Ephesians 5:15
[15] Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, (ESV)
As we discovered earlier in our study of this wonderful book of Ephesians, the first 3 chapters deal primarily with proper doctrine. They are concerned with the nature of salvation. They are about what we believe. The last 3 chapters are concerned with how we live. The reality is, what we believe dictates how we act. In this verse Paul speaks of how we walk. We are to walk as those who are wise. How are we made wise? By believing the truth! And the evidence of our embracing that wisdom is seen in how we walk.
This may seem to be a simplistic point, but consider that when you walk your feet leave a mark behind that shows where exactly you have been walking. This is more demonstrably evident when you are walking in your bare feet through the sand. If you will allow me, I would argue that if you claim to be wise; if you claim to be a follower of Christ; if you claim to believe proper doctrine; we ought to be able to look at your "spiritual" footprints for proof of your claims. True faith exhibits true action!
Sadly, far too many who claim to believe in Christ are not walking where he would have them to walk. In fact, they don't seem to be walking very much at all. There is a wonderful poem that you have probably heard about called, "Footprints in the Sand." Here is a variation of that poem for our understanding today:
“One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.
But then some stranger prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
"But Lord they are too big for feet."
"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."
"You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know.
So I got tired, I got fed up,
and there I dropped you on your butt."
"Because in life, there comes a time,
when one must fight, and one must climb.
When one must rise and take a stand,
or leave their butt prints in the sand."
- anonymous
Where are you walking? Do your actions demonstrate that your faith is real? In what ways do you need to "get off your butt" and walk in ways of faith for the Savior?
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