“I don’t know how to walk through this, Lord.”
How many times has my heart whispered these words in prayer? Too many to count. Has your own heart ever whispered these words? If you answered yes, I don’t think we are alone in this experience. Sooner or later, situations arise where we find ourselves out of our depth. It doesn’t matter how much experience we have or which seasons we’ve weathered. The question can come out of many circumstances- times of uncertainty, a season of stillness, or even a season of joy. Walking through the day-in/day-out routines of our lives, we can find ourselves searching for guidance (this is the point where I raise my hand and glance at that planner sitting next to me).
Am I prioritizing the right things?
Am I living biblically?
What about a specific situations?
How do I walk all this out?
It matters
I find comfort in knowing that my daily walk, through any season or circumstance, matters to God. One thing I love when reading the writings of the apostle Paul is his concern for the daily lives of the believers. In his letters to the churches, we can discern how incredibly important the Christian’s walk is to the heart of the Lord. There is an answer for the child of God wondering how to walk through this life and all it’s circumstances! We can seek the Lord’s will through prayer. Read his word. Lean into Godly counsel. We can also look at the encouragement given to early believers by the apostles (which applies to the Body of Christ today!).
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV).
How are we to walk?: Being rooted in him.
The word rooted here originates from ἐρριζωμένοι in Greek (Strong’s G4492- rhizoó) It means to take root and carries with it the idea of being solidly fixed in place (as if by roots!). As followers of Christ, we are to be rooted in him and his gospel! Jesus Christ is our anchor point, and being solidly rooted in Jesus is imperative to walking in him!
Being built up in him.
The words “built up” come from the Greek word ἐποικοδομούμενοι (Strong’s G2026- epoikodomeó). This word literally means to build upon (as you would build upon a foundation). Our faith in the gospel is built upon Christ himself. Not only are we rooted in Jesus our Lord, but we are built upon him as our foundation!
Being established in the faith, as we were taught.
“Established” comes from the Greek word Βεβαιούμενοι (Strong’s G950- bebaioó) It means to confirm or secure, which is why it is sometimes translated as, “being strengthened in the faith.” We can walk securely, knowing that we are firmly established in the faith- the gospel of our salvation! We all have different origin stories of how we came to belong to the family of God. Perhaps it was a parent, teacher, or pastor that taught you- or maybe it was a complex journey that involved many different ways of hearing the gospel. Whichever road God used, the gospel in all of it’s truth is preserved in the pages of scripture, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This good news, from the heart of the Father, is what we were taught! This is the faith the apostle Paul is encouraging us to walk securely in!
Abounding in our belief with thankfulness.
Finally, the believers are encouraged to walk in thankfulness. No matter what we walk through, the Lord is with us. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23)! In all circumstances, the children of God can walk in praise and thanksgiving- Knowing that our hope and inheritance with the Lord is secure (1 Peter 1:4).
Today, my prayer for myself and the family of God is that we would walk through all circumstances:
Being rooted in Jesus Christ.
Being built up in Jesus Christ.
Being established in the faith, as we were taught.
Abounding in thankfulness.
Questions:
1. What is a believer’s main source of stability?
2. How does walking in Christ look different from walking in the world?
3. What is the relationship between walking in Christ and shining as a light in our environment (Philippians 2:15)?
Footnotes:
BibleHub, “Strong’s G4492- rhizoó” https://biblehub.com/greek/4492.htm.
BibleHub, “Strong’s G2026- epoikodomeó” https://biblehub.com/greek/2026.htm.
BibleHub, “Strong’s G950- bebaioó” https://biblehub.com/greek/950.htm.
