Walking with God

“I love the idea that the Christian life is a walk. Sometimes I take a couple of steps forward, and sadly by my own foolishness, sometimes a step backward, but by God’s grace I’m making progress in knowing and loving and obeying and serving my Savior.” – From “Wisdom for Your Walk” by James MacDonald

I share MacDonald’s quote today because I often think of my relationship with Jesus as a journey or a walk where the path isn’t always smooth or straight.  Often my old habits or thought patterns have led me astray. I found myself caught up in the same confusion and darkness which amounted to trying to find meaning, happiness, or purpose in something other than God.  Be it material success, collecting and acquiring things, extreme experiences (sex, alcohol, drugs, travel, sport), or human relationships, anything you try, other than communion with Christ, will ultimately fail to satisfy.

Thank God, I woke up to this fundamental life changing truth in 2010.  Coming to Christ wasn’t an easy path for me. 

I had to not only see that I was lost 

(Yeah?... Well,  all my friends will be in Hell too! It's going to be a big party!)

but I also had to see that God would actually forgive me for ALL The wrong I had done (Really?) 

and that, when I accept Christ as my Savior, I would be forgiven for the sin I hadn't even done yet 

(Say What?)

and when God considered me, He would see the righteousness of Jesus Himself!   

(The only way I could be made righteous).  

When the truth was finally revealed to me, I was overjoyed at the peace and assurance of my salvation. Unfortunately my understanding wasn't the best,  so I was content to keep walking in my wild ways knowing that Jesus had my back.  I was filled with a love for Him and His word.  I flew through the four Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) in my dusty Bible,

 (which I had received when I was confirmed into the Episcopal Church back in June 2001, before 911 and the death of my son in the spring of 2002 sent me on a journey of despair that had me renounce faith in Christianity and embrace the doctrine of suffering of Buddhism which I was fully entrenched in on the day I heard the Gospel and was saved.   – Wow!)

 , highlighting all the words Christ spoke.  I found a Church home in Rock Solid Church in Hudson and started serving as an usher then doing the audio visual work for the worship team. I even joined the Bible College.

However, my faith and my sinful lifestyle didn’t COEXIST so well.  As I kept making progress in my Christian walk, in knowing, loving, and serving Him, I wasn’t exactly obeying Him and I seemed to fall deeper into my alcoholism and sin.  Knowing I was forgiven but frustrated at my personal failures I had moments of great success and great failure.  Last year I went into the church’s recovery program and have left my addictions and failures of the past behind.  Since then I have had incredible experiences and insights into my life that have confirmed, beyond any doubts, the existence of the triune God, the exclusivity of Jesus to save, and the reality of the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life. 

SO I am making great progress! However, I still often get caught up in my own foolishness or the things of the world and take a step off the path that God would have me walk.  The good news is that as Christians no matter how we mess up or fall down,  We can always get back on track knowing “…that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it…“ (Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)).  

I encourage all who reads this to follow the path that leads to salvation, Jesus Christ. To those of you who know Christ, don't forget to keep walking and to invite others to join you.