Components of Walking
As believers, the concept of “walking” should have some significance to us in the context of our faith. When we think of walking, we think of steady, purposeful progression toward a destination. This movement is what “theWalk” is about; it is about growing and going toward the fulfilment of our purpose in God through the kingdom practices of discipleship and fellowship.
In seeking God for direction concerning this first series, I felt led to consider what is necessary for purposeful walking to take place, and these 4 steps were given:
- We first need a desire, to be in another location
- We need a path or plan by which we will get to that location
- We then need to move
- Finally, to reach our destination as we originally intended, we need to maintain the three previous steps
As these 4 areas are explored unveiled are some of the major concepts found throughout scripture and life.
Step 1 – Desire to be in another location
What force empowers or energizes our movement?
On what are our desires based?
I want to suggest that desire and action are birthed from the Hebrew concept of love, found in both words – “Chesed” and “Ahava”, the Hebrew words most often translated as love in the Old Testament.
To see why we have come to believe that love drives movement and action, we will look at “Ahava”, seeking to define and expound on it a bit and explore how this perspective of what love is, connects and motivates everything!
Step 2 – Choose the path
If the concept of love provides desire or passion needed to initiate movement, what then determines the path we take? Which areas do we travel and why?
We have determined that the paths we take or the choices we make are determined by our character, intelligence and ability. This intelligence isn’t cerebral alone but is both spiritual and physical in nature.
Who we are, what we are willing to do, our character, our talents, our experiences are all well enveloped in what scripture defines as glory.
Our glory then determines our path.
Step 3 – Move along the chosen path
Once the course is determined, what is it that affects movement along that path? What determines how fast we move or with what strength or assurance we move?
Another scriptural giant comes to mind that neatly gives the issue of movement context, Faith.
Faith drives us forward or backwards, expressing itself as the hope which pushes us forward or the fear which slows us down, brings us to a halt or ultimately pulls us back.
Faith also is intimately connected to love, as it is really an expression of whose glory we trust in to love us.
Step 4 – Staying the Course
Once moving, what causes us to stay on a particular path or to deviate?
It has been made clear that changes in what we love, in our glory and in our faith determine if the path we have started on will be the path we remain on.
Each affecting the other, love and its components affecting our glory, glory and what we ascribe glory to affecting our faith, faith expressing our hope and fears shaping and defining the love for those we interact with on the journey and determining where our next steps would be.
This interconnectedness gives rise to the spiritual concept of Seasons and Cycles.
Series Objective
This series allows us to introduce these mammoth topics and gives us insight into these concepts that have, do and will continue to shape every area of our existence.