Intentional Steps

Last month I purchased a Fitbit with the intention of walking my way to a healthier me. Each day I wake with a renewed sense of purpose as I work towards accomplishing my daily goal of 10,000 steps. At least 20 times a day, I find myself checking my wrist to see how many steps I have taken and how many I have yet to go. I’ve been feeling pretty good about how I have been able to make small changes to help reach my 10,000 steps; things like parking farther away from my office building or the grocery store entrance and keeping a pair of flat shoes or sneakers in the car, so that I can’t make excuses for not walking because I have on high heels! As crazy as it seems, me...the person who hates exercise...is really excited about walking!

Earlier this week, as I was sitting at my desk, checking my Fitbit and smiling. I hear the Holy Spirit, leading me and guiding me into all truth, asking the question in my spirit,”Are you being as intentional about your spiritual walk as you are about your physical walk?” “What steps are you taking to improve your faith walk, and your love walk?”. I answered aloud...having only to tell the truth, “Well...Ummm...No...I don’t know!” As I sat there, I realized how much God really loves me, because He sent His Spirit to gently remind me of the power of intention to bring about change.

The Bible has much to say about how we walk. It tells us to “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7); “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16); “walk in faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7); and most importantly to “walk in love” (Ephesians 5:2). I understand that in order to fully “walk” in all of these areas, I need to be as committed and disciplined as I have been about my getting in my steps for the Fitbit. And, just as each day I choose to put it on my arm and take the steps required to reach my goal, I must choose each day to put on the whole armor of God which enables me to “walk” in the steps that God has ordained for me, so that I may “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which I have been called” (Ephesians 4:1).

So as I start walking today and I encounter darkness, I will walk in the light. When I encounter fear, I will take steps to show I have faith. When I encounter ungodly spirits, I will walk in the

Spirit, showing love, joy, peace, meekness, kindness, goodness and self-control (who can argue against these). And when I encounter the unlovable, I will walk in the love shown to me through the grace of Christ.

Let’s get walking...

Blessings,

Shileste