The Christian life has been likened to walking with God.  When a believer asks another believer, “How’s your walk?”, Believer A is not interested in Believer B’s gait.  He is inquiring about the quality of relationship Believer B is currently experiencing with the Lord.

As I wrap up my reading of One Thousand Gifts, I can sum up the book (and Christianity) like this: keep up with God.

That’s it.

Simple.

But not easy.

Sometimes God walks; sometimes He runs; sometimes He stops.  And our purpose in life is to match Him, move for move.  Go where He goes at the speed He is going.

In other words, perceive Him and enter into whatever He is doing.

Simple.

But not easy.

In fact, it is very difficult to remain consciously aware of God’s presence in and around you throughout the day.  But when we do, we are fulfilled, and His Kingdom work is furthered because others see Him in us.  We become His hands and feet, as the saying goes, when we are dialed into His heart.

The bad news is we don’t remain dialed in.  In fact, because of our fallen nature, our default setting is “unplugged” from God.  When He runs, I stop.  When He walks, I sprint.  When He stops, I blaze my own trail.  I do my own thing, unaware He is even there, much less that He wants me to keep up with Him.

We have to proactively dial into God each day – each moment – if we want to live in concert with Him.  And we want to live in concert with Him!  That is every human’s prime desire.  And when we experience moments of being in sync with God, we understand why our souls crave it so much.  It is truly the only thing that satisfies deeply and infinitely.

There is no mystical way to connect with God on this level.  You don’t have to join a monastery or meditate for hours or fast for days to “earn” direct access to God.  If you believe in Jesus as both your Lord and your Savior, He purchased that access for you on the cross.

Now all you have to do is utilize that access.

Heart-felt dialogue with Him, otherwise known as prayer, and reading the Bible with Him, inviting Him to reflect with you on what you are reading, are the keys to feeling and being emotionally and spiritually connected to Him.

To be sure, there are other avenues for connecting with Him, but prayer and the Bible are the cornerstones all believers have in common.  And the more often we participate in these practices, the more connected to Him we will be.

What helps you keep up with God?