“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.” Genesis 6:9 (NIV)
What does it mean to “walk with God” as Noah did? The literal translation for “walked” is exactly what it says: to go, come, walk. But we know that God did not physically “walk” with Noah. So, the question begs to be asked, how did Noah “walk” with God?
Walking is part of our everyday life. We walk to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. We walk across the street to pick up the mail. We walk from our car to the grocery store, then up and down each isle to get what we need. We walk for exercise. Almost everything we do that requires us to go from point A to point B requires that walking is a part of that process.
I have always been considered a “brisk” walker. I like to think that I walk with purpose: get where I’m going in the shortest amount of time. Jon often teases me about it because he is more of a “casual” walker. When I’m by myself, this is never a problem. However, when we’re walking together, it is difficult for me to slow down enough to match his pace.
Recently, as I began to consider how Noah “walked” with God, I started asking myself some very direct questions. In my reflection, I noticed some surprising similarities.
Do I get ahead of God? I can recall times in my life when I’ve been impatient with God’s timing and attempted to move things along at my own pace.
Do I sacrifice the intimacy & fellowship of the journey in order to get more quickly to the destination? Walking with someone can be a great time to talk. Having that companionship can make the journey more interesting and fulfilling. It takes the physical exercise of walking and also provides the bonus of relationship building.
Do I walk at a pace that is unhealthy for me? If you’ve ever had a treadmill test, you know that the Doctor will increase the speed and intensity of the machine all the while asking you questions. Their goal is to see at what setting does your ability to have a conversation while walking cease. At that point, your heart is working hard and it’s not healthy to maintain that pace for a prolonged time period.
This same principal can be applied to our spiritual walk. Sometimes we set a pace that can be unhealthy for our spirits. Practically this can include over extending ourselves in service, trying to be involved in everything going on, packing out schedules so full that we don’t have time for prayer, devotions, spouses, kids, and physical rest.
For me the answer to these three questions was yes, yes and yes. So how do we go about changing our spiritual pace? We go back to the Source. God has already provided us with all of the answers we need.
In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, God reminds us that He not only created a time, He created seasons for everything. When we push through for something in the wrong season, we end up frustrated and discouraged. We need to remind ourselves to trust His timing.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."
Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds me that God will direct my steps – but I have to keep pace with Him.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (NIV)
Finally, in Matthew 6:31-33 we’re reminded that the most important thing for us to concern ourselves with it our relationship with God. There will always be a million things clamoring for our attention, but this verse comes with a promise…..
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans (those without faith) run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (NIV)
In the coming days and weeks I challenge you to examine your own walk. Ask yourself the hard questions. Then make a plan to slow down your pace, enjoy the journey, and practice “walking” with God.
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