As many of you know my close friend Mark Miller has been battling brain tumors for the last 3 years. It has become clear recently that he is now entering his final stages of the fight.

Mark has been a fighter. When he was told he would never walk again following surgery, He defiantly disagreed and walked. When he was given the statistics on the length of his life based on his diagnosis, he determined his mind to overcome the odds. When he was told his diagnosis would be fatal he was determined to live the impossible story and survive. Mark is a fighter.

One battle many people overlook is the spiritual battle. When your life takes an unreal turn and you find yourself confronting a deadly battle your conversations with God change. There are moments when you wonder why this is happening to you, moments where you are angry with God, moments when you pray without a lot of hope for answers, and moments where you question if God is real.

Although I am sure Mark went through many of these difficult moments, at the end of this battle he is living like Jesus is real. He is living like the promises of God are more than antidotes to life, but experiences to be anticipated. What Mark once saw as important in his life have taken a back seat to Jesus, family, and friends. On Mark’s facebook he writes,

“Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before, how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever.”

This statement is central to living like Jesus is real today. In your life, is Jesus someone you use for selfish gain, someone you turn to after you have exhausted all other avenues, a religious icon? Or do you live day in and day out like the life of Jesus is relevant to today and a guide to your life? Do you live your life with the life of Jesus at the forefront of your mind? When you make choices and build relationships, does the life of Jesus have any influence on your decisions. Jesus never intended for us to store our faith away so that one day we could spill it all out at his feet in heaven. Jesus intended for your faith to produce his life in our present world. Some times it takes tragedy to unleash the tangible story of Jesus into our own lives - Mark’s life has unleashed this power.

As I have watched and listened to Mark, I have been challenged to live like Jesus is real in every area; to have a faith that responds to the person of Jesus here and now. What good is it to store up all this faith for a future moment - faith is for the here and now.

In honor of Mark, more so, in honor of Jesus - will you live like Jesus is real?

Commit with me today to live like Jesus is more than a story in a book or a world wide religious icon.  Allow the kingdom of God, the reality of Jesus’ life, to be seen TODAY through you.

I am reading John Eldredge book titled, Epic - The Story God is Telling, and I have been struck, knocked over, hosed, whatever you want to call it! John talks about how all the stories told in our world (movies, books, etc) borrow from the real story. When we are impacted by a story-brought to tears, laughter, passion, conviction, motivation- it is because the story taps into the larger story of God and his intent and desire for creation. Stories speak to our “hearts deepest desires” and leave us wanting more. We long for the completion of God’s story in our world that is far beyond what a person can dream up and create. To truly embrace the longings of our hearts you would have to go “deeper and higher than any of them alone.”

“Christianity claims to that for us.

Not the Christianity of proper church attendance and good manners. Not the Christianity of holier-than-thou self-righteousness and dogmatism. Not another religion, thank you.

That is not Christianity. Oh, I know it’s what most people, including the majority of Christians, think Christianity is all about. They are wrong. There is more. A lot more. And that more is what most os us have been longing for most of our lives.”

The story that truly touches and impacts our hearts is the story of God. The story is written for you and you are the main character in the eyes of God. It has little to do with the measurements and formulas we have created in the modern day church. The great story of God has everything to do with a love that unleashes a life worth living.

5 Characteristics to Leading Well:

1. Maintain a vibrant, personal relationship with God to the end

Invest time and energy into your relationship with Jesus. I am not talking about a Sunday morning relationship where you count on the Pastor to give you a shot of Jesus. If you were stranded on an island without a church or any other people how would you invest into your relationship with Jesus? I am a huge believer in community and the church as a body of believers, but some times I think we substitute the church and the family of God as God. The church is God’s people but is empty and meaningless without a vibrant personal relationship with Jesus.

2. Maintain a learning posture and learn from various sources

A disciple is a learner and the moment you believe you know it all you cease being a disciple. I don’t care if you are stuffed full of Christian knowledge to the point of genius — there’s more to learn. The young must learn from the more mature and the older must humble themselves and learn from the younger generation. There are things I can learn from my Dad that no one else can teach me and there are things my Dad can learn from me that will impact his life. A leader never stops learning.

3. Live by identifiable goals. Practice self-control in your mind, will, and emotions.

Do you have any clue where you are going? When asked what the 2 top projects you are currently working on in your job or in your life are, do you have an answer? I am not talking about a broad answer with layers of BS — I am talking about a strategic direction and focus. At any moment your boss must be able to ask you what those projects are, what progress you have made in the last day, and you must have an answer. Develop a strategy for prioritizing and meeting your goals. The absence of a plan is a pathway to failure.

4. Maintain supportive, meaningful relationships starting with marriage and family

Do you fly solo? Does anyone know you intimately and personally? We were created by God to depend on one another to accomplish life’s greatest goals. We were created by God to depend on one another for happiness and fulfillment. We are not individuals, we are community. Open up your life, share your feelings, goals, ambitions, dreams, and failures with others. Transparency with the right people will develop intimacy and fulfillment. A strong leader at the workplace proves his depth by his relationships outside the workplace. Want to know who your leader really is? Head over and have dinner with his family.

5. Develop clear vision, strong convictions, great perspective, and a strong commitment to honoring God through daily surrender.

Take time to evaluate your journey. What has God been teaching you along the way. Write out your convictions, values, and mission’s statement. What is the greater purpose in everything I do? When I understand my mission or purpose statement then I can choose wisely how to spend my time and who  to spent it with.

(Paul D. Stanley and J. Robert Clinton, Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life)