Friday, April 13, 2018

What is spirituality? ............. Parables 728

August 21, 2001

Everyone from Oprah to palm readers talks about spirituality. What is it? What does a spiritual person look like? Do they walk around on a cloud? Do they constantly talk about God or their gods? Are they so heavenly-minded that they are of no earthly good?

In my mind, a spiritual person is one who is aware of and considers matters other than what they can see, hear, taste, smell, or touch. They know that God (or “something out there”) is real and that they have a dimension to their being that can connect with that invisible reality. The term ‘spiritual’ is often linked with goodness and evil. The good spirits are pleasing or beneficial; the bad ones cause sorrow and problems.

Some say spiritual means being close to God, being good, being interested in the after-life and eternity. Unspiritual means concerned only with material and temporary things. The unspiritual are not interested in God.

Christians have a biblical take on this issue. The Bible defines the spiritual man as a person redeemed and renewed by God in their spirit or inner person. Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian, defines that inner person as the part of us that can connect with God. It is our spirit that has the capacity for faith. It is our spirit that hears and understands God’s will.

Scripture says that sin separates people from God and that everyone is born with an inactive or dead (dead meaning ‘separated’) spirit because of sin. Only forgiveness and spiritual life from Jesus Christ can bring us back to God and restore a connection with Him. The Bible says spiritual people have a deep interest in the things of God. They hear God “through the Spirit” and want to obey Him.

Does that mean that spiritual people reach the epitome of all things good and godly? Do they have the edge on virtue? Even perfection? Not at all. The Bible says that a spiritual person does not stop being spiritual when they are weak, helpless before God, even when they are crying in despair. That means we can be spiritual when we are backed against a wall or have no idea what to do next. Emotions such as fear or anger do not change the fact of being a spiritual person either. Whatever is going on in our outward life cannot change the fact that God’s Spirit has changed the inner person.

Nevertheless, God’s Spirit does affect our behavior. For those who do not know this reality, imagine your hero coming to live with you, being in every room with you, taking part in every situation where you are. That hero’s presence would change the way you behave.

It is the same with the Spirit of God. He lives with and in His people. His presence is felt in the same way we are aware of any person who is close to us. We even feel His feelings. If we disobey God, the Holy Spirit is grieved and we feel His grief. If we refuse to listen to God, we quench the Spirit’s voice and then have a sense of being cut off, or out of touch with Him.

Nevertheless, there is a phoney spirituality. A person can talk the talk, even walk the walk, yet be out of touch with God.

Also, pressure such as illness, unexpected financial reverses, a severe loss or other hardships test spirituality. Those who have the Spirit of God may be knocked down but they will get up.

Time is another test. Human skills might maintain an appearance of godliness for awhile but it will not last. Eventually the source of strength will be revealed. Spirituality is a human condition but it finds its source and its strength in the Spirit of God.

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