Walk Carefully

Training for a marathon is not just about running long distances. Any experienced runner will tell you it actually matters how your foot lands as it hits the pavement. Every step counts. A wrong or careless step could cause serious injury. How you run, the technique in which the foot comes down and pushes off again, is just as important, if not more important, to a runner’s training as distance. Our walk with Christ should resemble that of a runner training for a marathon. Yes, distance is important, but we should also focus on each step we take along the way. We need to ask ourselves, how are we walking with Christ? What does each step in our walk with Christ look like? Are we hitting the pavement with accurate precision? Are we making sure our foot rises again in the same conditioned manner?

It is not easy. Paul warned the church in Ephesus, “Be careful how you walk.” These early Christians needed to know, just as we need to know today, that how we walk matters. We need to be fully committed to our walk with Christ: walking “not as unwise men but as wise.” Each step should be made with wisdom and discernment. Thankfully, God did not leave His people to run aimlessly, but Christ came to be our example (1 Peter 2:21). The One who endured it all wants to walk alongside us and guide us every step of the way.

Proper training takes time. It is not achieved overnight or with minimal effort; therefore, “[make] the most of your time” as you continually seek Christ in all that you do. Read your Bible and pray daily. Train continuously “because the days are evil,” and we must be ready. Our walk with Christ is not a short sprint but a long marathon filled with daily challenges, pitfalls, and grace-filled restarts. We will fail at times. We might take a wrong step, twist an ankle, or even fall flat on our face, but Christ, in His infinite mercy and grace, is there to help us rise again. The race is not over, but Christ has already achieved our victory.

Marathon runners know the importance of training with precision. Mile after mile, their steps determine their success. The time and effort given to improving their technique shows their willingness to account for every aspect of the race. Our walk with Christ should exemplify this same amount of detailed attention. Every step counts.

Reflect & Pray

Heavenly Father, Thank you for walking alongside me and guiding me every step of the way. Please grant me the wisdom to continually follow Christ with precision and devotion. In Jesus’ name, Amen.