Commentary: Walking is good visual of our spiritual health

David Chancey

From a spiritual perspective, the Bible uses walking as a metaphor to describe an intimate relationship with God and faithful Christian living.”

A group of Buddhist monks spent 108 days walking on a 2,000-mile march from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C. The “Walk for Peace” began on October 26, 2025, and was completed February 10. Their journey went viral, capturing the fascination of millions of Americans who were curious about their effort to promote compassion.

Whether or not their journey has a long-term impact remains to be seen, but at least they got their steps in.

Walking is good for us. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. My primary physician promotes brisk walking for thirty minutes per day at least five days a week. Moving even a little means a lot to our heart health, according to the AHA.

Runner’s World listed “8 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Walking” (www.runnersworld.com, December 2, 2025):

• Blood sugar stabilization. “Even a leisurely 10-minute stroll after dinner can help regulate blood sugar levels,” according to the article.
• Better sleep. Walking “is the single best way to improve sleep quality,” said sleep expert Michael Breus, Ph. D.
• Healthy Weight Maintenance. “Any amount of calories burned can help with your goal of maintaining or losing weight,” Dr. William Dixon said.
• Stress Relief and Mood Regulation. Taking a walk to “clear your mind” actually works.
• Reduced risk of dementia. Some research shows that getting in your daily steps – right under 10,000 is ideal – is associated with a reduced risk of dementia.
• Boosted Recovery. Individuals who enjoy intense exercise benefit from walking as a recovery tool.
• Inspiration to move more. Consistently hitting your daily step target leads to setting even more ambitious goals, according to the article.
• Easy to stay consistent. The article points out you can easily incorporate walks throughout your day. Every walk doesn’t have to feel like a workout.

From a spiritual perspective, the Bible uses walking as a metaphor to describe an intimate relationship with God and faithful Christian living. The idea of walking points to a growing relationship highlighted by sweet daily fellowship.

Two men in scripture were said to “walk with God,” Enoch (Genesis 5:22) and Noah (Genesis 6:9). When everyone around him was corrupt and evil, Noah “was a righteous man, blameless in his generation.” Noah faithfully followed God. He marched to God’s drumbeat.

What does scripture say about walking? How shall we walk?

• Walk humbly (Micah 6:8)
• Walk in obedience (Deuteronomy 5:33, 8:6, 10:12)
• Walk in the light (Isaiah 2:5, John 8:12, I John 1:7)
• Walk guided by God’s Word (Psalm 119:105)
• Walk properly (Romans 13:13)
• Walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7)
• Walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16)
• Walk in love (Ephesians 5:2)
• Walk wisely (Proverbs 4:10-15; Ephesians 5:15)
• Walk intentionally, redeeming the time (Ephesians 5:16)
• Walk doing good works (Ephesians 2:10)
• Walk in a worthy manner, fully pleasing (Colossians 1:10)

Many mornings when I run in my neighborhood, I pass two ladies who routinely undertake a brisk walk. They obviously enjoy each other’s company. They are energetically talking, gesturing, smiling, and laughing. They walk in step and keep pace, never falling behind or getting ahead of each other.

That’s a great picture of what it means to walk with God. Do you walk with God? How is your walk with God going?

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David L. Chancey lives in Fayetteville, Georgia, and serves as transitional pastor of Griffin Church, Griffin, Georgia. Visit him at www.davidchancey.com to see his other writings, including his three books.