring how much I accomplished or how successful I was in advancing my goals, I reflected on exactly how much I accomplished for God and how successful I was in pursuing His goals. The results were not nearly as good as I would have hoped or expected of myself.

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