Walking With Christ

Today marks the one year anniversary of starting this group. We started with just three of us and have expanded to have more than 76 members between the internal and external groups. When I was first challenged to start a group like this, I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know what it would look like or how it would be received. I’m certainly not trained in this kind of thing. I haven’t been to any kind of school for it or studied, in a practical sense, under any specific mentor. I don’t feel that I have any special message to give to people. The only thing I knew for sure was that I was being challenged to be more bold in sharing my faith and my walk with others. I’ve shared my testimony in snippets here and there. This group has mainly consisted of nothing more than me sharing my walk with others as a testimony to what God is doing in my life and what He is showing me as I follow the path He set before me.

It’s hard to put into words how much this group has helped me grow. Being a part of this group has forced me to be accountable for making sure that there is a message waiting for people when they get into the office each day. This little push has encouraged me to actually start reading and studying the bible each day instead of every other day or every few days when I felt like it. That small change has made a huge difference in how I approach the Lord.

I know that the last year has seen dozens of prayer requests and even some miracles. Praise God for His good works. I don’t know what the next year will bring, but I’m looking forward to seeing what more God has in store for this group as we continue to lean in to what He has to say and as we continue to be bold in sharing our faith with each other in fellowship and love.

Today, I’m looking ahead and, to me, it seems that I’m the king of the mountain. I look out and survey all of the blessings that God has lain before me and I can only smile. It’s only when I turn around that I see that there really is so much more to do. I realize that my mountain is really just a mole hill in God’s plan.

This is the point where I have a choice to make. I can stomp my feet and complain about how unfair it is that others have climbed higher and can see more than I can. After all, I have worked so hard and overcome so many things, why should I be the one who is closer to God? I can try to tear down their higher places or knock them down to my level. I can fight against those who make it to my level and want to go higher. Then again, I can celebrate the blessings of those who are higher. I can celebrate that there is more for me to accomplish. I can celebrate that there are more blessings to see and that God is not done with me yet. I can celebrate those who make it to where I’m at and help them to get higher knowing that they will lean down to give me a hand up.

This is my race. I have a truly unique set of circumstances that create the challenges I will face during my race. Only God fully understands the path that I will have to take to make it home. Only by following Him will I see the end of that path. If I try to run the race meant for someone else then I will never be properly equipped to run that race. The challenges I face are uniquely designed to prepare me for the next steps in my journey. I don’t want someone else’s challenges and I don’t want them to rob me of mine because that experience is what I need to get to that next level.

Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.(ESV)

There is so much more to this particular section. I encourage you to go back and read the full chapter.

Philippians 2:3-4 (3)Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (4)Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.(ESV)

Fighting against the rise of others or keeping others down does not lift you up. It lowers the top of the mountain and ultimately reduces the blessings for all. Helping others up or even pushing others higher than you doesn’t reduce your blessings. It forms the framework for you to climb that much higher.

Simple relationship math: a burden shared is divided while a blessing shared is multiplied. Bringing unjust trouble to others multiplies curses and divides blessings.

Here’s to the next year.