I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called…. (Ephesians 4:1-3, ESV)
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds…. (Ephesians 4:17-18, ESV)
From time to time, a friendly debate arises among golf enthusiasts. The cordial disagreements are mostly driven by purists on one side and the more practical crowd on the other.
The debate revolves around “walking versus riding.” Those who prefer walking are not mainly concerned with whether we use a caddie, a push cart, or a carry bag; instead, they argue that walking is the game’s purest form.
Those who support riding are usually focused on time management, speed, and the advantage of a consistent revenue stream for the club! Both sides agree that older individuals or those with physical challenges should ride.
Each side makes compelling arguments for their positions. The purists appeal to the game’s origins, the fact that the best players still use a caddie, and the health benefits of walking.
Those who advocate using carts often argue that demands of family, work, and other civic commitments prevent them from walking; time constraints won’t allow.
Purists strongly advocate returning to the days of caddie masters and trained caddies. Last year, I traveled to Ireland and walked for seven days with highly skilled caddies, and I didn’t see a “buggy” the entire trip. The calorie burn was also evident.
Many would agree with the pragmatic crowd that, considering the culture’s frenetic pace of life, riding is a must if we squeeze in two or three rounds a week.
The purists will likely respond, “Precisely, walking balances the scales and provides an opportunity for a leisurely walk behind the hedges.” In other words, we should occasionally “stop and smell the roses.”
No matter where you land in this discussion, when it comes to Christianity, Scripture makes it patently obvious that walking wins the day, not literal walking but metaphorical walking.
“Walking with God” is a biblical author’s way of describing how one should navigate life. It entails answering the following questions: which way are you headed, what path are you taking, with whom are you traveling, and at what pace are you traveling?
Paul reminds us, “…you must no longer walk as the Gentiles [non-believers] do, in the futility of their minds.” Rather, “…walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”
This admonition implicitly demands that an encounter with Jesus Christ reorient one’s direction and manner of life.
Jesus tells us to “walk in the light, not the darkness.” Using this vivid word picture, the gospels depict the difference between one seeing where he is headed over against the one stumbling and bumbling around in “darkness” [ignorance and immoral behavior].
One way we genuinely inquire about others is to ask, “Are they walking with Christ?” This question is shorthand for asking, “Has so-in-so met the risen Lord, and has that encounter changed the course of their lives?”
It goes without saying that attending church isn’t the same as walking with Jesus. Being in a sanctuary on a Sunday morning doesn’t make someone a Christian any more than visiting the Lincoln Center makes one an opera singer or attending the Masters makes someone Bobby Jones.
Mark Twain supposedly coined the phrase, “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” To be sure, a bad round of golf can spoil what would have been a good walk, but a bad round of golf could never ruin the lives of those who walk with Christ!
Learning to walk the paths of life with the One who has the map and guides the way through chaos, confusion, and dead-end cul-de-sacs of this broken world toward eternal life in the world to come is the only true adventure offered in this life.
Choose the “road less traveled” and discover a life full of meaning and purpose!
Prayer: Jesus! Send out your light and truth, and let them lead us to your holy hill!