It has been at least three decades since I was presented with the idea of “walk worthy!” One of my mentors shared this verse in 1 Thess 2:12: so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. It came at a time in my business and personal life when I was asking God the question of, “What do You want me to do?”
Later on, I discovered the same concept in Eph 4:1: Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,…
The Apostle Paul has just completed the doctrinal portion of the Book of Ephesians in which he has shared who we are in Christ, and what we have in Christ. Then, he says, Therefore… in light of what I have just shared, here’s what I want you to do – walk worthy! Paul tells us in Ephesians 1 that we have been chosen before the foundation of the earth by God the Father, redeemed by God the Son, and sealed by God the Holy Spirit. He tells in chapter 2 that He has works that He has chosen us to do, and that we are a part of His church. All of this is by His grace – unmerited favor. Then, Paul tells us, conduct your lives in a manner that is commensurate with the gifts you have received!
Paul shares a bit more in Col 1:10: …so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;…
We learn that this worthy walk pleases God, it consists of bearing fruit, and it exhibits an increase in our knowledge of Who God is, and what He knows. Knowledge of God is experiential and comes from understanding, which is the application of wisdom, the discernment of good and evil. We learn wisdom from God’s Word, the Bible, and we gain understanding as we obediently apply that scripture in our lives. The result is that we know Him experientially and develop an intimate relationship with Him.
King David experienced that in his own life, so he imparted it to his son, Solomon in 1 Kings 2:2-3, which says, “I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn,…
Be strong, act like a man, walk in God’s ways. That’s accomplished by obedience to God’s Word. The result is that elusive word, “success!”
The prophet, Micah, shares in Mic 6:8, He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah indicates that walking worthy is about treating our fellow man properly, as well as relating to God in a humble manner. Certainly, we can see, Love God, Love People, in his admonitions.
So, what does this look like as we end 2019 and move into 2020? How does it look as we ponder the meaning of Christmas, which, in the world’s terms, is certainly not about worshipping a Savior?
I encourage you to take some time to talk with God about how He would have you walk, right now, tomorrow, and next year.