Even If i Walk Alone

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

Why Does It Have to Be So Hard?

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Why does it have to be so hard to follow Jesus? Do you ever ask yourself that? We want to obey and serve Him, but it always seems to be a battle. Why does the road to Heaven have to be so narrow? (Matthew 7:13–14) A better question might be why God provides a road at all! One sin makes us fall short of God’s requirement to live in eternity with Him. (James 2:10; Romans 3:23)

Every day we prove over and over how unworthy we are to be in His presence. (Isaiah 64:6) The gate isn’t just narrow, it’s impossible to pass through. (Matthew 19:26) Instead of focusing on how difficult it is for us to live for Christ, we should focus on the amazing mercy and grace that allows us to live at all. (Ephesians 2:4–5; Titus 3:5)

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Unpopular

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From the earliest days of adolescence, almost everyone aspires to be popular. I never met anyone when I was younger who told me they wanted to be unpopular. As beings created in the image of God, we all desire relationship and communion with others. (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:18) Some personality types desire this more than others, but we all need it. In our formative years, popularity is something we crave. We all want to fit in, to be liked, and to have others respect our opinions.

Such desires don’t vanish when we finish school. It continues to resonate with us as we enter the workforce, move into neighborhoods, and develop social relationships. Even in our church communities, no one wants to be unpopular. When everyone desires something, it should set off warning bells in our minds. (Romans 12:2)

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Open Your Bible

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How often do you open your Bible? The only correct answer to this question is “not often enough.” I know this because, like me, if you opened it often enough, your life would not resemble what it looks like today. The Word of God is unstoppable, inexhaustible, and transforms us to the core of our beings. (Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16–17) I can say with confidence that you don’t love the Bible enough.

For that matter, you don’t love God enough. I don’t either, and it disgusts me. If you desire to follow Christ with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind (Luke 10:27; Deuteronomy 6:5), let me ask you the same question I ask myself: where’s the proof? Can you say with a straight face and complete honesty that you are walking just as Jesus walked? (1 John 2:6)

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Don’t Love This World

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One of my favorite passages in the Bible is 1 John 2:15–17. It’s not an easy or feel-good passage. I love it because of how convicting it is and how clear it is. People love to inject their own opinions and rationalizations into the Bible and, in doing so, neuter its message and strip it of its power. This passage leaves no room for any such nonsense.

It says if we love the things of this world, we don’t love God. There are no qualifiers, no exceptions, and no loopholes. The converse shows us how to navigate this life: if we love God, we will not love the things of this world. If you want to show your love for God, don’t love this world.

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Are You Exhausted?

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Are you exhausted? Everything about our modern culture seems to drive us to unattainable goals at unsustainable speeds. The 24/7 news cycle, social media, job and familial expectations, all keep us hurtling through time with little chance of stopping to figure out where it is we’re going. Today, exhaustion is both normal and a badge of honor. If you aren’t exhausted, you must be doing something wrong or missing out.

Of course, exhaustion is nothing new. Jesus was so worn out from doing the work of His Father that He was sleeping through a terrifying storm while reclining in a boat. (Mark 4:37–38) The disciples were so tired they couldn’t stay awake to pray with Jesus just hours before His execution. (Matthew 26:40–43) There are legitimate reasons for exhaustion, and then there is the inexcusable cause of indifference.

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