JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE

Philippians 3:7-11

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

                I am a doer. I am not a type “A” personality or the Energizer Bunny who has to always be on the go. But, I am a hands-on, do-it-myself person. I realized a while ago that I am at my best when I have a project to work on. I use my time the best when I have a tangible goal ahead of me to work toward; whether that is writing a sermon, preparing a Bible study, or working on a project in my woodshop. When I want to express my love to someone, I usually do it in some tangible way. It may be buying a gift or creating something unique in my workshop. I tend to speak more with my actions then my words.

                I have a much harder time just “being.” If I am not “doing”, it is easy for me to withdrawn into my private world. It may seem strange to you that someone whose occupation requires the crafting of words has a hard time expressing himself in words, but that is me. It is far easier for me to write words than speak them. It is easier for me to preach a message then hold an in-depth conversation.

                I have long struggled with expressing my faith through doing. I fully understand that we are saved by grace and not by works. Yet, I have often put much more emphasis in my life on doing something for Christ, rather than being with Christ. Spiritually, I am far more like Martha, rushing around doing things to please Jesus, rather than Mary, sitting at Jesus’ feet and enjoying his presence.

                There is an old hymn titled “Just a Closer Walk with Thee”, that has the following chorus. “Just a closer walk with thee. Grant it Jesus, is my plea. Daily walking close to Thee. Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.” Growing up in church, I have often sung that song. I am afraid that I have not always lived it. Recently, through some of my reading and through some significant events in my life, I have been drawn back to this idea of developing an intimate walk with Jesus. I have been praying that I would stay close the Him each day. I have been praying for a heart that desires to know Jesus more for who He is, rather than for what He can do for me.

                One of the barriers to this quest is much of our current language of worship. Many of the worship songs we sing today sound like love songs between a man and a woman. I am not saying these songs are inappropriate, but they do, at times, make me feel uncomfortable. Men tend to share life with other men through actions; by doing things together. Women are far more comfortable sharing life through words and outward expressions of affection.

                I experienced an example of this just the other night. We had a couple over to our house for dinner. We had a delightful time together. When it was time to leave, the wife said “we love you” and gave my wife a big hug. The husband, shook my hand and said “thanks for a great evening.”

                The Gospels say that when Jesus selected the twelve, He selected them to be with Him; to share life with Him. These were rugged men, who expressed themselves through doing. For three years, they followed Jesus wherever He went. They shared all the ups and downs, all the challenges of being constantly on the move.  I am fairly confident that they didn't sit around and talk about how beautiful Jesus was, or that they longed for His embrace. Yet, these men gave their lives for Jesus.

                I am still trying to learn what it means for me to walk with Jesus daily. I want to learn to share life with Jesus the way the disciples did. I want to get to the place where Paul was, when he wrote that his highest goal was to know Jesus.

                I will always be a “doer.” But, I want to offer my doing as a response to Christ’s love for me and as an expression of my love for Christ. I don’t want my doing to be an effort to gain Christ’s attention or to earn His favor. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.