Christian Living

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In the Book of Genesis, in the midst of all those "begettings," we find these verses:

"And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years..." (5:22)
"Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." (5:24)

In describing the rest of the "begetters," the chapter tells us that they lived and died. With Enoch, we are told he lived for 65 years and then he walked with God. He didn't die.

There is a contrast between Enoch and the rest of the males mentioned at the beginning of chapter 5. Enoch lived and then decided to walk with God; the rest merely existed.

Mere existence. That's what many human beings do. They just exist. They go through the motions of life more by instinct than intellect. Then they complain to God and ask why their lives are empty.

There's more to life than just existing. There's walking with God. What does it mean to walk with God? Allow me to postulate 3 thoughts.

1. Go beyond the rut of life.

Many get stuck in the routine of waking up in the morning, going to work in the day and then back to bed at night. The goal is to earn to exist. There is no loftier goal.

The Apostle Paul, in seeking to step beyond the ordinary, wrote: "But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be" (Philippians 3:12 NLT). Thus, Paul's life became an adventure in faith. To him, life was not about acquiring; it was about becoming.

2. Seek the hidden but greater potentials in you. You can achieve a loftier goal, as stated in point 1, when you are able to discover the greater potentials within you. Faith is not just about discovering God. It's about discovering yourself within the context of discovering God. To quote the Apostle Paul again: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13 NIV).

Paul discovered within himself potentials to do great things. So can you.

3. Walk in the newness of God. In the Book of Isaiah, we see this promise of God: "Behold, I will do something new. Now it will spring forth" (Isaiah 43:19 NIV).

Each day is new. Believe in it. We will never awake to a day that was recycled into the present. Each day brings new blessings and the opportunity to do new things and discover new potentials within you.

It begins with molding new perceptions. I believe this is the very reason why it is important to read daily devotionals. They give us fresh perceptions about ourselves and the challenges that may face us each day. When we know God presents us always with fresh perceptions about where we're going, then we become more bold in journeying life's less traveled roads and, thus, able to step out of our ruts.

In walking with God, we may not be able to attain what Enoch experienced; nevertheless, the trip will be just as exciting.

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