Walk. Don't Run.

"STOP RUNNING!  WALK!".  This is a reoccurring theme around our house these days, since we have a 4 and 2 year old in the house.  It seems like every time I turn around, you are telling them to stop running.  I wish I had a tape recorder so that we can play it instead of repeating it over and over again, however as my wife has reminded me, they are learning through repetition.

So what's the big deal with running?  Nothing at all, when it's done at the appropriate time.  When you are participating in a sport, most of the time it requires you to run. If you are in a classroom, it is probably inappropriate to run down the isles like you were on a football field!

If you'll notice, you always hear the term to "Walk With Jesus".  You never hear anything about running with Christ.  Let's think about this for a minute.   When you run, when you should be walking a few things happen:

• Your Safety Is Comprised - I know with all the corners in our house, I cringe when our children come close to hitting them.  We all know that it is only a matter of time before one of them fall into it. In the act of running everything else around you becomes a blur and you miss certain surroundings that could potentially harm you.  In this case, when running through daily life, half the time Jesus is no where on the brain, but when we walk with Him in the front, He doesn't get lost in that blur.  "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; is faithfulness will be your shield and rampart" (Psalm 91:4).
  
  
• You Lose Patience - If you run long enough you will lose patience with everything else around you.  This is because we are so focused on the very thing after which you are running; nothing else matters.  For example, if you are going after that new manager position at your job, everything else becomes irrelevant (especially since it has nothing to do with what you're chasing).  It becomes more about you and what you are chasing.  If you aren't careful you could then fall into "...hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy..."  Patience is one of the fruits of the spirit and "[t]hose who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires" (see Galatians 5:19-24). 
  
  
• You Become the Chased - If you run after something long enough you will start to become absorbed in it.  It will start to consume you and in no time you'll find that you have become the chased.  Have you ever wanted something so bad that it started to make you feel sick?  Did it make you stay awake at night?  Would it cause you to lose your appetite sometimes?  Well, this is a case where that after which you were running have started to chase you.  This is a result of impatience.  Also, it is a case of idolatry, therefore forming a stronghold over you.  In 1 John 5:19 it says, "We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one." Nothing has power over you unless you allow it, but if you are running so fast you cannot see it happening then you become ensnared in the trap of the enemy.

When we walk with Jesus, we get to take things in slow strides and not in fast short steps.  We are privileged to see the safety hazards and temptations in order to avoid them.  While in the Word of God we learn the importance of patience and how to wait on the Lord.  Yes, walking usually takes a little longer to get to the final destination, but at least you get to smell the flowers and enjoy the scenery along the way.  Watch God work in your life and don't let a moment of it go by in a blur.

Be easy family and have a good one.

Updated: 11/20/2019


~Antoine