By Rich Peterson
As Christians, our lives have been transformed by the love of Jesus Christ. Our life is no longer our own, for we have been bought at the considerable price of Christ’s sacrificial death. We are transformed because of His love; our lives ought to bear that out daily.
The Apostle Paul once wrote, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1). From another translation, we read, “Walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
What does a “life worthy of the calling” look like? It is likened to a walk.
- We are taking an abundant and eternal walk with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
- A walk that includes living according to his standards.
- A life of harmony with him and those around us.
- A life of doing our part within his wonderful family and in his created world.
A Walk.
It was a disaster the first time I tried to take my dog for a walk. The dog felt compelled to try and do everything within her power to get away from me. It was a wrestling match on every occasion. She would pull away from me as hard as she could. Then, I would try and pull her back into submission as hard as I could. The walks were not fun; they were a pain in the neck. For me – and most literally for my dog.
Then, I discovered a wonderful device in the pet shop called the “Gentle Leader.” The promotion on the back of the package read: “Working with the movements of the dog and working like the bit in a horse’s mouth – the Gentle Leader allows you to walk your dog with great ease.” (Yeah, right!)
But it worked!
Amazingly, it worked, and walking my dog became a joy. The difference was that she responded to my leadership – she didn’t respond to my leadership at all before.
How just like our walk with Christ!
Jesus desires to lead us, and we resist. He desires to lead us – gently – and we still resist. And the more we fight, the more difficult it is to walk with Him. But our walk with Jesus dramatically improves when we allow Him to lead.
Before my dog let me gently lead her, we tripped over each other. She would go one way, and I would go the other, and we were constantly struggling to keep pace with each other. Our relationship was strained because there was no clear leader.
Christ has declared Himself the leader of your life if you trust Him as Saving Lord – but he can’t lead unless you allow him to do so.
Are you constantly tripping up in your relationships? It might result from your tripping up in your relationship with God.
Slow down and simply walk today at the grace-filled pace of your Savior.
Discussion Questions:
On your social media, share your answer to one or more of these questions with the link to this blog. You can also leave a comment.
- What other verses in the Bible describe how we should walk with the Lord?
- How are you struggling in your walk?
- Ask other people to pray for you right now in your walk with the Lord.
Previous Devotionals
- Big Ears, A Smile, And A Happy Heart (click here)
- A Word of Challenge
- Authenticity in Barbie Land (click here)
- A Prayer To Our Holy Father (click here)
- Celebrate Our Great God (click here)
- Hit The Pause Button and Celebrate (click here)
- Jesus and Solitude (download here)
- The Practice of Solitude (click here)