Learning to Walk

My grandson is at the stage where he is getting ready to walk.  He’s been ‘cruising’ for a while and walking while holding to someone’s hands and now he is standing on his own.  It’s such an exciting time.  I love to see babies when they first start walking and their legs are short and they’re really not sure how to make them work correctly.  It’s just plain cute. 

I saved a picture that my DIL sent me the other day of the grandbaby standing by himself on my phone as the screen saver. 

I looked at it this morning and I was just thinking about how cute he looked standing there and how ‘big’ he looked when a strange thought hit.  I wondered if God watches us and cheers us on as we’re learning to walk.  I wonder if He thinks we’re cute or if He is shaking His head because we’re just not getting it.

The Bible says in 3^rd John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”  Although it is hard to imagine, I think God enjoys watching us learn to walk.  Just as we watch in awe as our babies take their first steps and we try to pad their falls, I think God does the same.  In Proverbs 2:7, the Bible says, “He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous:  he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.”  He is our shield as we learn to walk like Christ; just as we shield our babies from falling.

Learning to walk as a Christian is definitely a process.  I’ve been saved for a long time, but sometimes I feel that I’m still a baby Christian.  Sometimes my steps definitely get twisted.  Sometimes it gets hard to get back up and go again.  I think about that song, “Lord, I Can’t Even Walk Without You Holding My Hand” and I wonder if sometimes we try too hard to do it on our own.

If we follow the Bible, we can learn to walk.  The Bible is full of instructions.  We just need to remember that when we fall, we’ve got to get back up and try again.  When we learn to walk His way, He will bless us.  In Psalms 84:11, the Bible says, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield:  the Lord will give grace and glory:  no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

Here are a few things to remember in your WALK.

W-Isdom

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

One of the best things that we can do as Christians is to get wisdom.  The only way we will do that is through praying and studying our Bibles.  Then when we get that wisdom, we are to share it so that our time here is not wasted.  How can we walk like Christ if we don’t know how He walked?  It is very important to study to walk like Him.

A-bound

1 Thessalonians 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. So then while we’re studying and getting that wisdom, we need to strive to please God in our walk.  He will be pleased when we follow the instruction manual.

Have you ever tried putting something together without the instructions?  Have you ever messed something up so badly without following the instructions that it was damaged?  Unfortunately, that happens to Christians when they try to walk on their own.  They get put together wrong and they can’t be used the same as if they were put together correctly.  God says that He will bless our efforts if we walk correctly, but we can only do that if we are following the Manual.

L-ove

Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. While you are working hard to study and to follow the manual, don’t forget the ones around you.  It’s easy to get busy and distracted and to forget to spread a little love and kindness.  Love people, take time for them and show them God’s love through the little things.  It doesn’t take much to let someone know that you love them.  

K-eep the paths of the righteous

Proverbs 2:20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. There are many examples of the Christian walk in the Bible.  Look at the book of Hebrews, in chapter 11 and you will see a whole list of godly men and women. 

The best example we have, of course, is the Lord Jesus.  If we follow the example that He left for us, I believe that God will enjoy watching us learn to walk.  I would like to think that I could put a smile on His face.  Don’t you want to please Him? 

Walk according to the manual and you will please God with each step.