Walking with God: Why It’s So Important

Asking someone to explain the importance of walking with God won’t be the same for each person. God loves diversity and everybody’s walk with Him is different and unique. It’s true. Christians all end up at the same place (heaven) but our roads to reach our eternal home are never identical.

If you aren’t quite walking with God, maybe you haven’t developed spiritual disciplines yet or it could be you don’t see the advantages. Whatever the reason, you’re reading this because you’re a tad curious about how to walk with God.

John Eldredge, an American Christian author, believes that walking with God helps us find the path that leads to life. Then, Charles Swindoll, Founder of Insight for Living, is certain our spiritual tanks run on low because we fail to set aside time to get closer to God.

All Christians most likely agree to take steps toward God daily helps us become the church without spot and wrinkle.

But How Do You Walk with God?

Major on obedience: Blatantly disobeying God never has good results. Adam and Eve, our first spiritual parents, disobeyed God. Just know when pride speaks to your heart and you listen, you’re headed for a fall. In essence, you confirm to yourself that you know more than God, a lot like what satan did. A better approach is to obey Him—ALL THE TIME so you don’t forfeit your right to walk with Him. Remember this simple formula: God’s number one and doing what He says is the difference between choosing life or death.

Be in Agreement with God: Stop following God’s Word for just a day and you’ll see a difference in your spirit. If you decide to disagree with God’s Word, there’s nothing inside you that wants to follow His blueprint for life. Christians aren’t immune to going the wrong way when they’d rather follow religion or the traditions of men in place of agreeing with God. Not too smart!

Fellowship with God: Why does God want us to spend time with Him? When you align your life and time with God, He knows you’re trustworthy so He can share more of Himself. You need more of Him to live in a darkened world of evil. By knowing as much about God as possible, His character becomes yours. If you think “I’ll take a day off from God”, take that thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Stay on a single path: Have you ever tried to live like the world and walk with God at the same time? It doesn’t work. Your spirit ends up confused. Plus, you shut doors that God wants to open. Every time you venture off the path God chooses for you, your flesh rules and your spirit weakens.

Decide to give your mind an overhaul: The moment you became born again you took on God’s image and nature. Even so, old habits and beliefs don’t line up with your born-again spirit. It’s up to you to let God renew your mind so you put off the old man (Colossians 3). Learn to feed your spirit with His Word and listen closely for the Holy Spirit to reveal areas in your life He wants to rebuild.

Make your relationship with God a priority: Have you noticed when you get lazy in your relationships they stagnate? Your relationship with God is the same. You make a conscious decision whether you surrender your will, emotions, mind, heart, and spirit to Him. When God is a priority, you enjoy talking to Him, praying singing, reading the Word, and praying.  Walking with God becomes a lifestyle that you don’t exchange for anything else.

Watch out for Ishmaels: I laugh every time when reading about Abraham and Sarah’s decision to help God create an heir. Sarah gave her handmaiden, Hagar, to her husband. I envision Abraham saluting Sarah with one hand and pulling Hagar to his tent with the other hand. Together, Abraham and Hagar created Ishmael but this child wasn’t the heir God referred to. The heir would come from Abraham and Sarah’s union as husband and wife. To walk with God means you wait for His promises to come to pass. Abraham and Sarah’s disobedience caused them unneeded heartache when they stepped out to make things happen apart from His will.

To walk with God requires discipline. Your goal is to get to know Him and align yourself with His purposes for you. You’ll find that His desires become yours and the Holy Spirit when allowed. The more you walk with God on a regular basis the more you move with Him in lockstep. Doing so becomes how you live because He’s your friend.

The Importance and Benefits of Walking with God 

For me, the most tangible benefit of walking with God is having peace from day to day. With all the upheaval in the world, there’s a lot I could be upset about. However, I’m more peaceful when I stay close to God.

Also, a Christian has an inside track because they hear from God and stay prepared—similar to how the virgins kept lamps full of oil. As you walk with Him, He enjoys you as much as you do Him.  More than likely, the majority of people around you aren’t spending time with God. So when you do, you’ll seem strange. No matter. Just keep walking with God as a priority and new friends who do the same thing will start to emerge in your life.

Likewise, you’ll grow spiritual fruit that you can use to build the kingdom of God. I’ve already mentioned peace but there’s joy, love, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Additionally, by accessing the Holy Spirit within you, He develops wisdom, knowledge, discerning of spirits, and other gifts.

As you walk with God, your life becomes a living testimony.

Psalm 1:1-3 (MSG)