by Martha June

One of my favorite things to blog about is lessons I have learned. Not because I want to attempt to teach you something, or feel you need to learn from me. Something about writing down things I have learned helps me process the lesson.

Another one of my favorite things to do is walk. I love walking outside in nature, whether that is hiking in the woods (the picture taken above is a trail from my work) or walking in my neighborhood, I love it. So today we are going to walk and talk.

The majority of my life I would like to say I have lived for Jesus. But that is where the problem begins.  There are a number of things I would say I have done for Jesus. But how many things have I done with Jesus?  Not that long ago I realized there is a difference. How many times have you got up in the morning and prayed “Lord help me to live today for you.” Nothing is wrong with that prayer, I have prayed it many times myself.

In the moment that prayer is with good intentions. Yet, how many of you have caught yourself doing so many things for Jesus that you leave him out of it? I began to realize that the more I did for Jesus, the less I felt his presence. (Does that make sense?) I thought that wasn’t  possible…but it is. I tried doing a ton for Jesus, yet  I ended up leaving him out of everything.

Have you ever heard the hymn “In the Garden” ? the link is here . This song paints such a beautiful picture of what it is  like to walk through life with Christ. It aids me in describing to you what I feel. When I began trying to figure out why I did not feel Christ’s presence, I felt him speak to my heart, Walk with me.

A few times in scripture we are told that an individual “Walks with God”  and every single one of those people we still remember today. Personally I assumed that “walking with Christ”  was and is the same as “living for Christ.” Do you know the difference between walking with Christ and doing for Christ? In Numbers there is a story about Moses striking a rock. “Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.” A few verses before we see God tell Moses to strike the rock, so Moses was obeying God when he did this. Yet, why then after Moses struck the rock did he get in trouble with God?

Because he left God out of it. He struck the rock twice instead of once, and struck it with to0 much force. Making it look more like Moses produced the miracle than God. God asks us to walk with him through life….not for him. When we walk with Christ for a long period of time and spend time in the “Garden” with him, we should begin to pick up his habits, his lifestyle, his personality traits, and look more like him. So much so that everything we do with him, shows people who Christ is.

It is my hope that this point not only makes sense, but also helps you see a different perspective of your life with Christ. I am still learning what it is like to walk with Christ and in turn live for him because I walk with him. It is also my hope that this encourages you.  Again I do not post on this blog to try to teach you things or say “my way is better than your way” If I come off that way I apologize! I am just a girl constantly learning and by no means perfect, same as you.

The moment I started walking with Jesus throughout my day and letting him lead, I felt a tremendous weight leave me.  It has made my walk with Christ so much more enriched and joyous. I hope you chose to walk with Christ as well.

Sincerely,

your friendly neighborhood nature lover