What does it mean to walk with God?
Q: You often say in your column that we need to learn to walk with God, but what does that mean? I don't have any trouble believing in God, but I don't think I understand what it means to walk with Him. -- Mrs. E.McW.
A: The key is to understand what happens to us when we commit our lives to Jesus Christ. By nature, we are separated from God because of our sins -- but when we open our hearts to Christ, He forgives us and comes to live within us by His Spirit.
In other words, we now have a personal relationship with God. We have become God's friend -- and He has become our friend too! But like any other friendship, our friendship with God needs to be nurtured. If it isn't, our relationship with God will grow cold, and we'll no longer see God as our friend. We may even become like the people of Jeremiah's time: "My people have forgotten me, days without number" (Jeremiah 2:32).
How do we strengthen our friendship with God? How do we walk with Him every day? We do it the same way we strengthen our relationship with a friend, or with our spouse: we spend time with them -- talking and listening to each other, sharing our concerns and joys, even helping and encouraging each other. In other words, we "walk" with them, enjoying their company and sharing our lives.
The same is true with God. Because He is with us, we can turn to Him in prayer at any moment, sharing our concerns and expressing our love for Him. We also can listen to Him, as we read His Word, the Bible, and hear others preach and teach from it. Make sure of your commitment to Christ, and then walk with Him every day.
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(Send your queries to "My Answer," c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.)
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