*WALK WORTHY*

                                                                                                                                               Marlene Banks

                                                                                                                                             November 2024

 Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:5 (BSB)

     When physical vision is healthy and in good working condition, we have a span of sight that extends outside the direct line of our view. We can see things in an arc, sweeping to the left and right of the direction we are looking. This is called peripheral vision or seeing things on the periphery.  Peripheral sight, however, is not as clear or pointed as central sight. Things seen in the exterior of our direct view are visible but vague in a way that’s hard to describe but easy to understand once experienced. In short, peripheral vision lacks the clarity and focus of our direct vision. It’s not the main thing we see; it’s on the sideline. 

     Just as with physical eyesight of the body we have spiritual vision of our souls. Spiritual vision is our ability and willingness to faithfully see and function in the spirit instead of the flesh. That translates to a sincere placement of the Gospel and Kingdom of God in our lives. How does our spiritual vision play out in life? Simply by what we prioritize in our everyday living. It matters what importance our faith holds, whether or not we give precedence to our spiritual walk and the things of God. Is salvation and our Christian behavior paramount or are the things of the flesh and the world our primary concern? How do we see Christian character and service? Is our faith the primary motivation or do we have a blasé attitude keeping it in the periphery of our lives.  Are we born again disciples with a front and center view of God’s Saving Grace or do we see it only at an occasionally glance in the rear-view mirror? Our faith is a lifelong journey not a singular event or side issue, that is why we should ask ourselves these questions in evaluating our spiritual walk. 

     Heroes of Scripture, both First and Second Testaments were hardly perfect people, but they had one redeeming quality in common. They genuinely sought after God maintaining their focus on Him. It is easy to get swallowed up in the cares of our lives in this world. Without being aware we can neglect our spiritual wellbeing for the natural satisfactions of life. In a culture that promotes self-satisfaction as the number one goal it’s easy to lose sight of the eternal consequence of living guided primarily by the flesh. The best intentioned born again believer can be led down a wrong path that sometimes may look like a good thing, even seem like a thing God called you to do but is not. Yes, in this fallen environment, temptation nips at the heels of those in the family of faith. The world, the flesh and the devil can derail us off track in our spiritual journeys. That is why we have to keep our eyes on Christ Jesus and our senses tuned to the Holy spirit. The Power of God is able to keep us from falling but we have to be focused with our eyes fixed on the Spiritual weapons we are scripturally urged to use. The Word of God is key in helping us maintain and improve our spiritual vision while keeping our faith the number one priority. 

     I am always onboard with improving my Christian character; believe me, there is a whole lot of room for improvement. It seems to me when it comes to walking worthy, we never reach our destiny but hopefully are continually moving toward it. Until we leave this life there will always be areas where we fall short of True Christlikeness. Mankind cannot achieve perfection in and of ourselves—we are just not able. That is why Christ Jesus, Who is Perfection, had to come sacrifice Himself for us. Understanding this helps me not stress out about my missteps and just repent, ask forgiveness and for Divine help to do better. Yet, even when I falter, my spiritual acuity has developed sharp enough so I can catch myself in error much quicker. It’s a growing process as my relationship with God becomes more and more my motivating core. That, my friends is what it’s all about—putting Almighty God as the main thing not in my peripheral view but right up front and center. When I put my faith first and always, it makes me more humble and extremely thankful for the Redeeming Sacrifice of Christ Jesus.

Jesus said unto him, “‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40 (KJ21)