You can tell a lot about someone from the way they walk. The way you walk is something of an indicator as to your life story and your current state of mind – your age, health, mood, and tension level to name a few. Is someone skipping for joy, dragging in the dumps, in a hurry, not in a hurry, or nursing an old athletic injury like a sore back or damaged knee? You have a particular way of walking that comes, in part, from your parents, which is then added to by your life history, and is finally influenced by what’s happening to you at the moment.
In the Bible, the metaphor of walking is often used to describe your manner of life. How you “walk” tells a story about your life. What choices you make, the words you use, the places you go, how you spend your time, money… Each choice is a step along the path of life that reflects who you are, where you’ve been and where you are headed. Eph. 4:1. “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthyof the calling to which you have been called…” How you “walk” is a testimony of the power of Christ in your life. A good friend of mind wrote a song that goes like this… “Your talk talks and your walk talks. But your walk talks louder than your talk talks.”
Now take that unique gait of yours and try to walk hand in hand with someone else. Valorie and have been walking together now for 28 years and we still have to stop and adjust until we get into a rhythm. How do you do that? You shorten or lengthen your stride. You stop and smell the roses that you might not if you were walking by yourself. You make room when passing obstacles. You learn to anticipate the steps of the other person and do what it takes to keep moving forward together! Anyone who has tried doing this knows it’s not easy and that it gets much more difficult when the way is steep, and the road is narrow!
So, how’s your “walk”? Are you limping along or nursing on old injury? Are you persevering through a long uphill battle or coasting along in a sweet downhill stroll? Who are you walking WITH in your life journey? Do you have someone to lean on?
On Sunday we’ll see Paul’s challenge for us to live life together. Notice all of the plural words! Only let your (plural) manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you allor am absent, I may hear of you (plural) that you allare standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel… Phil 1:27 The following Sunday we’ll see God’s resources to help us step together.
We’ll also get to hear some amazing testimonies that go along with baptisms! And, we’ll have an exciting update on Valley Church deacons. I’ll look forward to seeing you there.
Together for the Gospel,
Kurt Jones