Do you walk this way? Or that way? Do you walk the talk?Think about the way you walk. Do you have a distinctive and identifiable silly walk — like the one John Cleese performed in an episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus?
Do you stride, swagger, swing, spring, strut, shuffle, waddle, ramble, amble, or scuff the soles of your shoes? Your gait is you.
So, how’s your walk with God? What is your Faith gait? Do folks recognize you by your faith gait? They’ll know we are Christians by our love, goes the chorus. They’ll also know that we’re Christians by the way we live, by the way we talk, by the way we walk and by the way we walk the talk. I once saw thison a T-shirt: Exercise Your Faith … Walk with Jesus
If our faith is real, if we are “exercising it” observers will sense it; they’ll see and experience it. Paul is describing a truly graceful Christian walk in 2Thessalonians 1:3
“We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.”
In fact, Paul goes so far as to boast about these believers to other Christians, telling of their “steadfastness and faith” during persecutions and afflictions. (2 Thess. 1:4) In other words, these Thessalonian Christians are talking right and they’re walking right. They walk like Christians.
Our Faith walk is a journey. Our faith walk is never complete, at least not until we live fully in God’s Presence. In the meantime, we perpetually remain in the faith-development stage, working out the kinks in our faith walk.
Everybody knows somebody with a unique and distinctive way of walking. It’s how they swing their arms, or how their body leans, or the shuffle, or stride, or some combination of these and other factors. You might even be able to recognize exactly who a certain person is by their walk, all because you recognize their gait.
Our faith walk is recognizable. Our faith walk is just as recognizable — up close, at a distance, or even when our backs are turned away. How we behave, how we act, and what we do, speaks volumes about who we are, to those around us, and specifically identifies the quality, reality and the depth of our faith in God. Do we squabble? Do we backbite? Do we gossip? Are we mean-spirited? Or, are we kind, merciful, generous, patient, charitable, compassionate, uplifting, showing love as often as we can?
Our faith always shows through. Some may see our faith from particular angles. They may see our compassion and charity as we make strides feeding the hungry. They may see our endurance as we stand up voicing unpopular but faithful opinions in the face of opposition. They may witness our love for one another as we seek to support each other in troubled times, when we work for justice, peace and equality, or when we take the time to help a person in need.
If our faith is truly all about love, then we are called to live it, and to walk the walk of love every day to the best of our ability and with all our intention. Our faith is seen in our love for each other, in our forgiveness, patience, endurance and steadfastness even in the face of persecutions and hardships.
We are called to walk this way by Christ Jesus, who was and is the way, the truth and the life.
When we walk in Christ’s way — as unique individuals, each with our own style, from many places, and with many points of view, and we do this with grace, love, integrity and intention, then we will be walking the GOSPEL WALK!
Pastor Tim
