One of the greatest struggles in the Christian life is maintaining victory over sin and walking close to God. Both are things we know we should do, but often struggle to do them. When Jesus saved us, it wasn’t so we could struggle constantly and drift away from Him regularly. He saved us because He wants a close, intimate relationship with us. But the busyness of life interrupts that intimacy. Sin begins to creep into our heart and we begin to drift from God.

We may still be going through the motions of reading our bible, praying, going to church and serving. But we stop connecting with Jesus daily. This isn’t supposed to be normal and doesn’t have to be. But what can you do if you find yourself drifting? What can you do to maintain victory and walk closely to God amidst the busyness of life? Here are a few ways you can stop drifting and begin walking in victory and closeness again.

Two Things You Need To Understand

First, I want to be clear that when you drift, God does not move away from you. He never leaves you or forsakes you. He is the same yesterday, today, forever. He loves you and desires fellowship with you. When God feels far, He isn’t the one who has drifted, you are.

This is good news because it means you don’t have to do anything to win His love and affection back. In fact, there isn’t anything you can do because His acceptance of you is based on Jesus, not you.

Second, one of the primary truths Christians and people, in general, must understand is that busyness kills intimacy! In every relationship of life, including your relationship with God, this is true.

The busier you are, the less intimacy you will experience with God.

4 Steps You Can Take Today To Maintain Victory And Walk Close To God

So the first thing to do when you have drifted from God is to STOP. Make time to get alone with Jesus. Clear out a little time, wake up earlier or stay up later. However you need to do it, make time to get alone with Jesus.

The second thing you can do is EXAMINE. Ask the Lord to search your heart and be willing to receive what He shows you. Examining our hearts and allowing the Lord to search us is something many are afraid to do. This is a sign you aren’t confident in God’s unconditional love for you and that you are basing your relationship with Him on your works, not His grace.

When God searches your heart and you take the time to examine what is in you, it might get ugly. This is ok. Everyone has sin in their heart that God desires to cleanse and sanctify.

He does not condemn you for what is there. Rather He cleanses you so you can have greater intimacy with Him. This is one of the reasons why scripture exhorts you to examine your heart often. As you go through this process write down what God shows you. Every little thing. This way you can pray about them.

The Third thing you should do is Humble yourself and Repent. This means you accept what God has shown you in your heart. During this process, it is also important to ask God to show you the way out of the sins He has revealed.

The enemy points out your sin to produce guilt and condemnation. The Lord will always show you the righteous action you can take to be free from sin and restore closeness to Him.

For example, in Ephesians 4¹, it says that the one who steals should no longer steal and instead work and give. God shows you the sin to repent of as well as the positive action to take. Ask Him to show you what action to take as you deal with the sins of your heart. As soon as you have clarity on your heart issues, repent of the sin and obey the positive action He has shown you. Doing so will immediately give you victory and set you free. Your fellowship with God will get stronger!

The Last thing you should do is Receive His grace and walk in His forgiveness. Don’t dwell on your sin or the condition of your heart. Don’t allow the enemy to condemn you and make you feel hopeless. This process will always bring you closer to God because He loves you. Focus your attention on Jesus and His grace towards you. Accept His forgiveness. Stand confidently in it. As you focus on Him you will be transformed into His image from one degree of glory to another.²

Make It A Habit To Maintain Victory And Walk Close To God

Make examining yourself a regular habit. Life takes its toll but that doesn’t mean you have to accept defeat and drifting as normal. We are called to freedom and to abide in Jesus at all times. Maintaining victory and closeness with God is your birthright as a child of God. Don’t settle for anything less!

As Scripture exhorts us in Hebrews 12:1-7(a):

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

nor be weary when reproved by him.

6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and chastises every son whom he receives.”

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons.

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Footnotes:

1. “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” – Ephesians 4:28 (ESV) ↩
2. “17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (ESV) ↩