Learning To Walk In Christ

Learning To Walk In Christ

O LORD, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. . . . Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Psalm 25:1-2, 4-5

After my campsite conversion from atheism, I returned to Birmingham a new man in Christ. But I was still a neophyte when it came to matters of faith. I didn’t know the lingo, and at the Bible study I attended, I was always the last one to locate the passage we were reading. Whenever I was asked a question, I stumbled and stammered, trying to figure out what to say.

I became very insecure because I wasn’t used to learning from other people. I’d spent most of my life being the top dog who taught others.

One day an old friend said, “Where have you been, Reggie? We haven’t seen you at the bar in weeks. Come hang out with us tonight.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, “but I can’t. I’m attending a Bible study.”

He started chuckling. “A what?”

“A Bible study.”

He broke out in a full belly laugh. “You’re going to a Bible study? That’s a good one!”

“Gotta run. I’ll catch you later,” I said.

As I walked away, I could still hear him laughing, and his ridicule stung.

I tried to chase away my feelings of embarrassment by reciting Romans 6:23, the verse I had memorized for the study that night: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

As I thought about the meaning of the verse, God spoke to me through it, reminding me that my insecurity and the ridicule I had endured were all temporary. The decision I’d made to accept God’s gift of salvation was something I would have for eternity.

Looking back at those days, the beauty of my ignorance was that I had to live every day by faith, trusting God that I wouldn’t get lost in this brave new world. As I learned more about God from his Word, I came to trust him completely.

TODAY’S RX

Be humble in your new life with Christ. Every baby crawls before learning to walk.

Father, when I’m discouraged about my walk of faith, help me to remember that it is not a race, but a journey. Help me to savor the season I’m in, gaining knowledge and insights from your Word.