WALK WORTHY IN GOD’S WAY

“That you may WALK WORTHY of the LORD, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” – Colossians 1:10

It is paramount that every Believer learns to WALK WORTHY IN GOD’S WAY: “that you may WALK WORTHY of the LORD, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col.1:10). The New American Standard Version says: “Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” Why would we do that? To please Him! This does not imply that we have to walk worthy in order to earn our salvation or to prove our righteousness. Nothing we ever do or refrain from doing will be good enough to earn salvation or to prove anything to the Lord. The good news – the Great News – is that: the father “has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light” (v.12). He qualified us; not we ourselves!

God qualified us because He loves us. He did more: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (v.13). It does make sense to trust the One who loves us so much as to qualify us, the unqualified, deliver us from the domain of darkness, and translate us into the Kingdom of the Son of His Love! Walking in a manner worthy of the Lord is walking moment-by-moment in intimate fellowship with Him, in obedience, like a trusting child with his or her loving father. In this wise, earthly fathers can relate to John’s testimony in 3 John 1:3: “For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.” As we walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, immeasurable blessings become ours: fruitfulness, strength, cultivation of patience, steadfastness, and joy (v.11).

We must become increasingly saturated in the truth that God loves us. The more we understand that He loves us and cares for us, the more likely we will believe that He is indeed trustworthy. Then, we can walk worthy of the Lord, to please Him: Even when it is difficult; even if we lose the esteem of others; even in the throes of dire disappointment; even when our will seems to be diametrically opposed to God’s plan. We know that Jesus is trustworthy; so we can rejoice and keep in step.

One way we know we are walking with the Lord, is we are “increasing in the knowledge of God.” To not have a more intimate knowledge of God today than we did yesterday, is backsliding. If we return to Jesus, we will find His arms open wide to receive us, just as the Father did with the prodigal son in Luke 15: 11-24. As we walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, we are “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power” (v.11). Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” The power of Almighty God is available to help us in our walk. Too often we walk in our own way, not strengthened with His power.

Thinking about walking with the Lord reminds of John H. Sammis’ 1887 hymn – “Trust and Obey.” It goes as follows:

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

When we are not walking with God, or not walking to please Him, we’re likely to struggle more because, being completely on our own. God is the light to our path. He will show us the way, but without Him, we have to guess our way through the darkness. Why struggle, when we can have God to guide us? All He desires is that we walk in ways that please Him.