Stop Stumbling, Start Striding: Walk in Stride with Jesus

I want to walk in stride with Jesus. In this post I share what causes me to stride and what causes me to stumble. Read on the learn how to walk decisively with Jesus. 

I told Jesus I would walk in stride with Him. But I find myself stumbling into disobedience, responding like a stubborn, know-it-all toddler.

I confess: I have been lax in obeying God with certain details. You really want to know the juicy details, don’t ya? Ha, I thought so. Okay, here goes. *takes deep breath 

See, I have set alarms on my iPhone to jog my memory that bedtime is approaching. When the reminder pops up I feel like a little kid who just lost her fun time because Mama just told her to go to bed. Except it’s not Mama, it’s the Holy Spirit. And lately, I have been ignoring said alarms. By lately, I mean for several weeks now.

What’s the Big Deal?

The “big deal” is: God made it very clear to me that I was to go to bed at a certain time at night. His instructions were so I could catch enough sleep to wake up at the certain time He wants me to wake each morning. Why? It’s wisdom for my body.

When I stay up late and wake late, I’m tired all day, even if I get nine hours of sleep. On the other hand, when I go to bed early and wake early on a regular basis, I feel good and have energy. He’s shown me that I need to keep this schedule to maintain strength for the work of my calling.

When I asked Him for wisdom, He delivered. Disregarding those alarms is foolish. Ignoring the alarms even got to the point where I would feel the Holy Spirit nudging me, but I would continue right on doing what I was doing as if nothing had happened. (Ouch. That was painful to write.)

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. James 4:17 ESV

Stride or Stumble

Have you ever linked arms with someone and tried to walk with them while you’re connected like that? When you’re close together in that position, the pace is much smoother when you are in the same stride as the other person. Otherwise, when both persons’ steps are off, one usually is striving to keep up with the other person, or trip in the attempt!

Jesus isn’t my crutch that I use to only walk with Him when I’m wounded. I said I would link arms, and walk with Him for life. My linking arms illustrates my obedience.

My flesh doesn’t always want to yield to Jesus, but it’s always worth it. The result is fruitfulness for His kingdom.

stride→steps together    stumble→steps off

Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! Psalm 128:1 ESV

Use Mile Markers to Walk in Stride with Jesus

One time I printed out a long list of very specific directions to another city. I wasn’t familiar with most of the streets, so I found myself using the mile markers to avoid missing the next turn. To follow God’s directions, I follow by my obedience. If I don’t want to miss His next turn, I need to look at the specifics.

When I find myself going through problems, I need to frequently check the “mile markers.” If the mission He gave me isn’t going so great, I might find that I didn’t carry out a specific direction. Along the way, I need to obey carefully, and that means that I need to make sure that I am honoring every detail.

My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:8 NASB

Obedience causes me to link arms with Jesus and walk in stride with Him. Disobedience causes my steps to be off sync. I don’t want to be disobedient. It decreases the anointing, and other has consequences as well.

So how do I obey God? Read my post Obeying God When the Struggle Is Real where I unpack some practical ways.

To stride means to walk with long, decisive steps in a specified direction. I want to walk in stride with Jesus. How are you walking with Him?

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