Learning to Walk...

"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving." 

Colossians 2:6-7

     We all were taught to walk. Gripped within our parent's hand, we put one foot before the other, and in a stumbled learning, we came to walk. These feet were quick to go where our mind pleased, and sought to always be the first in line. We walked in selfishness and upon the pathway of the world until we came to Christ. Colossians tells us that we are to "walk in Christ". 

Certainly we understand walking, but what does it mean to walk in Christ?

     I think of a child learning to walk, they feel confident to move forward because they know the hand they hold is rooted firm and will not let them fall. They have a proper understanding of the one they are holding onto, that this one is in control, and will teach them; with each trip, a strong grip. The child trusts the teaching technique of the parent. The parent's love and control gives them the confidence they need to be established with each step.

     I want to propose a thought…perhaps many of us never learn to "walk in Christ" because we fail to have a proper understanding of the way He teaches us. We fail to trust the technique of His Fatherly grip. We commonly fail to see His lessons coming through solid, firm, hands of love. We see trail and falsely accuse it to be a misfortune instead of a blessed in disguise.

As a Father, God seeks to train His children to walk in the new life of Christ. He seeks to train our feet to move along the selfless path of self-denial, because it is the path to abundant life.

The problem lies not in our feet to learn, but in our mind to trust His ways of teaching.

The child must trust the hands that are holding them up.

The hands of God are sovereignty.

We commonly want to be held by Him, but falter in our end of holding on when the road gets rough.

He never ceases to hold us, working out His sovereign will in our life, but we commonly let go and miss out on the blessings of the testings along the way. There are lessons within each rough step.

     You see, endarkened clouds are often His blessings being formed for the reaping.

We see the sun hidden, He sees the fruit of the rain upon His planting.

Trusting His sovereign hands means trusting Him in the sun and rain, trusting that what He allows you to lack is that which He desired for a better purpose to come. 

Do we honestly think He sovereignly wove a plan throughout history's centuries to save our lives from sin, to just let what may happen in the present? His sovereignty changes not. He accomplishes His will through all things in this life. Truly He is a God who works all things together for good to those who are in the center of His will, to those who are walking in obedience to His call.

If He called you and you answered, walking in obedience, you can trust that each step of the way will be directed by His hand of blessing. Every difficulty and trail that will encounter the believer is first filtered through His sovereignty and turns into a blessing for thee.

     This life was never promised to be smooth, but He has promised to teach your feet how to walk through.