For the past year or so I’ve worked with small children (5 and under). One of their big struggles is walking inside the classroom. They always want to be the first to whichever area they want to play in, or the first to choose a seat at our lunch table, the first to line up at the door to go outside.
To help them out, we use the phrase “walk like a turtle” hoping they’ll slow to a walk, but not dawdle and keep everyone waiting.
Today as I was reading Ephesians 4 and 5, the verb “walk” jumped out at me.
Have a walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called (4:1)
You should no longer walk in hopeless confusion (4:17)
Walk in love (5:2)
Walk as children of the light (5:8)
Walk carefully, not as fools, but as the wise. (5:15)
It was such a good reminder that this life isn’t a sprint. It’s too long for that and you’ll burn out too quickly. It’s a walk. But not just any kind of walk. There’s purpose, forward movement, and a need to be careful.
Our daily lives need to be lived in such a way that people know God’s character based on our actions, attitudes, and conversations. When I finish this life – will God look at me and tell me I’ve been worthy of His name? Will He tell me I loved well?
And God doesn’t want His children walking in hopeless confusion. He guides. He directs. He doesn’t leave anyone out there just wandering around IF they are listening. He will let us take our own paths.
His Word isn’t written to make life terrible for us. Or boring. Or about rules and regulations. Just like we don’t tell our kids to “Walk like a turtle” to make their life awful. It’s for their protection. The Bible is for our protection. To help us have life abundantly and not cut short.
What will your walk look like today?
