Learning to Walk!

Last week our grandson Jesse turned one year old. Not only that, but Jess has also become a walker!  It wasn’t like he just got up on his first birthday and ran across the room. Rather, for the past month or so he was taking a couple of steps here and there. Then, a couple of weeks ago, while we were together on vacation, he would take anywhere from five to ten steps to get to where he wanted to go, eventually going back to crawling.  When we saw him this past week, however, just after his first birthday, he had made walking his main mode of transport, getting up on his two feet, wobbling, and even running to get to where he wanted to go.  

It’s an amazing process watching a baby move from crawling to walking.  They often begin by learning to stand and then transferring themselves from one place to another by holding onto furniture or whatever they can get their hands on. They may take the hands of someone nearby to help them move from one point to another. Soon they begin to take some small steps from one piece of furniture to the next. And as their confidence and balance begin to take hold they get daring enough to walk across a room. Before you know it, the child has gone from being a crawler to being a walker. Such has been the case for our grandson, Jesse.  

Many times the Bible refers to our spiritual lives as a “walk.” We are told to “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16),  “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7),  “walk in the truth” (2 John 1:4), “walk in obedience” (2 John 1:6), “walk in love” (2 John 1:6).  The Apostle Paul wrote, “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us….” (Ephesians 5:2 – NIV)  But who of us is able to walk on day one? 

In a very real way, the process I described above is much like the process we must go through in our spiritual lives. At the start we need a lot of help. We are dependent upon people around us to steady us and to help us move forward from point A to B in our walk with Christ. But if we are growing and maturing as we ought, we will become much more independent and thus take much more responsibility for ourselves and our spiritual walk. As time goes on, we will gain confidence enough to be able to say to others, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) It’s not that we don’t need the people around us any longer, it’s just that we are not totally dependent upon them for we have gained confidence, balance, and a maturity that allows us continue to grow and walk with Christ on as we learn to take responsibility for our relationship with him—and, as we are now able to help others learn to walk! 

May the Apostle John’s words apply to each of our lives: “It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.”  (3 John 1:3 – NIV) 

Have a great day! 

- Pastor Tim Harris