Have you ever recognized someone from afar simply by his walk? It amazes me that, although all of us have two legs and the same general body structure, we are also so individual that we can be known by our gait. While this might not be as individual as other features, it is still a marker that we are unique.
The same is true of us spiritually. References to a man’s walk with the LORD line the pages of Scripture. The entire book of Psalms begins with this idea!
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! Psalm 1:1
Our spiritual walk is a marker as profound as our physical walk. It might not distinguish us individually, but it does indicate which camp we fall into spiritually.
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The World’s Camp. We might claim with our mouths that we belong to God, but if we walk just like the rest of the world, that gait will be distinguished even from afar. The world will acknowledge us as one of their own, and they will have no qualms about embracing what we say and teach. It might seem great to have this walk because we will have few enemies. Yet we will always be uncomfortable because we are not walking as we are created to walk. We’ll develop aches, pains, and limps from the strain.
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The Fence Camp. There are several different versions of this walk. Some people in this camp walk like the world sometimes and like Christ other times. Others in this camp have a rather lopsided gait, as if they are trying to master the walk of both other camps at the same time. For some, this camp is just a stop-over to and from solid residence in either of the other two camps. They spend their time here practicing the other gaits on for size to see which feels best. Ultimately, uncertainty is the driving characteristic of those who walk in this camp.
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The LORD’s Camp. Only those who walk the walk of Psalms 1:1 reside here. Or the walk of Psalm 15:1-2: O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart. Enoch had this walk. So did Moses and David. Oh, they made mistakes. Sometimes their walks seemed to waffle a bit. But, there was never uncertainty in their gait. When they began to stray toward the world’s camp, they knew it, and they turned back immediately. They never really spent any time in the fence camp. As we read their stories in Scripture, we see how we must walk if we are to be recognized as a part of this camp. The same is true of many other residents throughout history. Regardless of their struggles or even their failings, they walked the walk of Christ. Their gait was unmistakable.
I want my walk to be unmistakable. I make so many mistakes. I falter so often. I struggle daily. But I hunger for my gait through all of those mistakes, stumbles, and struggles to be clearly marked as that of one who belongs to Christ. I want to be recognized as His every time!
Not Quite Ordinary 