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

 

[eoe]

In other words, if I met you or them on the street and you were "walking closely with God" what would I observe?

Humility
Joy
Love

What is happening internally and externally?

The person is being transformed into the likeness of Christ

What would I see in your actions?

Likely very little.

Behaviors?

Mildness.

Relationships?

Mildness

Conduct?

Same...

More prayer?

You would not ever see it.

Fasting?

You would not ever see or be aware of it.

The number one indicator is humility. Where there is no humility there is NO true spirituality. None. Pride kills spirituality instantly.

 

[Orthocat]

wow....good question.

There are two things that come to my mind.

I had the pleasure of spending some time at the Paleokastritsa Monastery in Corfu, Greece.
All of those there had an air of such serenity and peace and such a radiance of holiness about them. It's hard to explain in my simplistic words, but you just knew God was there in them. It's like the Spirit in you senses the Spirit in them. (And, the Spirit in you can also sense those with a not so good spirit...but I digress)

I may be thrown out for this but...
I met Pope JPII once many moons ago. He had an actual visible aura about him that amazed me. His words were soft but strong, if that makes sense, and in his eyes was a sparkle of a type I've rarely seen. I don't know all of his politics or religious views but I left with the feeling I had just been in the presence of someone special ya know?



I think it varies from person to person - but a spirit of humility is a key ingredient in my opinion.

 

[Shubunkin]

Serenity too.

 

[Connect]

Hi Eoe,

Thank you for your direct reply. Humility, Joy, and Love are the halmarks that in your post. Is that correct? Being mild and humble are big factors in your life.

Thank you again,

Connect

 

[Connect]

Hi Orthocat,

Here is what I got from your post: We would observe, serenity/peace and a radiance of holiness. You are also saying that it is a spiritual connection. It must have been an honor to meet him! You saw something in his eyes. Humility is also a huge factor for you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.

Connect

 

[Connect]

Hi Charitina,

"Serenity" is a big one for you.

Thank you,
Connect

 

[irishseventysix]

We as Orthodox are not supposed to judge others and determine whether or not people are "walking with God" by what we observe, necessarily. Whether or not we're walking with God, ourselves, is of infinitely larger concern.

We do have authorities and examples (especially the saints), but the truth about each of us is that we're all struggling in this life.

However, closeness to God is marked by pure love, humility, patience, self-sacrifice, unceasing prayer, joy, serenity, not being judgmental, obedient, increasingly less dependent on the needs of the body, and childlikeness.

The closer we are to God, the more we are our real selves. But by God's grace, these attributes have to do their work internally before externals are even a question.

 

[Connect]

Hi Irish76,

I’m not asking about passing judgement on others and I understand that we all struggle. You said, “closeness to God is marked by pure love, humility, patience, self-sacrifice, unceasing prayer, joy, serenity, not being judgmental, obedient, increasingly less dependent on the needs of the body, and childlikeness.” Beautiful. This may sound like a silly question, but “what do those look like in you?”

Thank you,

Connect

 

[Orthocat]

Hi Orthocat,

Here is what I got from your post: We would observe, serenity/peace and a radiance of holiness. You are also saying that it is a spiritual connection. It must have been an honor to meet him! You saw something in his eyes. Humility is also a huge factor for you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.

Connect

That is correct. There are many factors involved and nothing that is exactly tangible.
In my experience it is something inside of me that has sensed something in them. But you also cannot go on feelings for this type of thing....

I have met "little old ladies" that I would consider saints, with their giving of themselves, their humility, their love for all...

and yes, I am not RC but it was an honor. I have a rosary that he held and blessed for me that I keep with my icons....
I can be contrary that way

 

[irishseventysix]

Hi Irish76,

I’m not asking about passing judgement on others and I understand that we all struggle. You said, “closeness to God is marked by pure love, humility, patience, self-sacrifice, unceasing prayer, joy, serenity, not being judgmental, obedient, increasingly less dependent on the needs of the body, and childlikeness.” Beautiful. This may sound like a silly question, but “what do those look like in you?”

Thank you,

Connect

When someone asks me "what does it look like", I have a hard time knowing whether or not you mean that you want to know the external indicators, or whether you're asking how I flesh it out in my own life, external indicators or not. I have a feeling you're speaking more to the latter.

Humility comes from obedience and confession. When I am faced with my sins (and more so, cognizant of them daily) and confess them to God with a witness (my priest), I am humbled because I'm facing reality and not my own escapism or delusions. Humility is the beginning of it all and I'm still working on it big-time. Humility will bring trust and patience because you recognize God's control and wisdom over your own. That means cutting off a lot of anxious, self-deprecating, or egotistical thoughts. These are just a couple of examples.

I don't know...so much of the "how we flesh this stuff out" can be much more easily explained by saying that we're aided by God's grace through willing participation in the Sacraments, the Liturgical cycle of the Church, the fellowship of our community, and humble asceticism. We participate with ever deepening engagement because we have received his grace that helps us go deeper, and we receive his grace that helps us go deeper through participation in the life of the Church.

But again, that requires a lot of humility, obedience, and self-denial. And it can't be done alone.

 

[Connect]

Hi Irish76,

I'm actually interested in both. I think we can't have the external without the internal and if it is only external, it will not last. That is what I'm looking into. I like how you broke it down to "Sacraments, the Liturgical cycle of the Church, the fellowship of our community, and humble asceticism. " I know it cannot be done alone but there does, as you say, require growth and input from our perpective.

