Two words I highlight here, but oh much they ask, and how great the effort they require!
Walking is a verb used many times, especially in the New Testament, and it conveys far more than the idea of simply getting from here to there. Walking is also used as a command, telling us to follow God’s course of action, or way of life. “Walk in the light as He is in the light”… “walk as Jesus did”… “walk in love”… “walk in obedience to His commands”… And my favorite: “Walk humbly with your God.” Although really, I don’t think we can walk with Him, unless we’re walking humbly.
But here, Paul is telling us to walk “worthy of the calling with which you were called,” and there is a valuable lesson here in the individuality of which this phrasing speaks. “The calling with which you were called” is a beautiful reminder that God does not speak to all of us in the same way, nor does He ask the same thing of our walk. One missionary may be responding to His call to bring the little children to Him, and another obeying the command to go and make disciples of all the nations. They could both are in the same place at the same time, and might even be doing much the same work, but they were each called by Him differently, and both have an obligation to stay true to that calling.
And as much as I love the whole individuality thing, I also love that this leaves no place for judging others’ service as superior or inferior to ours, as only God is in position to deem success or failure. And fortunately, He graces us only on our efforts, not on what we achieve. Results, after all, are His responsibility.
That’s the beauty of walking with God. We need only walk worthy. The destination is up to Him.
Light Expectations 