Walking with God

What do you imagine to be the hallmarks of a person who walks closely with God? A quiet contemplative soul, who speaks seldom but with wisdom? A fiery preacher who can quote chapter and verse without notes? A charismatic worshipper with intense experience of the presence of the Holy Spirit?

Any of these people might indeed fit the bill, but it’s not their style of worship that marks them out as such. Instead, Psalm 15 tells us that those who are intimately close to God are marked out by the integrity of their words and actions.

A commitment to speaking the truth, practicing what we preach, and prioritising what is right over what is comfortable, doesn’t always look like religion. It is not always soothing for the listener! Rather, it’s the kind of behaviour that gets Christians told to ‘keep out of politics’, or arrested for their climate protests.

The way we each pray and worship varies hugely depending on our personalities, temperaments and theological traditions. But the impact of dwelling close to God will always be worked out through integrity and a commitment to justice.

God of truth, thank you that you place a high value on honesty and integrity, and call your people to do the same. Help me to be one of those who walks closely with you, and let it be evident in the way I speak and act today. Amen.