If you’re a fan of the movie, “Young Frankenstein,” you’ll recognize the phrase “Walk this way.” The hunch backed servant tells Dr. Frankenstein as he arrives, “walk this way,” as he is hunched over and walks down the steps with a limp. And the good doctor does–walks down the steps with a hunch and a limp. At one point, the scientist says, “I can help you with your hunch back.” And the servant asks, “What hunchback?” (Forgive me if I’m not getting every word correct here but you get the idea).

I thought of that today as I studied Galatians 5:25. NASB says, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” The NIV says it as, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

As I meditated on that, I tried to think of what it really means, because to tell you the truth, I don’t feel like I do it very well. For other words for “keep in step”, I thought of:
walk hand in hand
measure step for step
walk side by side
keep going in the same direction
be constantly aware of the person beside me

Of course we’ve all walked beside someone and had to change our gait in order to keep in step and walk along with them. I guess that’s what we need to do as Christians in order to keep in step with the Spirit. We have to be sensitive to the Spirit’s pace, method, gait, even what may seem like a limp. Maybe it even seems from our perspective that we will be walking hunched over if we do what the Spirit is leading us to do. But if it’s led by Him, we can have confidence it’s the right thing.

I still don’t think I’m getting all that it means. I’m encouraged that a few verses before that in Galatians 5:16, it says, “walk by the Spirit,” and the verb tense of “walk” is “keep on walking.” Well, I guess I’m going to keep on learning how to walk with the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit and walk side by side with the Spirit. Thankfully, God isn’t expecting perfection only growth. And awareness of when I’m getting ahead or behind or going off in a different direction from the Spirit. Keep on keeping on. And keep laughing when I watch “Young Frankenstein.”

OK, Comforter Spirit, I’ll walk “this way.”