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April 11, 2011
Are You Walking the Walk?
Laura MacCorkle, Senior Editor
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:6, NIV
About five or so years ago I bought a treadmill for my home. No, it wasn’t the result of getting sucked into a late-night infomercial’s claims. It was simply the by-product of some cost-cutting measures.
You see, I had just moved into my first home and had just paid my first mortgage payment. Realizing that something had to quickly go in the ever-dwindling budget, I decided to cancel my gym membership. And thus, the treadmill was purchased so I could work out more inexpensively—and more conveniently—in the comfort of my own home.
For a while, I did what I said I would do and what I said I believed: I walked on the treadmill many times a week, and my health and fitness level were good. But pretty soon, the treadmill became more like a piece of sculpture sitting in the corner. It was only looked at, and it gathered lots of dust.
Well, my shake-up, wake-up call came many months later at my annual exam with my doctor. She noted that I had gained a few pounds since the last visit and that my cholesterol level was too high. Well, to say I felt like a failure is an understatement. I cried and was upset with myself, because I knew I hadn’t done what I said I would do, and I was left with a poor lifestyle and declining health.
I vowed to make exercising and a better diet a higher priority in my life. And now, many years later, I’m pleased to say that I’ve kept to my word and feel so much better. I walk (or run) on my treadmill every other day, and I don’t have to dust it nearly as much as I used to. And that’s a bonus!
A few years before this diet and exercise regimen transformation, I had a spiritual shake-up, wake-up call of sorts. After reaching a low point in my life and coming to a crisis of faith, I made a decision: I have to live what I believe. I have to walk with the Lord. Only he can heal me and renew and reenergize my spirit.
I think I had been stuck sitting in life’s “recliner” for many years before then, just watching others exercise what they believed and seeing them growing strong in their faith. I wanted what they had, and I wanted to be filled with the joy of the Lord as well. I knew what I needed to do. I knew I needed to get in God’s Word and start building some spiritual “muscle.” But I just wasn’t doing it. I wasn’t walking the walk.
Slowly but surely, though, the Lord drew me closer. I joined a Bible study and began reading more Scripture. I listened more intently to the sermons at church. I began asking questions to older, more seasoned, believers. And God met me everywhere I took a step in order to deepen my relationship with him.
What about you? Are you living with purpose and walking the walk today? Or are you stuck in “recliner” mode in your life and wishing you would feel better inside? If you are willing, God will help you take a step toward greater spiritual health as you seek to truly live in him.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Meditate on this verse—and the blessings from walking with the Lord—from the great hymn, “Trust and Obey,” by John Sammis and Daniel Towner:
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Further Reading:
Psalm 25:4-5, NIV
Proverbs 20:24, NIV
1 John 1:7, NIV
