A WORTHY WALKER

Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” ~ Ephesians 4:1-6

Scrutinizing the silhouette on the shore I surmised, “It has the crazy crooked neck like a Great Blue Heron. It has the long legs of a Heron. It walks like a Heron.”

I pulled my camera up, zooming to 1120mm and adjusting for lighting. And…well, it was a Great Blue Heron, fishing at the mouth of the Columbia River at Ft. Stevens, Oregon.

IDENTIFICATION! A fundamental component in successful wildlife photography. Knowing what you are shooting can help you anticipate and plan your compositions.

I have written about IDENTITY this past year through these photo inspirations, and we are continuing this amazing journey through Ephesians.

The first few chapters of Ephesians elaborate on our identity IN Jesus. Paul describes WHO we are in Christ:

Chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, forgiven, entrusted, God’s inheritance, we exist for the praise of His glory, we are made alive with Christ, raised up with Him, and seated together with Him in Heavenly places! We are saved by grace through faith. God’s workmanship, God’s worker, brought near to God as family, members of one body, saintly citizens and family. We are the dwelling place of God, with bold and confident access to God!

The end of chapter 3 transitions from WHO we are in Christ to EXPERIENCING WHO Christ is in us! See “A Vessel to be Filled” Part 1 and Part 2.

When we know WHO we are in Jesus, and begin to EXPERIENCE WHO Jesus is IN US, our identity to the world becomes obvious by how we live.

And this is where Paul takes us now in Ephesians 4. He exhorts, “Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called…”

This inspiration isn’t meant to be a commentary. I encourage you to do your study of this passage.

But I do wish to point out that when you KNOW WHO you are in Jesus and EXPERIENCE WHO He is in YOU, You can JUST BE YOURSELF! You have nothing to prove to others, yourself, or to God.

Have you ever considered that walking like Jesus could be as natural as breathing?

The Great Blue Heron was being himself. He did what Great Blue Herons do because that’s WHO he was. It’s natural. No striving. No trying to be more than… He didn’t have to put on a show in front of the camera to prove anything to me about what he was.

Have you ever considered that walking like Jesus could be as natural as breathing? No striving. No stress. No proving anything. Simply do WHO you are IN HIM! Experiencing WHO He is in you  – an expression of Jesus’ likeness and character in your walk. You are easily identified because of WHO you are.

Sometimes we operate in reverse. We aspire to create identity through striving and working to shape behavior. This becomes a futile effort to be more “Christlike” from the outside in. It is a work of the flesh and can progressively lead from hypocrisy to legalism, judgmentalism, and religious manipulation and abuse. Authentic change is the work of the Holy Spirit that starts on the inside (heart) and works its way out causing genuine formation of life and behavior in the nature and character of Jesus.

The subtle ignorance and denial of WHO we are in Jesus necessitate outward religious conformity to appease expectations – our own, others, and even God’s. The identity crisis leaves people with a hollow God experience. Pious and powerless is one way to describe such a life.

This fact emphasizes the point that to genuinely “walk worthy of your calling” you must KNOW WHO YOU are!

You IN CHRIST! CHRIST IN YOU positionally and experientially! Your identity is established. Now, allow your whole person to come into alignment and agreement with that identity. So, walk. WALK WORTHY of the CALLING.

The calling? Here it is:

You are called to be “blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” ~ Ephesians 1:3-5

Why wouldn’t a Great Blue Heron walk (live) like a Great Blue Heron? It’s elementary.

So, why do we struggle so much to walk (live) like Jesus?

Maybe the real challenge we face is believing and/or accepting the truth about WHO we are in Him and letting Him do inside us what He’s best at.

I believe my expectations to see the Great Blue Heron with his long lanky legs, and crooked neck, bobbing his head as he struts along the beach hunting fish is a reasonable expectation.

And it’s a reasonable expectation that you and I should be walking “…with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

After all, is it not WHO we are?

There is ONE BODY. If you are in Jesus, then you are a member! There is ONE Holy Spirit and it makes the BODY alive! There is ONE Hope of your calling. Keep reading Ephesians 4. There is so much in here. ONE GOD and FATHER of ALL… WHO IS IN YOU! 

So WHO are you inside of Jesus?

When you can answer that question, you have nothing to prove. Just be yourself. And your walk will look like Jesus!

“The Great Blue Heron Walk”