Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message Bible) "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Let me ask you a question! When you are at the airport and you have a choice between the moving sidewalk or walking the pavement, which do you choose? Would you rather walk the pavement with all your luggage, or walk/stand on the belt and reach your destination faster with less effort? When I was at the Newark airport on my way back from Ghana, Africa a couple of weeks ago, the friend that I was travelling with looked over at the moving sidewalk and said, "That's grace", then looked at the people walking and said, "That's law". I agreed and thought, that's "grace walking"!
Grace walking. It's the life that Jesus died for, the life that God has provided for us. I like what The Message calls it in Matthew 11:30, "the unforced rhythms of grace". Jesus is beckoning us to walk with Him, work with Him, watch how He does it, we'll learn to live freely and live lightly. That's the choice we have, to walk with Him or on our own.
Less effort does not mean no effort. The key is who you are putting your efforts in, yourself or God? Grace walking is "unforced ", it's a mindset that doesn't have to force its way, doesn't push, doesn't get ahead of God, it's a mindset of rest regardless of what we see or feel.
Rhythm means "movement with a patterned reoccurrence of a beat". God's rhythm is a daily lifestyle, walking throughout each day to His "beat". It's not three good days, two bad days, then one good day. It's a rhythm of grace, rest, a flow. It's like riding in a raft and letting it take you down the river, not swimming upstream against the flow and force of things.
G.R.A.C.E. - God's Riches At Christ's Expense. By grace walking, you allow God to take you places. He opens doors and you walk through. He shows you the strategy to overcome an obstacle and you obey. He leads you down a new path and you open yourself to make the necessary changes. He shuts a door and you don't try to beat it down. He speaks, you listen. He blesses and you receive. He gives you the secret desire of your heart, and you simply smile and say thank you. He loves you, you love Him back. That's the rhythm of grace. That's grace walking! Come on, let's go!