“…walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called…” Ephesians 4:1 NASB
One of the things I have come to enjoy as I get older is going for walks.
My favorite place to walk is along the California beaches, along the ocean. Everything is beautiful, the waves, weather, my favorite times are on chilly overcast days. I just love it.
I use the time to think, to watch the waves and ponder God’s glory and majesty. Often I use the time to reflect on my family, ministry and general outlook on life.
Living in the high desert of the Antelope Valley (AV), as I do, the beach is far away, well the water anyway – so I do not enjoy it as often as I would like.
But when I am around the ocean – I go walking no matter what – it is a joy for me to walk at the beach, not a chore.
Here in the AV, walks are of a different nature – the temperatures can be extreme, the winds a factor, often I come home with sand in my teeth and or ears, and occasionally we play dodge ball with large tumbleweeds.
The walk becomes more of a chore than a joy. Many days I will just get on the treadmill instead. That can be a chore in itself, but over time I have learned to read the Bible, a good commentary or a good book as I walk and it redeems the time and brings joy into the walk.
I actually look forward to the time on the treadmill because I know I will enjoy the time spent reading.
When we read through the book of Ephesians, Paul talks about the walk often.
In chapter 4 we are told to walk in a manner worthy of our calling – we are instructed to not walk in the dark, with a callous and hard heart.
Instead, we are told in chapter 5 to walk in love, and to walk as children of the Light, making the most of our time.
Often when reading through Ephesians we want to skip the first three chapters head to the last three for the application – the how to’s. But when we make the how to’s the purpose of our walk, it becomes a chore, we fail in our task.
Instead we should spend more time in chapters 1-3, immersed in the glory, grace and love of our Lord. Here the spirit renews our minds and hearts – transforming us into children of the Light.
Here we will find the joy, the purpose for our walk, to walk with Jesus, and show others the light – the gospel.
When Jesus becomes our purpose, we can learn to love and interact with our spouse, our children and others in a manner worthy of our calling, and learn to make the most of the time.
When we walk with joy, looking forward to the journey, our walk turns from chore to joy.
It becomes the joyful walk.
Until next time…keep reading!
Jim
Central Christian Church 
Thank you for this. Today, like many other days I pray to be more joyful in the every day struggles. This reinforced the calling we have to pursue. Have a blessed day Jim.
Sent from my iPhone
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“Here we will find the joy, the purpose for our walk, to walk with Jesus, and show others the light – the gospel.
When Jesus becomes our purpose, we can learn to love and interact with our spouse, our children and others in a manner worthy of our calling, and learn to make the most of the time.”
Jim,
Reading your blog about walking, my mind turned to my daily walk on the high school campus I teach at, Highland HS. As I walk from the parking lot to my class, I pass dozens of students. Some greet me and I reciprocate. Most I don’t know. Each one I see I think about their eternity and their relationship with Christ Jesus. As I consider their eternity I also lift each student up in prayer, I think to myself and wonder if I am the only person that has ever prayed for him or her. During passing periods, at lunch and after school I lift students and school personnel up to the Lord.
My walk on the campus – my walk with Jesus – is more challenging than the year before. When one thinks that the environment that students are subjected to can’t get any worse, our government and courts make it more difficult for students to thrive on campus. Differences between individuals and their allegence to a group or cause, violence and division causing friction and igniting fires that erupt on campus, off campus, or at a local park or field force students to “join or die.”
I would ask that each of us consider where we are walking (eg the mall, the store, getting our exercise) and consider individuals in our proximity and lift up a prayer for each face. As each of us does we will find purpose in our daily walk and walk in the light as Jesus and show others the light.
Thanks