Ok… this will be the final devotional on WALKING:)… I promise.
In many ways, these weekly devotional thoughts are nothing more than me putting pen to paper as to what God is teaching me or taking me through, and as of late, I’ve been learning how to WALK WITH GOD through WALKING.
For today, this will be less devotional and more confessional.
At my age (52), I ‘feel’ like I should be further along in my walk than I am. Meaning, I should be less ‘judgy’ and way more compassionate, merciful, and gentle. I should not get as easily ‘rattled’ and worried and freaked as I do. And offendable, well, I should be much more UNOFFENDABLE by now.
I’m guessing I’m not the only one who feels like this? I’m guessing at some level all of us ‘feel’ as if we should be further along in our walk than we are. I’m guessing we’d all be able to say that we’re no longer where we once were which is good, but where we are today, well, I’m guessing we’d all love to be further along than we are.
For me, pride, selfishness, fear, sadness, lust, covetousness… all of these are certainly better than years back, but they are still present. I kind of thought by now, they’d either be gone or almost gone… do you know what I mean?
But in the midst of thinking about my walk and where I ‘wish’ I were… where I thought I’d be, God’s been teaching me to be ‘ok’ with where I am. I’m not ok with sin, not at all, but I’m ok with where God has me. And here’s why I say that…
GOD WALKS WITH US WHERE WE ARE NOT WHERE WE WISH WE WERE
If my heart and head are consistently dreaming of the places that I’d love to be spiritually speaking, I’ll miss completely what God is seeking to do in my life in the place He has me walking.
To be super clear here, this does not mean we excuse or dismiss sinful thoughts, ideas, patterns or behaviors as ok, not at all. All sin, regardless of the sin must be met with repentance.
So yes, take sin seriously, but take just as seriously where God has you walking right now. In other words, pay attention to what God is allowing you to walk through. Pay attention to how you're reacting and responding to the place the LORD has you walking right now.
If you’re filled with anxiety, or anger, sadness, or discontentment, well, it’s a good chance God is seeking to grow you in those places. If you’re walking in a place of feeling blah, or indifferent or confused, well, that is not an easy place to be walking but don’t miss what the LORD has for you in that place.
I’m thankful for what God has been teaching me through walking. As I ‘confessed’ above, I’m not where I’d like to be… I’m not where I thought I’d be at this age, but regardless, I’m thankful and here’s why.
GOD WALKS WITH US WHERE WE ARE IN ORDER TO LEAD US TO WHERE HE WANTS US TO BE.
God is not at the finishing line waiting for me or you to show up. Every step we take, He takes with us. So, keep walking. Literally, get out there each day and take walks with God. Enjoy His presence with every step you take. Walk confidently knowing that God is conforming you and I to look more and more like His Son with every step we take.
And thankfully, the LORD walks with us at our pace which is three miles an hour.
