For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:5-7)

Christians generally associate faith with their salvation experience, and rightly so. By believing in Christ, we enter into a relationship with Him. But that’s not the end—after that initial decision comes a lifetime of walking with Him.

Since the word walk is used to describe behavior and conduct, we may mistakenly conclude that after salvation, the Christian life is all about performance. But today’s verses clearly state that we walk with Christ in the same way we received Him—by faith. This means we place our trust in Him for every circumstance of life. To help us understand this, Paul uses some phrases in verse 7 that describe how confidence in God grows:

“Having been firmly rooted”—At the moment of salvation, believers are planted in Christ. As we anchor ourselves in the Lord, our roots grow deep, drawing spiritual nourishment from Him.

“Being built up in Him”—Through obedience, the believer’s life is built on the foundation of the Savior. God wants us to choose precious and valuable building materials that will last into eternity (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).

“Established in your faith”—As we begin to understand more about the Lord and how He operates, our trust in Him increases. Then we experience stability, even in the winds of adversity.

In our goal-oriented society, it’s easy to forget that walking in Christ is a process. While on earth, we never “arrive” but are slowly transformed along the way. As we trust the Lord, our hearts will overflow with gratitude for all His blessings and the stability He offers in every circumstance.

I was encouraged by this devotion. I think as Christians we can be so overwhelmed by trying to “arrive” that we loose site of the true purpose of salvation and what God truly wants for us. Realize today that you are slowly transforming and it’s okay to go slow, He is with you every step of your journey helping you along the way. I realize we are our own worse critic, but today rest in knowing He offers true stability in every circumstance. One day we will stand before Him and I pray you hear, Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. It will be in that moment in eternity that we have truly arrived. Until then, just keep putting one foot in front of the other and find the beauty in walking with Him each and every day. Walk by faith! 

Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!

Today’s Reading is Psalm 27:14