Walking the Right Way

Ephesians 5:15 – “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise”

The following incident was printed in a Church bulletin in Oregon. “A welfare worker told of finding in a poverty-stricken section a crippled boy to whom she was really attracted. Longing to see him walk and be active like other boys his age, she consulted a very famous orthopedic surgeon who graciously agreed to help.

An examination was made and an operation was performed on his leg. Slow, tedious days of recovery followed. Gradually the child learned to walk, then run, and finally played normally with the other boys. At that point the woman paused to say, “He is now a grown man. I want you to guess where he is and what he is doing.” Many suggestions were made. ‘He’s a doctor….a great humanitarian….a minister….a welfare worker were some of their guesses.’ The woman solemnly replied, ‘No, you are all wrong. He is in Sing Sing Prison serving a life term for murder! We spent all of our time teaching him HOW to walk but we failed to teach him WHERE to walk.'”

Many Christians spend a tremendous amount of money, time and effort on their youngsters, seeking to improve their minds through education and to develop their bodies by programs of physical fitness. When it comes to the spiritual aspect of their lives, however, we cannot merely instruct children, we must also show them by our own conduct.

The article in the Church bulletin concluded with these apt words of admonition: “Let us be reminded again that Christianity must be caught, not just taught; therefore let us teach our boys and girls not only how but also where to walk!”