Walking with God-What does it look like?

[Connect]

Hello all,

I have a question that I’ve been wondering about for a while and wanted to ask you all. From your personal experience, can you tell me what, in your life or the life of a loved one close to you, what happens when you/he/she are “walking closely with God”? I mean, what does it look like for you and them? In other words, if I met you or them on the street and you were "walking closely with God" what would I observe? What is happening internally and externally? What would I see in your actions? Behaviors? Relationships? Conduct? More prayer? Fasting? Fellowship? Etc. Please do not limit you answers those above but add anything that you can note from your own experiences. Thank you all for your thoughts.

Connections

[hlaltimus]

Hello all,

I have a question that I’ve been wondering about for a while and wanted to ask you all. From your personal experience, can you tell me what, in your life or the life of a loved one close to you, what happens when you/he/she are “walking closely with God”? I mean, what does it look like for you and them? In other words, if I met you or them on the street and you were "walking closely with God" what would I observe? What is happening internally and externally? What would I see in your actions? Behaviors? Relationships? Conduct? More prayer? Fasting? Fellowship? Etc. Please do not limit you answers those above but add anything that you can note from your own experiences. Thank you all for your thoughts.

Connections
Here are two identifying marks that were not specifically mentioned: Solitariness and holiness. Not that a man or woman who walks with God must first find themselves a nice and dry warm cave to spend their time of communion with God in, but if one wishes to walk with God like Abraham did, it will get down to just you and the Lord eventually. "Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God..." Romans 14:22a This verse does not refer to our evangelical faith, but to our personal communal faith of experience with the Lord. There is a both a public communion between believers and a private communion between a believer and his or her Lord and here is where that old, but gruff, adage is appropriate: "Two's company, three's a crowd!" In order to achieve this incommunicable communion of walking with the Lord, Abraham is a very good place to start...Genesis 17:1 "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, 'I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.' " Here is where you can disregard my Presbyterian logo as I no longer espouse all of Calvin's views, (such as concerns Christian perfection,) but see dear old Wesley as being much closer to the true, biblical perspective of truth. If you want to walk with God, holiness is requisite. If there are known sins in your life, (or even unknown ones,) God may grant you some initial, sweet communion with Him, but you are spashing in a fish tank while there is an entire ocean of heavenly fellowship awaiting you and this will never, ever be reached without a faultless and blameless life, just like John Wesley taught.

[silentpoet]

What I have noticed about those who are closer with God is that they are more welcoming. It is in part what attracted me to my nazarene church. I also think there are some things you can't define that make the difference. It is like art, you know it when you see it but you may not be able to define it.

[Connect]

Hi hlaltimus,

You are saying that 1:1 time with God is vital. Also, I’m not sure if I’m hearing you correctly Sir/Maam. Are you then saying that our lives must be perfect/immaculate/blameless and we do that through particular action? By putting off all sin?

Thank you,

Connect

[Connect]

Hi Silentpoet,

Thank you for your thoughts. From what I hear you saying, “Closer people tend to be more welcoming” and you have noticed that. Other indicators are harder to put a finger on for you. It is more ambiguous. If, in thinking about it, some come up for you, I’d appreciate hearing them.

Thank you,

Connect

[silentpoet]

Well there is just something about holy people. It is different, but I think if we try to pin it down we will likely miss it entirely. CS Lewis said something to the effect that the tyrants of this world have been pretty much all the same and the saints have been wonderously different from each other. So I am somewhat leary of defining what "closer" to God is.

[hlaltimus]

Hi hlaltimus,

You are saying that 1:1 time with God is vital. Also, I’m not sure if I’m hearing you correctly Sir/Maam. Are you then saying that our lives must be perfect/immaculate/blameless and we do that through particular action? By putting off all sin?

Thank you,

Connect
Hi. Ideal communion with God will only be found with ideal holiness and the ideal holiness in this life is perfect holiness, but, that word "perfect" has caused alot of trouble between Wesleyans and non-Wesleyan thinkers since it is entirely a relative term. Just as a having $1,000.00 in your pocket would make you instantly rich relative to a newly arrived immigrant from Mexico, and yet fairly impoverished relative to any resident up on the hillside of San Bernadino, California.
Holiness is relatively described in the bible in two ways: Creature to creature relative holiness and creature to Creator relative holiness. The first form is the one which Wesley adopted and it is correct in it's own setting, while the second form is the one that folks like the Puritans of the Westminster Assembly would have adopted and they are also correct, relatively speaking that is!!! Sometimes both perspectives are found in one scripture as in the case of Luke 17:10 --- "So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do." Here is a dear saintly old-time Methodist who has pursued his or her sanctification with so must zeal and consistency that no one within their association can spot a single, glaring defect in that consecration as they have done "all these things" of their duty, or, creature to creature relative holiness. However, the Lord God has better eye sight than their associates and can spot defects in any part of that consecration where you or I cannot and so they are still, "unprofitable servants" before God's viewing, or, creature to Creator relative holiness. No, then, this kind of "perfect" holiness requisite for communion with God is not perfect in the sense of celestial, minute perfection. It is flawed through and through before His divine standard even if no one else see's it that way, and yet it is a holiness which will bend God's attention to purify it's inconsistencies through the intercession of His Son and then sweep you off of your feet and up into the heavenlies where you will bathe yourself in the glory of that realm.

[we5frogs]

I work in an office with about 20 other women, and they affectionately call me "the bible lady". A few of them are Christians, most are not, although there has never been any conflict between us, which I am so grateful for. I am never one to back down from or sugar coat my beliefs, but neither do I judge or criticize others for their choices. We respect each other, and I love that.

So, I asked them what about me they think makes me fit my 'label'.