Thank you,

Connect

 

[The Virginian]

Hello all,

I have a question that I’ve been wondering about for a while...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? Thank you all for your thoughts.

Connections

You would see a man, who would look not much different than any other Black man. THe longer you hung around you would no doubt see the nuance of things in which THe Lord will not allow me the same freedoms as another Christian. You would notice a difference in my speech, not because it would be "holier than thou", but because it would be less of putting myself forward. The amount of my praying would not be noticablly different or greater than anyone else, but a lot less pretencious (?), a lot more plain, a lot more about The Trinity, and hopefully, you would hear a lot less of my voice.

There would be a greater appreciation of, and for, God's creation.

I guess the description could be nearly endless, according to how God is dealing with each of us.


".... The Lord !

 

[Shubunkin]

I always like this poem:

Footprints in the Sand​

One night a man had a dream.
He dreamt he waswalking with the Lord.
Across the sky flashed scenes of his life.
For each scene, he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand; one belonged to him,
and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path of his life there
was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it had
happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered the man and he questioned the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during
the most troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why,
when I needed you most, you would leave me."

The Lord replied,
"My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

 

[Akathist]

There is some differences in what you would see and what we would be doing as eoe pointed out.

Most of us, myself included say prayers in the morning and evening. These prayers were written by Saints of the Church, men mostly who had learned to set themselves aside, pick up their crosses to follow Christ. By reading these prayers (which can take an hour give or take depending upon each person's prayer rule) we learn to set ourselves aside. We don't pray to God to give us this or that pleasureable thing or remove this or that unpleasureable thing. Instead we focus on asking that God help us to use the events in our life to grow in virtue.

Then throughout the day at different times we say other prayers so that as much as possible we are in prayer.

We fast about half the year all together. Our fasts are not ones where we go off all food, just certain more pleasureable foods. However, you would not notice that we were fasting. We are not supposed to gloat about it, or try to gain sympathy over it.

You would not be able to see us working constantly to face our sins and seek repentence in ourselves. Nor would you likely know that we have close connections to a Spiritual Father or Director who guides us individually in our walk with Christ. For many of us that is our Priest who also is a witness to our confesion of sins to God. That humility of exposing our sins with a witness is a fantastic healing process!

You might see that we go to church and if you came into one of our Churches you would see a tremendous love and reverance for God, the Father, Christ, His Son and the Holy Spirit. In no other Christian expression have I seen this level of reverence and not forgetting any part of the Trinity, praying daily to all three for example.

Our goal is not to raise ourselves up as better than the next person but to always strive to improve in virtue, especially humility and persistance.

Does this mean that I or other Orthodox are perfect? By no means! I mess up all the time! But I keep on working at my faith and my growth in Christ.

 

[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

 

[Akathist]

Connect I don't understand your question. Could you rephrase it?

 

[Dewi Sant]

Connect:

I believe that motives/attitudes/behaviors/etc can often be outside facades.
A person with a sound faith can appear to be the most hideous man in all manners of behaviour and attitude.
Equally, a man who lacks faith can appear saint like in charity, behaviour and action.

It always annoys me when I do or say something wrong and people say "I thought you are Christian". The response of course is "only sinners go to church".



Walking with God, what does it feel like?
Well,
prayer is our way of communicating with God.
Ceaseless prayer.

In which case, I would say that "walking with God" is a very humble experiance indeed. Not at all an experiance of celebration but an experiance of sheer humility, this doesn't mean it can't be a joyful experiance. Why, you are praying to the king of all. What can't be joyful in that?



I'm sorry if I have tilted this chat somewhat on an awkward tangent.

 

[Dewi Sant]

There is some differences in what you would see and what we would be doing as eoe pointed out.

Most of us, myself included say prayers in the morning and evening. These prayers were written by Saints of the Church, men mostly who had learned to set themselves aside, pick up their crosses to follow Christ. By reading these prayers (which can take an hour give or take depending upon each person's prayer rule) we learn to set ourselves aside. We don't pray to God to give us this or that pleasureable thing or remove this or that unpleasureable thing. Instead we focus on asking that God help us to use the events in our life to grow in virtue.

Then throughout the day at different times we say other prayers so that as much as possible we are in prayer.

We fast about half the year all together. Our fasts are not ones where we go off all food, just certain more pleasureable foods. However, you would not notice that we were fasting. We are not supposed to gloat about it, or try to gain sympathy over it.

You would not be able to see us working constantly to face our sins and seek repentence in ourselves. Nor would you likely know that we have close connections to a Spiritual Father or Director who guides us individually in our walk with Christ. For many of us that is our Priest who also is a witness to our confesion of sins to God. That humility of exposing our sins with a witness is a fantastic healing process!

You might see that we go to church and if you came into one of our Churches you would see a tremendous love and reverance for God, the Father, Christ, His Son and the Holy Spirit. In no other Christian expression have I seen this level of reverence and not forgetting any part of the Trinity, praying daily to all three for example.

Our goal is not to raise ourselves up as better than the next person but to always strive to improve in virtue, especially humility and persistance.

Does this mean that I or other Orthodox are perfect? By no means! I mess up all the time! But I keep on working at my faith and my growth in Christ.

Wonderful Wonderful post

 

[Akathist]

Thanks Ramesses