Spirituality

How would you define being spiritual? Dallas Willard in his book Spiritual Disciplines says, “spirituality in human beings is not an extra or ‘superior’ mode of existence…It is, rather, a relationship of our embodied selves to God that has the natural and irrepressible effect of making us alive to the Kingdom of God – here and now in the material world.” He goes on to say that a “spiritual” person is one who has his or her life correctly integrated into and dominated by God’s will. It is a commitment to live life here on earth in a continuing growth into conformity to Jesus Christ. Living as he lived, being like Him in all manner of life.

We must distinguish between having a “spiritual experience” and being “spiritual.” A spiritual experience is what a camper has at the end of a week at camp. After everyone gathers around the campfire, there is a succession of testimonies and a call to commitment. Everyone leaves on a spiritual high but the emotional experience soon wears off and everything returns to normal. Spiritual experiences necessary check points but by themselves they seldom have a life long impact on us. Spirituality is on the other hand a life long path of obedience through which the Spirit of God is changing us into greater conformity to the person of Christ.

It is also important to know what spirituality isn’t. Being spiritual isn’t praying, reading your Bible, memorizing scripture, and going to church. Just doing these things doesn’t make you spiritual. By doing them you give an appearance of spirituality but that is not true spirituality. I am not saying we should not do these things but what I am saying unless these things become stepping-stones through which the Spirit of God can effect a change in you, they are useless activities. It is through these activities the Spirit of God convicts of sin and brings us to repentance, changes our thought process from focusing on the temporal to the eternal things and produces a change in our character as He leads us from the path of unrighteousness to path of righteousness.

A true spiritual person is one who has been given a new life in Christ. True spirituality is a continuing, never-ending process [here on earth] of being conformed unto the image of Christ. It is a life of constant change marked by obedience. Read your Bible, pray, memorize scripture, fast, attend church, spend time in solitude and be in constant fellowship with other believers but let God use them as stepping-stones for constant growth as a child of God. If you don’t, you have become spiritually stagnant and you are slowing on you way to being hypocritical through your display of a false spirituality.

This is what Paul was urging us to do when he said, “and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” [Romans 12:2]

Foolish Pride

"How would you like to live in a house instead of this apartment?" asked my husband. “Can we afford to rent a house?” I replied. As my husband filled me in on the details I was thrilled. A house, (instead of a second floor apartment,) with a yard for the children to play in, it all sounded perfect.

“Where is this house?” was my next question. I couldn’t I believe it when he told me. It was in the same neighborhood that I had lived in as a child up until sixth grade. It was a neighborhood made up of mostly Polish speaking people. And being we could only speak English we were always treated as outsiders. Maybe things had changed over the years.

I was a little apprehensive as we moved into the house even though I was thrilled that God had provided for us in this way, I wanted to show these ladies that I was a good wife and mother but roost of all that I was a good housekeeper and that’s when I got into trouble.

One thing that seemed very important to these older ladies was being FIRST to hang their laundry out. How I wish that just once I could get my clothes on the line FIRST. The truth of the ratter was that I was always LAST to hang up my long line of clothes. With three very small children to feed and dress, the morning was half over before I got the first load of clothes out

It began to eat at me, just once I’d like to beat them all, then I would be satisfied, They would tell everyone that I was a good housewife and I would be happy. I needed a plan. Bow could I accomplish this great feat? You see by now I NEEDED to be first! I finally had a plan, this is what I would do.

I’d wash my first load of clothes the night before, then I’ll put the second load in while I was hanging out the first load in the morning. For my plan to be successful I would need to be done before the kids woke up. I went to bed excited, I just knew it would work.

The next morning I quietly slipped downstairs (I must not wake the children), and opened the washer. Everything was going great but wait, what was that funny smell? It was my clothes! Anyone who has left something wet in the washer on a hot humid night knows exactly how they smelled. I would have to wash them all over again! “Mommy, I hungry.’ a little voice said. Today I would be LAST, as usual

Plan 2. What if I not only washed the clothes the night before but hung them up after dark. It just might work. Row, I wouldn’t be able to use the light, you understand, because then the neighbors would know what I was doing. This plan will work I just know it will. I felt a little guilty about the deception but I rationalized that I would have more time with the children

With the children sleeping soundly in their beds I began washing clothes. As I took them out of the washer I carefully put them in the laundry basket according to size. Yes, neatness counted! As soon as I was sure it was dark enough, arid the next—door neighbors were in bed, I started hanging out my clothes. I was exhausted by the time I had finished but it was worth It, I was thinking

The next morning I quickly fed and dressed the children so we could go outside. “Good morning! My you got an early start.” said one neighbor. I just smiled. My plan had worked! Soon the whole neighborhood knew that I had my laundry out FIRST.

Now I could back to being last again, I had said "just once” hadn’t I? Well maybe just one more time to be FIRST. It had felt so good.

Soon fall had come and gone, winter was fast approaching. I was still hanging up my laundry at night so I could be FIRST. But now I had a problem. The weather man said possible snow tonight. If I hung up my clothes and it snowed tonight there would be no foot prints in the snow and everyone would know I was a” fake”. Maybe LAST wasn’t so bad after all

Pride has a way of creeping into our lives and taking control. I had not started out planning to get involved in the sins of pride and deception and yet this is exactly what happened. What a humbling experience it was for me to realize what I had done. It was just a little thing wasn’t it? I John 1:9 was the verse I needed most that day “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” My pride was foolish but then is pride ever wise. [Mabel R. Flatt]

Mother's Day

Years ago I found this little write up in honor of mothers. Its author is unknown to me. If you know the author please let me know. The Bible says to honor your father and mother. I hope all mothers will see this as a true honor.

Somebody said...

Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby...somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, normal is history.

Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct...somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.

Somebody said being a mother is boring...somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.

Somebody said if you're a "good" mother, your child will "turn out good"...somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.

Somebody said "good" mothers never raise their voices…somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window.

Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother...somebody never helped a fourth grader with his math.

Somebody said you couldn’t love the fifth child as much as you love the first. Somebody doesn't have five children.

Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in the books...somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery.. somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten.

Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back... somebody never organized seven giggling Brownies to sell cookies.

Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married...somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.

Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home...somebody never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her...somebody isn't a mother.

Pass this along to all the "mothers" in your life!!!

My Comments No. 2

Over the years I have put together one-line statements that are designed to be stand alone messages. Here are few for your consideration:

1. It’s never right to do wrong.
2. It’s never wrong to do right.
3. Only standard to determine right and wrong is God’s Word.
4. God is more concerned with who you are than what you do because
He knows who you are determines what you do. [Matthew 5:8]
5. Your choices reveal the real you.
6. Our circumstances never justify doing wrong or serve as an excuse
to do wrong. [1 Corinthians 10:13]
7. Choices are determined by your values.
8. Doing what is right opens the door for unlimited possibilities.
9. Doing what is wrong opens the door to the limited possibilities of sin.
10. Do what is right and you never have to worry about getting caught.

God bless you as you meditate on these stand-alone messages. If you have any stand alone messages, I would love to hear from you as well as your comments on these stand-alone messages.