Pastor’s Corner: “Let’s Take a Walk”
1 John 2:6 (ESV) – 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
A number of years ago we acquired a treadmill for our home. No, it wasn’t the result of getting sucked into a late-night infomercial’s claims. It was a generous gift from some close friends. We heard that if you walk three times a day at a brisk pace, it can help keep you in good shape physically. You may not move as quickly as you move when you are running, but walking is a regulated motion, and as you do it, you make progress. You move forward gradually. For some who do not like the extreme of the elements, the treadmill provides a more convenient way to walk in the comfort of your own home and out of the weather. Our hope was that this would help us be more consistent so we could stay on track to remain healthy. We need all the help we can get!
For a while, we did what we said we would do and stayed on track. We walked on the treadmill many times a week, and our health and fitness levels were good. But pretty soon, the treadmill became more like a piece of sculpture sitting in the corner. It was only looked at, and it gathered lots of dust. This same thing can happen in our “Walk in Faith”. Our walk with Christ can end up just like our Bibles, gathering dust on our bookshelves or coffee tables, affecting our Spiritual Health.
Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked – 1 John 2:6 (ESV). Walking with God is a picture the Bible often uses to describe the Christian life. If we want to abide in Jesus, we must walk as He walked. Colossians 2:6 “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” And in Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Again and again the Bible tells us that we need to walk with God. It’s something we need to commit ourselves to. This is no small thing. Amos 3:3 gives us an important aspect of walking with God: “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” Do you agree with what direction God is going in your life? In the original language, the term together carries the concept of two people moving as a single unit. To walk with God means moving together as a single unit, united toward the same goal. We are putting our strength toward the same end. We are moving together at the same pace.
HOW CAN WE DO THIS? Galatians 5:16 “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” We all live in the flesh, so we will struggle with the desires of the flesh until we get to heaven. But we can bring these desires under the Holy Spirit’s influence. It is a choice to surrender control to the Spirit of Jesus who lives inside of you. “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Notice that the apostle Paul doesn’t say we won’t have the desires of the flesh when we walk in the Spirit, but that we won’t carry out those fleshly desires. Walking in the Spirit is similar to being filled with the Holy Spirit. Walking implies that the Spirit is going somewhere—there’s a destination. He always goes to the same place, to that which brings God glory. In contrast, the flesh is always moving to that which will please itself. Walking is continuous. Like the filling of the Holy Spirit, our walk in the Spirit is ongoing, so we must maintain our dedication. You do not have to do this alone. God has left us a helper, His amazing Holy Spirit. He is like our own personal health coach empowering us and spurring us on. Do not be discouraged; just continue taking one step after another.
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton