The Way We Walk

A ONE Church Devotional

I, therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk in a way that is worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4.1-6 — Hilton translation)

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Of all the glorious humor that rose from the creative minds of the Monty Python troupe, one of my favorites is “The Ministry of Silly Walks”. (You owe yourself a quick look at it HERE.) The sketch is a satirical spoof on questionable government programs. It opens with John Cleese walking in ways none of us should try, passing others in his office who are lurching and criss-crossing. In the world of silly walks, international competition is fierce. and they must keep up. A candidate appears in the office with a request: “I have a silly walk, and I’d like to obtain a government grant to help me develop it.” His initial walk leaves much to be desired, but by meeting’s end, a decision has been made to fund the project and move the English silly walking effort forward.

Possibly the only interest that the apostle Paul shares in common with the Python people is a focus on the way people walk around. If this surprises you, it’s because our translations don’t always reflect the language Paul uses. The apostle often uses the Greek word “PERIPATEO” — which literally means “to walk around” — to describe how we live our daily lives. In the Letter to the Ephesians alone, Paul talks about how to walk 5 different times.

• Walk in a manner worthy of your calling. (Ephesians 4.1, today’s passage)

• Walk not as the Gentiles (Ephesians 4:17). Don’t behave like people who have no knowledge of or connection to God.

• Walk in love (Ephesians 5:2).

• Walk as children of the light (Ephesians 5:8).

• Walk carefully (Ephesians 5:15) and don’t blunder into a sinful situation. 

It turns out that how we walk around matters a whole lot to the God who guides Paul’s teaching. Let’s zoom in on today’s verses. In one packed stretch that makes up only a segment of Paul’s long sentence, he mentions seven different parts of how we ought to walk. As we go into this day, we shall,

• walk humbly

• walk gently,

• walk patiently,

• walk bearing with one another,

• walk lovingly;

• walk in unity,

• walk peacefully.

How we walk matters, so we ought to be intentional about our project. We may not receive government grant money for it, but scripture funds us very well as we develop our walk. This list should offer enough guidance for the way we walk around on this October Tuesday.

So enjoy your day, friends, and walk well!

Prayer — God of our whole lives, supply your Spirit as our Guide so we can walk your way, in Jesus. Amen.