Faith Walk
I have always felt that I’ve gained more by my additional years of life than I’ve lost. Sure, I’m not as active now as when I was 20, but that’s ok. I remember at 21, I was out with friends until 3am, I came home at got up to work as a security guard in an armored truck at 5am (I was a fill in security guard). Today, I rarely start anything after 7pm. On the positive side, I think I have more patience and wisdom than I did back then. That seems like a fair trade off.
I can’t say that I care for my bodies lack of ability to bounce back like it did those many years ago. And there have been some accumulated wear and tear effects that I’m dealing with. I remember making fun of how “old” people constantly talk about their ailments and today, I shake my head at myself when I catch myself doing just that.
But what I really focused on this morning was the concept of a faith walk. Not what a faith walk is but why the word “walk” is associated with faith and time. To me, a walk is different than a run. A run happens so fast that you can’t afford to focus on anything but the finish line. A walk still gets you to your destination but you can appreciate some of the sights along the way. A run is a high stakes effort where the smallest of mistakes can cause you to lose the race or, worse yet, collapse and hurt yourself. When you are walking, if you stumble a little, you usually can recover from it. A run is so focused that you can’t deviate from the planned path while a walk isn’t as preplanned focused. I’ve been on many walks where I’ll stop and look at a creek or similar.
But most importantly, at least for me, is that when you are walking, you can slow up or speed up, sometimes at your own control and other times because of outside influences. I’ve always felt that my faith walk was more like the song that tells you to take 2 steps forward and one step back or getting lost driving in a subdivision where you take random streets until you eventually get to where you are going. Or maybe like driving a daily route through a road construction site where the prep seems to take forever and the new road seems to pop out of nowhere after that long prep period.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.” - Hebrews 12:1-6, 12-17 ESV
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” - 2 Timothy 4:1-7
Lord, I pray with all my heart that you work with me and through me so that I can continue and grow in my faith walk. Let me focus less on myself and more on you in everything I say and do.
