Christian Walking

Ephesians 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.

Walking is an important metaphor used by God and many authors in the Bible. Walking essentially is moving about or going through various phases of life. In the bible, we read about walking in darkness or valley of shadow of death etc.

In Deuteronomy 5:32,33 we read the state of Jews who were scared in listening to God and so, wanted Moses to do the mediation. Then God says that “Thou shall walk in all the ways God directs you”. This is the important instruction to them so that they would fear God and obey Him. The OT is a complete path God has defined for them to walk on. The condition is that they should not turn left or right and the reward is that they could live in the Promised Land for a long time.

Similarly, if we have to live in heaven for ever, then we have to walk again the in the ways that God wants us to live. However, it is not the OT now, but the ways the Holy Spirit guides us through.

Another stage is in Zechariah 3:7, if we walk in God’s ways, we do not just go to heaven, we get to govern as rulers.

Interestingly analyzing the word “walk” in the bible, we can see three types of walking.

1. Walking with God.

This is the very common phrase we see. Enoch, Noah walked with God (Genesis 5:22, Genesis 6:9).  There is an important thing we should see in Enoch’s life. It is documented that everybody else “lived” for so many years, Enoch “walked with God” instead.  Instead of living his personal life of pursuit of money or property he chose to walk with God.

One thing everybody usually think of giving up when serving God is family. But, it is clearly written that Enoch had sons and daughters and they grew up well while Enoch was walking with God throughout his life. So, walking with God does not mean an exclusive spiritual experience, but a lifestyle that has God’s involvement in all aspects.

As per Amos 3:3, two men walk together only when their destiny is the same. They have an agreement on where they are going and which way they take in their pursuit. Here, it is God with whom we are agreeing. God has already defined His way in the Bible. Walking with God is complete agreement with God and this is not just obedience we give Him. It is that we agree with God that His ways are right and perfect. We happily obey to His commandments when we walk with Him.

Another aspect of walking with God is that it is not only our desires are being shared with God, but also, we look for God’s desires and try to serve them outside our life. This should be an important characteristic of ministers. When walking closer with God, we should listen to His personal instructions to us and see wherever we can serve Him so that His name is glorified in this earth.

In Genesis 6:9, reading about Noah, it is documented that Noah was righteous and blameless in his time so that He could walk with God. This is a marvelous reward we receive when we stand apart in this world from its unrighteous ways. We may have everybody’s enmity and disgust. But the one who walks with us is the Almighty and He gives this reward only to a very few in each time.

2. Walking before God.

                Genesis 17:1, God instructions Abram after his 24 year long wait for the heir that “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless”. We can see similar sayings by Isaac (24:40) and Jacob (48:15).

                This is an idea God gives to Abram so that he could be blameless. “Walk before me”. This walk is very personal with God and receives instant instructions for each step. This is just like children are being monitored by their dads. We all have this wonderful opportunity of walking before God as He live inside us in the form of Holy Spirit. God also says that “I am God Almighty.” In earlier chapters of the book of Genesis, God wants Abraham to just go out of him home to become a new great nation. In chapter 15 God calls Himself that He is Abraham’s shield and his reward and so, he need not worry about anything. This was about the promise God will give Abraham after 25 years. For this promise to work, it is important that Abraham lives his life in front of God and God in turn mightily would help Abraham to be blameless. What a promise. Isaac and Jacob uses this term “God before whom I walked” for important tasks.

3. Following God.

                Similarly, Caleb is given a certificate that he followed God fully. (Numbers 14:24, Deut 1:36 and Joshua 14:8 and many other verses.) These are certain certificates God loves to give his own children. Caleb, from a whole generation of people who obeyed God, he followed God’s ways fully. There was no deviation whatsoever.

                Interestingly, in the gospels, whoever Jesus wanted to become disciples were called by this term only. “Follow me”. This instruction is specific and makes us realize that we were all wandering without a shepherd or a leader. Jesus’s primary instruction throughout His ministry was “follow me”. (Mathew 4:18-20). This following requires us to leave our priorities or anything that holds us back. This stage is slightly heavier in the NT. In the OT, God’s purpose was that we should fill the earth with His children and so, follow me was to follow Him with all his family and property. But in the NT, it is required (Luke 18:22, 23) that we leave them behind and follow Jesus. This is because of the sensitivity and importance of the calling.

                In Luke 9:59-60, we see Jesus calling everybody else to be dead men and that we have a very high calling and understanding that makes us alive than everybody else in the world. This calling makes us forsake our responsibilities too and pursue Him.

In John 12:26 Jesus says that we should follow Him wherever He is in order to server Him. This verse straightly points at persecution or following Jesus to the cross. Jesus wanted everybody to part take in His suffering as much as losing life itself.

This explains the method of Christian walking we read in Ephesians 4:1,2. A walk with lowliness, gentleness and all other characteristics that point towards self-denial and keep up the unity or fellowship. This kind of walking is blameless, always thinking about the master and walking before Him will result in the manner of walk we are called towards. This is the same thing Jesus says to Thomas in John 14:6, where Thomas was clueless on how to follow Jesus.  Here, the method is to consume Jesus, be filled with Jesus, long for Jesus and accept Jesus completely so that Jesus becomes our way.