Walking In Love
One day, years ago, when we were hosting some friends from the States and touring some of the castles here in Portugal, our youngest child, who was just 5 years old at the time, said: “Mommy, Daddy, do you know what I do when I get tired of walking?” Her mother responded: “What, darling?” “I run!” she beamed. We knew she was physically tired and falling behind at times, but her sweet positivity sure did lift our spirits that day.
In Ephesians 5, verses 1 and 2, Paul tells the Ephesian Church to imitate God by walking in love. Walking is forward motion. When we stop, we are no longer walking. You cannot imitate God by being in a state of love, or meditating on love. You don’t imitate God by doing Bible studies on love or dwelling on past loves. You must walk. You may get tired of loving. You may get hurt by loving and you may even think you can’t love anymore, but God is love and if you just keep on walking your strength will return. Walking in love is just not stopping. Charles Spurgeon said: “It was with perseverance that the snail reached the Ark.”
Over the last 40 years of our ministry, I have seen many people just give up. Some have given up on their marriage, others on their dreams, and others on the Church. They become like a turtle and just close in on themselves, trying to protect themselves from getting hurt. I have seen others, with every adversity, just get up and keep going on. Instead of becoming bitter they become better. I admire such warriors, who are forever sowing seeds of love and forgiveness. If the turtle will just get out of his shell and keep walking he will win the race over any hare.
Many of the great inventions we enjoy today came from those who would just not give up. Thomas Edison failed 1000xs before he invented the incandescent light bulb. Henry Ford went bankrupt five times before he was able to build his first car. Walt Disney was fired from his first job, because he was told he had no creativity and went bankrupt several times before he was able to build his Disneyland. There are so many more stories like these that can be shared; you may even have some of your own. Paul said to just keep walking. Love has no limits, so walk as Jesus walked.
Ezekiel had a vision of a river than came from the City of God. (Ez. 47) He was invited to measure that river and at first it only came up to his ankles. Then as he keep walking it went to his knees. When a river is knee-deep, you can begin to feel its strength and that it wants to take you with it and so Ezekiel kept walking until it went to his waist. He could still stand, but it was becoming difficult. He could stop and even get out, but there are on swamps and stagnant water off the river, so he kept going until the river became so deep he could no longer control it. The River of Love produces fruit all year long and healing for all the nations. The more you keep going the better it gets. Here is where we understand when Paul says that love controls them, (II Cor. 5.14), nothing else matters, but to love. So friends, keep on walking.
Scriptures to meditate on:
Ephesians 5.1-2; Romans 14.15; Ezekiel 47.1-9; II Cor. 5.14; I Cor. 13