D – WALKING WITH JESUS – 4

When we are walking with Jesus, it might seem that our walk would be peaceful in every way.  We do have peace with God and our Lord if we walk with Him.  Jhn.14:27   This is the kind of peace that is more lasting—eternal.  Arrows of trouble may hit us on the outside but a Christian can enjoy an inside peace that the world does not understand.  Rom.8:6   It is important that we understand this peace because walking with Jesus will have Satan at our heels.  Phil.4:7  Even though this kind of peace is beyond understanding of the world, yet it guards us because we know the Spirit within us is greater than Satan.  1 Jhn.4:4   As we walk with Him the peace of Christ rules us—controls us.  Col.3:15

Because of this peace in our hearts, we should not be surprised when we face problems because of walking with Jesus.  Jhn.15:18,19   The world does not want to face their sin.  An example is found in 1 Kgs.22:8.  The king wanted a prophet to tell what would happen but he didn’t want Micaiah for he would tell the truth and it would not be good for him.  The king did not want to hear it.  Too often people today will leave one church to go to another because they don’t want to hear about their sins.  They want their ears tickled to feel good.

We can expect to be persecuted just as prophets of old suffered persecution.  Lk.6:22,23   A reward in heaven is promised if we remain strong and continue to walk with Jesus.  We cannot be ashamed of His name or of the fact that we walk with Him.  Rom.1:16   If we confess His name to others, Jesus will confess us before God.  Matt.10:32,33   Many times we will be hated because we confess His name.  Mk.13:13  

Just saying, “Lord, Lord”, does not mean we are walking with Jesus.  It may sound like it but Jesus knows the difference.  Matt.7:21   When we walk with our Lord, our purpose is to please Him and do His will—not just talk about it.  Rom.8:8,9   Walking with Jesus requires a decision from us.  We either follow men and the world to please them or we follow Jesus to please Him.  Gal.1:10   Some try to follow a little of both.  It is impossible.  Matt.6:24   When we walk with Jesus, we walk with Him alone.

With Satan following at our heels, what are some of the ways he tries to trip us?   We may have had habits that now must be broken.  These habits may be addictions or perhaps we have used language not acceptable to Jesus.  Have we enjoyed jokes or crude thoughts that would please Satan but not Jesus?  Picture yourself in your old life with Jesus participating in the same.  Just picture Jesus with a cigarette hanging from His lips or a can of beer in His hands.  That thought is atrocious.  No one, not even a person of the world, could imagine these things.  Yet we think we can walk with Jesus and continue in these habits.  If we walk with Jesus, we try to imitate Him.  3 Jhn.11

Perhaps we have enjoyed success professionally or financially and to “climb the ladder” has become a very important goal in our life.  Christians are needed in every honest field of endeavor—the word “honest” is of great importance.  Some new in Christ have had to acknowledge that complete honesty was not a part of their life in these realms.  To walk with Jesus, they have had to give up some success in order to excel in their walk with Jesus.  Riches and worldly success does not follow us to heaven.  Jam.1:11   Our walk is of first importance and then comes success in this world.  Too often success professionally or financially leads one to fall into temptation.  1 Tim.6:9,10       

Friends are very important to us.  We may have walked with them for a long time.  Walking with Jesus doesn’t mean we completely give up those friendships but now that relationship changes.  Jesus is first and pleasing Him surpasses any other goal we might have had.  Matt.6:33   Our goal now becomes our ability to walk with Jesus on through eternity.  Our interests change.  We no longer want to accompany our old friends to the same places or converse with them in the same way.  Neither to they want to accompany us to the places (church, Bible study) we want to go.  1 Pet.4:4   Sometimes this hurts because we now realize their destination.  1 Pet.4:12-17   Friends may even be lost.  Jam.4:4   Is eternity worth our loss?  This is an important decision in our walk.

Today it seems that entertainment has become a god.  Perhaps it would be well for us to assess the time we spend in entertainment as well as the quality of it.  Educational tests have taught us that what goes into our brain through our eyes is the strongest source of learning next to actual participation. 

Our entertainment could include some physical activity.  This is good in balance of the spiritual.  1 Tim.4:8   Watching shows through various media as well as reading material is another source of entertainment and widely available today.  It is like choosing friends—will it make us a better Christian and help us to follow Jesus more closely in our walk or deter us from the path.  Lk.8:14   Some day time yourself in the amount of time you spend in entertainment, prayer, Bible study and meditation, doing good for someone, calls and cards for encouragement, etc.  We need to be good stewards of our time.  We need to take care of our bodies and our mind and our spirits.  Jam.1:27; 1 Pet.4:10

For any loss that we might have on this earth, we gain far more in eternity.  1 Jhn.3:1,13   In enduring our trials, we strengthen our spiritual muscles to gain greater ability to walk with Jesus.  Jam.1:2,3   We can take courage in that the world does not hate us in a personal way but they dislike our devotion to the One who exposes their sin.  Matt.10:22   We must always remember the One with whom we walk.  Heb.12:3