How’s Your Walk?

Most of the times when we read the word “walk” in the Bible, the Bible is not referring to actually putting one foot in front of the other.  Walking is good for your health, but that’s not the kind of walking that God has in mind most of the time.  What the Bible usually refers to when we read the word “walk” is the word, “live”.  When we are told to walk in a certain way we are really being asked to live in a certain way.  In Ephesians chapter 4 Paul talks about “walking”.  Here is what he says in the first few verses:  I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, ² with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, ³ endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

There is a lot to unpack here but I just want to focus on two aspects of what Paul is saying.  Paul says that we are to walk worthy of the calling with which we were called.  Paul isn’t asking us to walk, or live, in a way that makes us worthy of the calling, but to demonstrate a life that reflects the change that God has made in our life through Jesus Christ.  None of us could ever live a life that would be worthy of our calling to Jesus Christ; not even close.  But, through the power of the Holy Spirit we can walk, or live, in a way that reflects the character of Jesus Christ.

Note the words that Paul uses to describe the way we are to live.  We are to live with lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love and endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit.  Words like lowliness and long-suffering are very humble words.  We are to walk in humility.  We are not to get angry or upset or impatient.  Because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives we have the ability to live in this manner.  There is another point that I’d like to make here and that is “we are never to walk alone”.   In order to walk in lowliness and gentleness and in order to bear with one another in love there has to be “another”.  The Christian walk, or life, is never meant to be lived alone.  We are always to be in relationship with other people.

So, how’s your walk?  The race does not go to the fastest but to the humblest (not sure if that is a word or not).  The race is not one to obtain a prize but to help a person.  If I can be of any help, please let me know.