Walk!

Walk!

Galatians 5:16 AMPC

[16] But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God)

Where I walk defines what I get or what happens to me. How I walk also defines what I can access. These are truths that impact my life and I must pay attention to, if I will also impact my world. Why is this walk important? A definition of walk is "move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn, never having both feet off the ground at once". Reflect on this for a bit. There is movement at a regular pace. It is not the once in a while movement, based on just desire to get something out of a situation. It is not the selfish desire to only move when there is an advantage to be had, or it is convenient for me. It is a regular move at a regular pace. It is not warm today and cold tomorrow. It is like an appointment to touch base at fixed periods in time. You do not walk aimlessly, as if you do not know where you are going; you walk like someone who is clear on purpose, impact, assignment and destination. 

You lift up and set down each foot in turn, never in a hurry to get to the destination, and willing to trust God every step of the way. You trust that each step is ordered by God and will take you closer to the purpose of God for your life. You are also not in competition with anyone else who is also on his/her walk with God. It is not a race to the finish line where there is a winner who takes the gold and all others take less-worthy medals. The only thing that counts in this walk is that I walk in line with the will of the One who called me to Himself and set my path out for me. What you do in your walk with God is yours; we are headed in the same direction but we will walk our separate ways in order to get there. One thing that is quite clear here is that my walk must line up with the direction of the Spirit of God. How can I claim to walk with God and my life looks nothing like someone who knows or has seen God? 

This is where the second part of the verse above applies to me. My walk cannot be in line with the desires of the flesh, because that path does not in any way lead to the discovery and fulfillment of God's purpose for my life. Walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit are two different and parallel realities. You cannot walk in both at the same time, and you cannot play both sides as and when it suits the narrative at the time. Both have earthly and eternal consequences, defined by masters in their own rights. As I feed one or allow one to thrive, the other dies off slowly. However, as long as one is in the human body, I have the opportunity to decide which one I will feed and which one will starve. This is not a decision to be taken lightly. If the desire is to please God and end up with Him, my walk must match that desire. The human nature will not let go, until and unless it is met with a greater force. That force is God, if you will let Him. He wants to help. Let Him. God's time of favour is here.