The most common type of response, although stated differently by each, is the peace they see in me. One put it that 'no matter what happens, you just don't get flustered about it. All we hear is '"the Lord's got it in His hands"' - accentuated with 'air quotes'.
(how cute - they may not all believe it, but they hear it - isn't God good?)

I have had many things happen in my life over the last year. Just to name a few, I had my identity stolen with more than 20 checks written illegally in my name, we needed to find a new place to live due to our landlord's legal issues with the city (and that new place had to be in an area where my autistic son's school program would not be affected), my mother's lease ran out and she had not yet received her approval for an elder care high-rise, and my office at work announced a move to an off site building which would impact my ability to be available for my son should he need me.

With each situation, they would ask me, again and again, 'how can you be so calm', ' what if things don't work out', etc. But I knew that each time God gave me scripture to stand on when I took the situation to my knees and surrendered it completely to Him. I didn't always know what the answer would look like, but I always trusted that He was in control.

For me, the term Christian perfection leads not to me being perfect (ask anyone who knows me well, and they will tell you I am not), but in that perfect trust that comes because we are aware that He is present with us
through every step we take, and we can walk through this life together because of His redemptive sacrifice.

This knowledge in turn impacts all we do in regards to the things you listed in your question, all of our actions and reactions, because we are being lead by the Spirit, not by our own 'humanness'. That doesn't mean we never make mistakes, never stray from where the Spirit leads us, but it means that we are always in His grip, and He lets us know quickly when we are out of His will, and how to get back on track.

BTW - after months of police assistance, all the checks were written off to theft and removed from my credit report, my mom's application came through 1 week before her deadline and we got her moved in time, we found a new home right across the street from her about a month later, and just this week I was asked by my boss to consider a different job that would place me both closer to home and the same distance from my son's school as before

God is good ~ all the time!!!

[Morgaine1205]

I work in an office with about 20 other women, and they affectionately call me "the bible lady". A few of them are Christians, most are not, although there has never been any conflict between us, which I am so grateful for. I am never one to back down from or sugar coat my beliefs, but neither do I judge or criticize others for their choices. We respect each other, and I love that.

So, I asked them what about me they think makes me fit my 'label'.

The most common type of response, although stated differently by each, is the peace they see in me. One put it that 'no matter what happens, you just don't get flustered about it. All we hear is '"the Lord's got it in His hands"' - accentuated with 'air quotes'.
(how cute - they may not all believe it, but they hear it - isn't God good?)

I have had many things happen in my life over the last year. Just to name a few, I had my identity stolen with more than 20 checks written illegally in my name, we needed to find a new place to live due to our landlord's legal issues with the city (and that new place had to be in an area where my autistic son's school program would not be affected), my mother's lease ran out and she had not yet received her approval for an elder care high-rise, and my office at work announced a move to an off site building which would impact my ability to be available for my son should he need me.

With each situation, they would ask me, again and again, 'how can you be so calm', ' what if things don't work out', etc. But I knew that each time God gave me scripture to stand on when I took the situation to my knees and surrendered it completely to Him. I didn't always know what the answer would look like, but I always trusted that He was in control.

For me, the term Christian perfection leads not to me being perfect (ask anyone who knows me well, and they will tell you I am not), but in that perfect trust that comes because we are aware that He is present with us
through every step we take, and we can walk through this life together because of His redemptive sacrifice.

This knowledge in turn impacts all we do in regards to the things you listed in your question, all of our actions and reactions, because we are being lead by the Spirit, not by our own 'humanness'. That doesn't mean we never make mistakes, never stray from where the Spirit leads us, but it means that we are always in His grip, and He lets us know quickly when we are out of His will, and how to get back on track.

BTW - after months of police assistance, all the checks were written off to theft and removed from my credit report, my mom's application came through 1 week before her deadline and we got her moved in time, we found a new home right across the street from her about a month later, and just this week I was asked by my boss to consider a different job that would place me both closer to home and the same distance from my son's school as before

God is good ~ all the time!!!

And all the time, God is good!

What an awesome post, praise God! Thank you for sharing.

[silentpoet]

I think one thing we are talking about is kind of like when Paul said "Not that I have grabbed hold of this..." Holiness is about perfecting(ie improving), not about being perfect. Now I know as a matter of Nazarene doctrine, it is theoretically possible to get to the point where you are living a sinless life. But I just have not see it that I am aware of, even in the best, most holy people I have known.

[Connect]

Hello all,

Now that we have established that there are some behaviors that assist us in walking closely with God, I'm wondering how much is dependant on our motives/attitudes/behaviors/etc. that actually contribute to our walk with God? Do we actual play a part or is it only the Holy Spirit in our lives? Any ideas would be welcome.

Thank you,

Connect

[we5frogs]

Hello all,

Now that we have established that there are some behaviors that assist us in walking closely with God, I'm wondering how much is dependant on our motives/attitudes/behaviors/etc. that actually contribute to our walk with God? Do we actual play a part or is it only the Holy Spirit in our lives? Any ideas would be welcome.

Thank you,

Connect
willingness - surrender to His will - obedience

these things are in our control

you can guide a 'horse' right up to, even into the water, but if he stubbornly refuses to drink, if he keep his eyes closed in order to avoid seeing, or if he simply walks away, he will still die of thirst

[silentpoet]

I think grace plays a much larger role than our efforts. Yes we must certainly make what efforts we can, but it is pretty tiny compared to the impact of grace.

Added below with edit.

I realize the above sounds like we don't have to work hard at it. That is not true. We do have to work very hard at it, I know it is very hard work for me just resisting temptation. It is just that these efforts of ours won't get us very far without God's grace. Man's goodness is nowhere near enough to measure up to the standards of holiness that God presents us with. So in the end, while we are to work hard at doing God's will, it is grace that gets us there.