Walk, Don’t Run 行走不奔跑
Dexu Xia
Walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
I’d see her welcoming the dawn each day. She was our local power walker. As I drove my kids to school, she’d be there on the road’s shoulder. Equipped with an oversized pair of headphones and knee-high, colorful socks, she walked with an alternating movement of arms and feet, always with one foot in contact with the ground. The sport is different from running or jogging. Power walking involves an intentional restraint, a reining in of the body’s natural inclination to run. Although it doesn’t look like it, there’s just as much energy, focus, and power involved as in running or jogging. But it’s under control.
Power under control—that’s the key. Biblical humility, like power walking, is often viewed as weakness. The truth is, it’s not. Humility isn’t diminishing our strengths or abilities, but rather allowing them to be reined in much like the arms and legs and feet guided by the mind of an early morning power walker.
Micah’s words “walk humbly” are a call for us to rein in our inclination to go ahead of God. He says “to act justly and to love mercy” (6:8), and that can bring with it a desire to do something and do it fast. That’s fair since the daily injustices in our world are so overwhelming. But we are to be controlled and directed by God. Our goal is to see His will and purposes accomplished in the dawning of His kingdom here on earth.
In what circumstance have you “run ahead” of God? Do you usually view humility as a strength or a weakness? Why?
To walk humbly with You, O God, is not always easy. Train me, so that my steps are in tune with You and Your will.
存谦卑的心，与你的上帝同行。—弥迦书6章8节
我看见她每天都早起迎接朝阳。她是我们小区的竞走健儿，当我驾车送孩子们去学校时，她总在路肩上快步地走。她会戴上大型的耳机，穿上彩色及膝袜，左手右脚、右手左脚轮流向前迈步，总要有一只脚接触地面。竞走与快跑或慢跑不同，竞走者刻意限制自己，勒住身体想跑步的倾向。竞走看起来容易，但仍需要与快跑或慢跑相同的体力、专注力及力量，只是必须有所控制。
控制力量就是其中的关键。圣经所说的谦卑，经常像竞走一样会被人看为软弱。但事实上，这并非软弱。谦卑并不是减低我们的优点或能力，而是要加以控制，就像那位晨间竞走健儿，要用意志去控制手脚的摆动。
先知弥迦说“存谦卑的心，与你的上帝同行”是呼吁我们控制自己的脚步，免得跑在上帝的前头。他也说“行公义，好怜悯”（6章8节），这容易叫我们渴望做一些事情，且迅速去做。这是可以理解的，因为在这世界上每天都有太多不公义的事发生。只是我们在采取行动时，仍要接受上帝的控制和引导。我们如此行最终要达到的目标是看见祂的旨意与目的成就，也让人看见祂的国度彰显在地上。
在什么情况下你会跑在上帝的前头？
你认为谦卑是优点或是缺点？为什么呢？
上帝啊，存谦卑的心与祢同行实在不容易，
但求祢训练我，
好使我的步伐能与祢和祢的旨意保持一致。