Our lives are more than just a collection of events; they are stories, testimonies of how we’ve encountered Christ; how we have personally experienced his presence, his strength, his grace in our day to day lives, in the midst of our trials and our sufferings. This understanding deeply influences our daily walk of faith. Our daily walk, is not about perfection but about consistency, faithfulness, trust, marked by effort and the Holy Spirit’s power. This is the crux of our witness to the world, the tangible manifestation of our faith in real life.
The Apostle Paul’s words resonate deeply when he urges us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. His plea is devoid of condemnation; it is a fatherly, tearful urging, akin to a parent guiding their child on the right path. This notion of ‘walking’ is not about physical steps but represents a slow, deliberate journey through life. It’s about progress, one step at a time, mirroring the patience and persistence of a father guiding his child.
Our Christian walk can be likened to a long hike, a purposeful, steady progression. It’s not a race or a sprint; it’s a consistent, one-step-at-a-time journey. God doesn’t seek sprinters who might quickly wear out but rather those who are steady and persistent. This walk is like a child’s growth, slow and often imperceptible day-to-day, but significant over time. It’s a call to faithfulness and steadiness, with very little immediate results. Walking is boring. It is the long route of travel and can be mundane. But God calls us to faithfully walk this slow tread, one step at a time, one day at time, one foot in front of the other, repeat. A journey of a 1000 miles starts with a single step. Like a child’s growth, progress is slow and many times change is only seen as look back over the period of years and decades instead of weeks or months.
Our walk with Christ requires reflection and watchfulness. God calls us to remember. In order to remember, we must look back and remember God’s deeds in our lives, acknowledging how He has guided us through different life stages. It’s about recognizing and learning from our past experiences, both the good and the challenging. Journaling can be a wonderful way of remembering and seeing how far your heart has come and to see your spiritual growth and maturity over the years as your fears change, your attitude changes and your relationships change.
The Apostle Paul emphasizes the importance of balance in our lives — equal weight to doctrine and practice in his call for us to walk “worthy”. The Greek concept of ‘axios,’ or worthiness, suggests a balance or equivalence in weight. In our Christian walk, this implies living a life that corresponds in value to the grace and calling we have received from God. It’s not about achieving perfection but about striving to reflect the glory of God’s grace through our actions and decisions.
Our walk with Christ is not just a personal journey; it’s visible to others. People watch our ‘tracks’ to see if we are true followers of Christ. Our walk is a public testament to our faith. As Christians, we bear the name of Christ, and our actions serve as a living testimony to those around us. This is reminiscent of the powerful message conveyed by the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients – the way they live their lives is a reflection of the honor bestowed upon them. Reread Ephesians chapter 1 and all the honor and privileges bestowed on us by God through Christ. How much more are we called to walk in a manner worthy of our high calling? To not do so, communicates to others and God that we attribute no value to our calling, to the great riches and benefits that God has so graciously bestowed upon us and that Christ has so lovingly sacrificed Himself for on the cross. We are unworthy. In a sense we will never be worthy, but as far as it depends on us, according to the grace and the strength God has even provided to us in addition so we could walk in a manner worthy of him, let us work out in faith what He is so powerfully working in us.
Consistently living out our faith is not easy. It requires effort, resolve, and the power of the Holy Spirit. It involves overcoming old habits, resisting worldly temptations, and staying consistent in an often unsympathetic world. This walk involves overcoming worldly temptations and maintaining a spiritual focus even in the midst of daily routines and challenges. The Christian life is not a series of high spiritual moments but a steady, day-to-day walk in faith.
Walking in a manner worthy of the Lord is a long journey much like as demonstrated in the beloved book “The Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan. It is marked not by perfection, but by our earnest effort to live in a manner that honors the call we have received. It’s a slow steady walk of faith, of growth, and of persistent dedication to the path laid out for us by Christ. It’s about reflecting the image of God in our daily lives, not for our glory but to honor Him. As we continue this study, let’s remember the significance of each step we take, grounded in faith and guided by love.
May His Word guide your steps, His love fill your heart, and His presence be your daily comfort.
