by Michael A. Asher
What comes to mind when someone asks you about your “walk with Jesus?”
To truly walk with God requires that we genuinely seek him with our whole heart, setting aside self and surrendering all to the Lord Jesus Christ. We willingly place our faith in him as our Savior by inviting him into our hearts to be the Lord of our life. We do this by realizing that he is the only way that we can be saved!
We do our best to obey his commandments and principles, we seek his will rather than our own, and we adopt a godly lifestyle by studying his Word. The relationship we have with the Lord becomes our highest priority. We learn to pray to our Lord without ceasing (or as much as is humanly possible). We are encouraged to praise him in all circumstances, to thank him for his goodness and the many blessings he has provided to us as we devote our hearts to worshiping the only one worthy to be praised. We do this on a daily basis—not only on convenient occasions—because we know that we are nothing without him. He is the one who created us, gave us life, provided us with purpose, and overcame sin and death to provide the pathway for us to join him eternally in Heaven one day. We should pursue the Lord consistently and fervently with intention because we know, without question, that there is no better investment of our time than by enriching our relationship with Jesus Christ.
To be saved, we must have Jesus as our Savior; only he can redeem our souls.
We must decide to follow Jesus as Lord, choosing an entirely new life. While we are still residing “in” the world, we are no longer “of” this fallen world which has rebelled against Christ. We have been born again into the kingdom of God. It is only through God’s unending love that we have been provided the grace to be saved through faith in him. We should be eternally grateful for this wonderful gift from God.
Keeping in Step
On your personal Christian walk, how often do you include the Lord Jesus in each day? Walking with Jesus should imply we are in harmony with him on this journey called life. If we are brutally honest with ourselves, we must admit that we could all do better at including the Lord in the days he has gifted to us.
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8, ESV.)
Walking with God means you are connecting with him in the morning, throughout every day, and constantly motivated to serve him with your life. It means you are right with him in fellowship. If you sin, your fellowship with God is interrupted. When we inevitably fail him by sinning, as we all do, we should confess it immediately.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NIV).
A mature believer learns to apply this practice more quickly than an immature one. Commit yourself to confessing your sins as soon as possible to return to walking in the light again with the Lord. Dispel the darkness that enters your heart and mind!
“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it’” (Luke 9:23, 24, NIV, emphasis mine). We must be born again into a life completely surrendered to Christ. Leave all your cares and burdens at the foot of the cross. Pursue the study of God’s Word with every ounce of diligence and dedication you have inside.
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11, NIV).
Applying this Scripture helps to strengthen us to stand firm and resist engaging in sin. Studying God’s Word, memorizing his words, and praying over them will help you fortify yourself against sin. It is vital for our spiritual well-being to develop a passion for this all our lives. The psalmist tells us, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105, NIV).
Staying, Not Straying
When you walk with Christ, you will embody the desirable fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Knowing God is always there for us allows us to walk in harmony with him. All things become possible when God is part of our daily walk. Along the way, we are comforted by his presence and strength as we have nothing to fear if God is with us. He is our refuge from evil.
“He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3, NIV). God promises to walk with us to guide us for his name’s sake. The deeper our connection with the Creator, the more we will be at peace with whatever circumstances present themselves. He is the best friend we will ever have. He loves us like no other. We should desire his wisdom and discernment in every situation we are confronted with. We should trust entirely in him and submit to his ways rather than our own interpretation.
Wise King Solomon tells us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5, 6, NIV).
Ultimately, choosing to follow Jesus brings peace, reassurance, strength, and security because the plans designed by our Creator are far better than any plans we could devise ourselves—regardless of the trials we will inevitably encounter. The moment we choose Jesus as Lord, we are to walk with him as a born-again believer. We must be willing to set aside our sinful ways and obey the instructions of our God as a demonstration of our love for him. It is only through his strength, not ours, that we are able to overcome the enemies aligned against us.
God spoke through his prophet Isaiah to give us this promise: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10, NIV).
Do not take lightly the spiritual adversaries who leave no stone unturned to distract, mislead, deceive, misguide, and destroy you. They will stop at nothing to lead you astray—as far away from the Lord as possible. With your whole heart, seek Jesus and take up your cross daily to follow him. Live your life in honor of the sacrifice he made while dying for you. By including Jesus in your every day, walking with him as an eternal partner, you will most certainly enrich every facet of your life—not only on earth, but forever in Heaven. Devote yourself wholeheartedly to Jesus every single day to show him how much you love him.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22, NIV).
Michael A. Asher is a financial controller who has nourished a lifelong love of the Bible by sharing God’s Word through creative writing. His first book, Choosing to Follow Jesus on This Journey Called Life, was recently released. You can find it here.