What Does 'Walking With God' Mean?

Several people have asked the question "What does walking with God mean?" but everyone in the world should be interested in knowing the answer. I'll start with Billy Graham's response. The following Q & A is from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association "Answers" blog, Feb. 13, 2017.

Question: "I've heard preachers say that we need to learn to walk with God, but what exactly does this mean? I'd like to walk with God, but I don't know how. And anyway, how would I know if God was actually with me?"

Answer: "I'm thankful you want to walk with God -- because He wants to walk with you! He wants to assure you that He is always with you, and He also wants to talk with you -- and you with Him.

"Look at it this way. By nature we are cut off from God, because we have sinned and turned our backs on Him. But when we come to Christ and commit our lives to Him, God cleanses us of all our sins, and we are no longer separated from Him. Instead, He makes us part of His family, and we become his children forever. The Bible says, 'Now if we are [God's] children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ' (Romans 8:17).

"How, then, do we walk with God and grow closer to Him? Just as we do with our children, the most important way is by spending time with Him -- listening to Him as He speaks to us in the Bible, and talking with Him in prayer. Just as human friendships wither and die if we never spend time together, so our relationship with God will grow cold if we never spend time with Him. Set aside time every day -- even if it's only a few minutes at first -- to be alone with God.

"But Christ is also with you every moment of the day! Even when you're busy, you can still talk with Him and follow Him. Jesus said, "I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20)."

I like Billy's response. My prayers are often short, to the point, and I receive answers. I don't play church, and I am not super-spiritual. But I know that walking with God is a vital reality; and is a necessary part of life if we are to be an active child of God. But we have to reduce the noise and busyness in our lives, and pay attention to God in order to hear Him!

God in heaven doesn't play church, and neither did Jesus on earth. And no one ever walked with Father God as closely as Jesus did. But Enoch came close.

Genesis 5:21-24 says: "Enoch lived 65 years, and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were 365 years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him" (NKJV).

Enoch being "taken" is another story for another time. But what made Enoch different, or special? What set him apart from the rest of humanity? He purposely lived a Godly life in the middle of a corrupt and perverse culture. He didn't water-down or modify his ethics, morals, and faith in order to win the world or to be relevant to the world. Enoch had set his mind to know -- really KNOW -- the God who walked in the Garden with Adam.

And in case you haven't noticed, we live in a corrupt and perverse world just like Enoch did. Sadly, many Christians are immersed in their own lifestyle, they have deleted consecration to God from worship, and are oblivious to the idea of walking with God.

To boil the answer down to a few words: Walking with God requires knowing how and what He thinks, what He wants of me, and obeying Him. It's that simple. Emphasis is on obedience.

When we learn to know the Lord by studying His thoughts as found in Holy Scripture, First Corinthians 2:16b becomes reality: "We have the mind [thoughts] of Christ."

Are you one of those who wants God to care for you, to help you, to bless you? I can almost hear the Lord say, "You quit asking Me to bless you, and you start walking with and obeying Me. That's when I'll do something with your life."

God is waiting for you to truly turn to Him.

GENE LINZEY IS A SPEAKER, AUTHOR, AND MENTOR. SEND COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS TO [email protected]. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.

Editorial on 02/06/2019