And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

What kind of walk do you have? Do you walk quickly or slowly? Do you take long strides or do you shuffle your feet? Do you walk with a limp like I sometimes do? Do you walk with your head up or does your head hang low? How are you walking these days?

In the New International Version of the Bible, there is a phrase that occurs 20 different times. It is the phrase, “walk in obedience.” Nineteen of these occurrences are in the Old Testament, and the only time it appears in the New Testament is in John’s second letter.

In the book of 2 John, the Apostle John was writing to a woman in the first century with whom he was acquainted. He reminded her of Jesus’ words to His disciples on the night before He was crucified. Jesus said in John 13:34, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

As followers of Jesus, we are to live lives of love. We are truly walking in obedience when we love others as Christ has loved us. Jesus loves us unconditionally. This means that His love is unlimited, unselfish, and unending. His example of love is one we are to emulate. We are most like Jesus when we are living lives of love.

How is your “walk” going, friend? Are you walking in obedience by living a life of love? Are you limping along as you struggle to walk in obedience? Are you shuffling through life and stumbling your way through learning to love like Jesus? Let’s look at our walks and make some “strides” toward walking in obedience by living lives of love.

By Shawn Cornett, Bible League International staff, Indiana U.S.