Colossians 1:10 Meaning: Walk Worthily of the Lord

The Greek word for walk (peripateō) was an everyday term for going about your daily business. Paul uses it again and again to mean how you live your ordinary life. Walking worthily (axiōs) means living in a way that is fitting, like a life that matches the One you follow.

The word translated pleasing (areskeia) is rare in the New Testament, it appears only here. In Greek culture it often meant a cringing, people-pleasing habit. Paul lifts it up and turns it toward God: a sincere desire to bring Him joy in every part of life. Not an attempt to earn favour, but the natural response of a heart that knows His grace.

Growing in knowledge uses epignōsis, a deeper word than common knowledge. It means full, personal, experiential knowledge, not facts about God but an intimate acquaintance with who He is. This knowing isn’t just in the mind; it shapes how you live. The older you grow in this knowledge, the more your walk shows it.

Across traditions, Christians agree this verse describes a life transformed by grace. Many commentators note that the Lord here refers to Christ Himself, a powerful statement of His divinity, since Paul also speaks of walking worthy of God (1 Thessalonians 2:12).

Reformed voices like Calvin emphasize that a worthy walk means submitting your whole life to God’s will, setting aside your own understanding. Methodist writers such as Adam Clarke stress that this pleasing must touch every detail: the motive, timing, and spirit behind every action. Anglican scholars point out that while no human walk is perfectly worthy, it can be sincere and aim at matching the love that calls us. All traditions see that growing in knowledge is not an afterthought, it is the soil from which fruitfulness and obedience grow.

A common misreading is to treat increasing in the knowledge of God as simply learning more facts about God. People think this verse gives a homework assignment of data collection. In fact, the Greek word epignōsis points to a deep, personal knowing that changes how you live. It is the knowledge that comes from walking with Someone, not just reading about Them. The growth Paul prays for is relational and transformative, not academic.

This week you could ask yourself one question: What would it look like to please God in this ordinary moment today? Maybe it is washing the dishes with patience instead of resentment. Maybe it is speaking a kind word to someone who frustrates you. Paul does not ask for heroic deeds, he asks for every good work, including the small ones.

And consider time for growing in knowledge. Set down your phone for ten minutes. Read a short passage of Scripture and ask, “What does this tell me about who God is?” Not for a study project, but to know Him a little more. That is the kind of knowing that makes your walk worthier tomorrow than it was yesterday.