The Christian Life as a Walk
The Bible often uses the metaphor of walking when it refers to the Christian life. Some of my favorite verses that use this metaphor are listed below. Take a few moments and reflect on these verses:
Romans 6:4 – “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
2 Cor 5:7 — “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
Galatians 5:16 — “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
Colossians 2:6 — “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”
1 John 2:6 — “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”
So now, for just a few moments today as you start your week, consider your Christian life in terms of walking, and let’s ponder some of its implications and questions.
What are you walking towards? Just as you have an end goal when it comes to a physical journey, so we ought to have an end goal when it comes to our spiritual journey. We know that we will ultimately be with Christ Jesus our Lord one day, but have you recently considered where you want to be spiritually before you see Jesus? For sure, none of us know the day or the hour when we will leave this earth, but it would be an excellent exercise to consider where we would like to be spiritually five years from now, ten years from now, and so on. Right now, take a few minutes and consider where you want to be spiritually in a few years and ask God to help you accomplish that in your spiritual walk with him.
Prayer to pray: “God, by Your grace, help me to become….”
Who are you walking with? Whenever you go on a trip, you must consider who’s on the journey with you. After all, who you are with determines the speed you will go, the amount of risk you are willing to consider, the number of stops you will have to take, etc. These things are also true spiritually. One thing to not forget is this: the spiritual journey is not meant to be walked alone. As tempting as it might be to walk spiritually alone, our command from God is to stay committed to the body of believers of which we are part (Heb 10:25). The Christian life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon, and this marathon is much easier when we stay with the pack.
Prayer to pray: “God, would you give me the companions I need to walk this journey well, and God, help me be a good companion to others.”
How will you continue to walk when you face difficulty? No journey I have ever been on has happened without unplanned bumps along the way. To make it to your destination, you have to learn how to keep going even when bumps happen. If you aren’t able to hurdle obstacles quickly and easily, they will rock you or even stop you when they come. As a pastor for many years, I have often seen people lose their way when trials come. But I have also seen many thrive during very similar difficulties. The difference, I believe, has been the depth of their trust in God and their resolve to finish well. Don’t expect God not to give you trials, but instead ask God for the courage and strength to handle them when they come.
Prayer to pray: “God, when trials come, give me the courage to trust you during them and the strength to persevere through them.”
Pastor Travis