Walk Like Jesus Walked

By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 2:5b-6)

That begged the question – what are the practical things, those measurable goals, of walking like Jesus did? And I sought to summarize it as a help in wrapping my mind around it practically. In light of this week being Thanksgiving, I thought we’d take a little detour this week to dig into this (including the fact that Jesus was a grateful person). Here’s what I gathered:

• Jesus walked in perfect obedience to the Father, doing nothing of His own will but only what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19)
• Jesus humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2:5–8)
• Jesus was moved with compassion toward the broken, healing the sick, feeding the hungry (Mark 6:34)
• Jesus forgave those who sinned against Him (Luke 23:34)
• Jesus spoke truth with grace (John 1:14)
• Jesus loved without partiality (James 2:1; John 13:34; John 8:1-11)
• Jesus sought the lost so they might be saved (Luke 19:10)
• Jesus gave thanks to the Father in all things and showed gratitude that flowed from trust and intimate fellowship (John 11:41; John 6:11; Luke 22:19)
• Jesus withdrew often to pray (Luke 5:16)
• Jesus trusted the Father in suffering (1 Peter 2:23)
• Jesus laid down His life in love (John 15:13; Luke 23:46)

In Summary

Jesus lived in perfect fellowship with the Father, doing nothing apart from Him and moving in harmony with His will. His steps were marked by humility and compassion — He touched the broken, lifted the weary, and forgave those who wronged Him. Wherever He went, He carried the Father’s heart: healing, feeding, teaching, and restoring. His words were full of grace and truth, never seeking His own glory, but revealing the Father’s. In every moment, He gave thanks — before the bread was multiplied, before the cup was shared, even before the miracle was seen. Gratitude was His breath, flowing from perfect trust in the Father’s goodness. He withdrew often to pray, choosing stillness with God over the noise of the crowd, and when suffering came, He entrusted Himself completely into the Father’s hands. He walked in love that laid itself down, light that never dimmed, obedience that never wavered.

To walk as Jesus walked is to live from that same place of abiding — to love as He loved, serve as He served, give thanks in all things, and being obedient to the Father’s will, trusting Him with a heart at rest.

Today, let’s be thankful (and express gratitude) that we have the ability by the empowering of the Holy Spirit to walk like Jesus walked. And then let’s be disciplined to work with the Holy Spirit to actually walk in that manner. Happy Thanksgiving!