Power Walk vs. Endurance Walk

I left out this morning feeling very lethargic. There was no pep in my step. It’s amazing what a difference 24 hours can make. Yesterday I was so energetic and had a nice power walk that I am sure was a personal best time. But this morning I was totally not feeling it. However, I pushed myself and continued, one step at a time, knowing that the best I could do was to put one foot in front of the other, not being overly concerned with speed. I decided that since I wasn’t feeling very exercise-ish that I would just enjoy a little walk with Big Daddy. I approached the point that I normally turned around and decided I wasn’t ready to turn back so I continued walking. I walked and walked and walked and walked some more. I walked past a group of school children waiting for the bus and one asked me how far I was walking. I was already twice as far as I normally walk and still didn’t feel like turning back. So I told the young man, “until I feel like turning back” and continued on my walk.

As I walked I heard words like “endurance” and “no limits” and “expand” and began to think about the two previous times in recent years that I had gone on one of these endless walks with the Lord. I asked Him what He was trying to teach me, what He wanted me to see (and share). It seemed that Big Daddy wanted me to recognize that even though power walks are good for the heart, endurance walks stretch your muscles and strengthen you to go the distance.

Power walks are akin to the times when we use our ministry gifts to praise the Lord in song or dance, preach an on time word, serve a family in need, or see our prayers heal the sick. These are great times and bring joy to ourselves and even others. It puts you on a high to be used so powerfully but you eventually come down off the high until the next time the anointing is upon you to do the supernatural and miraculous.

Endurance walks on the other hand, are like our regular day-to-day Christian life when there is no pizzazz, no frill or fluff, just self in all of its glory and depravity. It is during the ordinariness of life that we develop character, maturity and the fruit of the Spirit. Without these, we cannot use our gifts to their greatest good. It is when the lights are off, when nobody is watching and we are intimate with Creator God that we tap into the fullness of the gifts within and get a deep understanding of who we are and why we are here. Endurance walks are long and arduous and the conditions tend to change as you walk. It can go from overcast and cool to rainy to sunny and hot. You can walk on flat or hilly, sandy or rocky terrain. The key is not to focus on the conditions, but to focus on purpose and walking in obedience. If you can make it on the “endurance walk”, the “power walk” will have even greater impact as you operate in the limitless power of God.

Today’s message: continue to endure, take the limits off of what God can, and will do in my life, watch and see the goodness of the Lord as He expands my territory.