Walk This Way

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence]. Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you. Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.” (Ephesians 4:31-32, 5:1-2)

Love can be such a “touchy” subject these days. There are so many varying opinions and strong-held beliefs on what real love looks like, on how to express your love to others, on what it means to walk in love. If anyone pops up claiming to have the whole “love walk” figured out and perfected in their own lives, they are immediately tested, tried, and burned at the stake of public opinion.

By no means do I have the “love walk” all figured out and perfected in my life. Only One man has ever accomplished that walk in total perfection, and that man is the Lord Jesus Christ.

But I do continually seek to mature in my “love walk”, growing in knowledge, understanding, and application of it in daily life, with the help of God’s Holy Spirit and His Word. Love is something that every Christian should desire to be perfected in them, though admittedly, there have been times I’ve been hesitant to ask the LORD to perfect His love in my heart. Usually that means I have to face some unlovely people. And when I have to interact with unlovely people, there are some unlovely fleshly attitudes that have to be burned away from my heart. And to be perfectly honest with you, that feels very unlovely.

You may be asking, “If you are a Christian, is not God’s love already perfected in you?” And I reply with this question, “Do you see radical Kingdom transformation in the lives of people at work here on this earth?”

Unfortunately, the answer to both of those questions is “No.” If the love of God was perfected in the hearts of His children (who are those that have received salvation through Christ Jesus, been born again through the Holy Spirit, and follow the leading of the Lord), then this world would look like a different place. Unfortunately, many Christians have been ensnared in the trap of religious works and/or false doctrines. Unfortunately, many Church goers resist the transformative work of God’s Word and His Spirit, both of which help us mature and bear the pure fruit of God’s heart. Unfortunately, many Christians do not even know that there is more to the Christian walk than going to church and wearing a crucifix necklace.

And this is why I find myself here, searching for the heart of God and asking for Him to have His perfect will worked in me. That is also why I find myself in the middle of an unpleasant burning away process.

I am also here to tell you that there is more! And you can have it, if you really want it. The question is, do you really want to live the abundant life that Christ has provided for you? (John 10:10). If so, understand that it requires a dying to self on a daily basis. It requires a burning away of those attitudes, mindsets, and behaviors that cause so much harm to you and others.

I know that sounds oh so lovely, lol, but seriously, be encouraged. One thing I have learned from personal experience is that after the burning away process, there comes such a clean feeling inside my soul. There comes a peace, a calm, a refreshing that only happens when I allow God to have total dominion in my heart. I have also learned that this clean feeling is only part of the reward.

In letting God be God in our lives, we are SET FREE from ugly, fleshly attitudes that bring turmoil, strife, and hurt to our lives and the lives of others. And we are then able to BEAR BEAUTIFUL FRUIT OF GOD’S SPIRIT that touches other people’s hearts for good bringing transformation to their lives, all to the glory of God.

And that brings me back to Ephesians 4:31-32 and 5:1-2.

“³¹Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence]. ³² Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you. ¹ Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; ² and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.” (Ephesians 4:31-32, 5:1-2)

I love this scripture because it so clearly lays out a "love walk" process in which we learn to walk in love towards one another.

Point 1:

When Ephesians 4:31 states “Let” all these things “be put away from you,” that means you have to make the choice to not give in and walk in these ugly attitudes. I’m not saying that you may not feel like walking away from them, but Christians are not supposed to be slaves to our emotions. We were set free from being slaves to sin and are now servants of God’s righteousness (Romans 6:18). We have a better Spirit living inside of us, who is God’s Spirit, and He gives us the ability to resist the temptations of our flesh (which includes our emotions) so that we can walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). Instead of walking in bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander and malice, we can submit to God and walk in love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22).

Point 2:

Once we make the choice to follow Point 1, we then make the choice to follow Ephesians 4:32. We choose to be kind to one another, showing compassion, and extending forgiveness just as God has done for us. Have you ever heard the saying, “Treat others as you would like to be treated,” well that saying came from the mouth of Jesus Himself. Jesus said

“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” (Luke 6:31)

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

Choose to extend to others the love and mercy that God has extended to you. No matter what they have said or done to you, it can be no greater than the sins we have previously committed against God, and yet He forgave us.

Point 3:

We can only do Points 1 and 2 if we do Ephesians 5:1. We must copy and follow the love walk of Christ Jesus in order to have it matured in our own lives. Anytime you are learning to do something, you must first have an example to follow. As Christians, Jesus is our example. If you need to learn patience, look to Jesus. If you need to learn kindness, look to Jesus. If you need to learn compassion, look to Jesus. How do we “look to Jesus”? Through reading, studying, and meditating on the written word of God and by seeking the Lord through prayer, worship, and fasting. Jesus must always be our focal point. And as we look on Him, we begin follow Him and act like Him.

Point 4:

As we seek to imitate Jesus, only then can we truly walk in the love with which He Himself has loved us. His love is not only reflected through us, but perfected in us so that we can truly be His Body (His church) here on earth. We will be the feet that walks in love, the arms that reach out in love, the hands that hold in love, the voice that speaks in love, the eyes that see in love, and so on.

I know laying it out this way makes it all seem so simple, so easy almost.

You may be wondering if this is too simple, that maybe I’m leaving some important complicated application out of the loop, but the truth is that the love of God is simple.

It is simple because it is unconditional. God just simply loves us. His love for us is not dependent on what we do, but on who we are. We are His creation. And He loves us. It is because of His love for us that He sent His only begotten Son to save us from our sins (John 3:16). Yes, sin does separate us from God, but it does not sever His love for us. He loves us. Sinner and Saint.

The Apostle Paul stated,

“Who shall ever separate us from the love of Christ?...For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35,38-39)

And because God loves us, He has made a way for us to be close to Him. He made a path of love through the blood of Jesus so that we could walk with Him.

I am here to tell you that the LORD is inviting you to take that walk. To join Him, to follow Him. Because when you walk the love walk with Jesus, others will see and they will want to join in as well.

So I encourage you today, choose to walk this way. The reward is greater than you can even imagine.💗