Wednesday, January 11, 2006
WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT
Ephesians 5:8
In the old days of the frontier cowboys had the reputation of walking bow-legged. Even now, if you ever get a chance to see a rodeo, you can still see a fellow with a wide brimmed hat, moseying along on the outside edges of his boots, a little bowlegged. You know he's a cowboy! It's in the way he walks.
If you spend a little time reading the epistles of St. Paul, you'll notice an interesting thing: he's always talking about the way Christians walk -- their "walk in life". Christians are privileged to walk in the light of Christ's love and truth.
When I was a boy I thought John Wayne was very cool. I used to try to imitate his distinctive walk whenever I played cowboy or army with my friends. Sometimes we find ourselves imitating the world's walk, trying to fit in with the crowd. In this ungodly generation it is crucial that as believers in Christ we examine our behavior, our speech, our thoughts. Are we walking away from sin, or toward it? Are we striving to be imitators of God? Can people tell we belong to Christ by the way we walk?
No, it's not always easy. But what greater honor is there than to shine for the one who has shown such love for us?! Because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, we are free of sin's curse and on our way home to heaven! Through Him, we are God's cherished children. Let's not be afraid to show it in the way we conduct our lives! Who knows, maybe the next time someone sees you he'll say: "I know he's a Christian. I can tell it by the way he walks!"
