Revised Chapter 3
Spiritual Connection
(from the book: Healthy Living Quality Life, by Joseph D. Dear, Ed.D. – 2015)
A Connection We All Need
Spiritual connectionis about connecting with the spirit of God. For a born-again Christian, that means making that connection with the Holy Spirit who came to live in us when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. For the non-Christian, that could mean any number of things. The spiritual connection this author is writing about is the one he knows best, the one that connects to Jesus Christ. Once you have made that connection, then it is a matter of maintaining that connection throughout life.
Developing a relationship with God, through His spirit is the most important relationship a human being can have. Spiritual connection and relationship with Godshould be synonymous. In the Bible, John 10: 27-28 speak about that relationship and knowing God’s voice: “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them eternal life.” Do you listen for God’s voice? Do you seek His voice? Can you discern His voice?
This chapter is designed to be helpful to both the Christian and the non-Christian. As a matter of fact, the non-Christian is likely to get the most from this chapter because they will find out how to have eternal life. Much of what is written here is likely to be new to the non-Christian. It will also be unbelievably exciting, especially after they learn how your spirit is connected to physical and mental health, financial wellbeing, family togetherness, and all the other areas of your life.
This chapter will also be exciting for the Christian but in a different way. It will likely be very informative and confirming and will serve as a delightful reminder of what Christians already know. A lot of what is written here will hopefully serve as an encouragement to Christians about sharing the Good News of Christ with non-Christians, about letting their “light” shine and about being a good witness.
In a number of cases the author is providing a different perspective on many already known Christian principles. Much of the research is designed to show how spirituality is related to our total being including our physical/mental health and other aspects of our lives. This chapter will make the connection between spirituality and “Abundance” or having a quality life.
It’s All About Love
Love conquers all!
If you can get the concept of love engrained in your spirit, all the other areas of your life will reflect the spirit of God. Your spiritual baseis the foundation from which to build all areas of your life. Because God loves us, we were created in His image, the image of the Person who created everything. God created everything that exist in six days (Genesis 1:1-31).
Spirituality is all about love.
In Matthew 22: 37 – 40, Jesus said, “You must love the Lordyour God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. A secondis equally important: “Love your neighboras yourself.” Who is your neighbor? Every man, woman, boy and girl is your neighbor.
The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.
If you believe that, then you are on the right track to having a quality and abundant life. If you are not sure, or you want the answer to be “yes”, then keep reading and the next time you get a chance to talk to a Christian who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord, see if they can help you understand why it is so important to have faith and to believe. You must have faith and you must believe.
The nature of love (Romans 13:10)
Christians must obey the law of love, which supersedes both religious and civil laws. How easy it is to excuse our indifference to our neighbor merely because we have no legal obligation to help them and even to justify harming them if our actions are technically legal. But Jesus does not leave loopholes in the law of love.Whenever love demands it we are to go beyond human legal requirements and imitate the God of love– agape love. Sacrificial Love;The love that Christ has for us; it says I love you even though you are not very loveable. When it is not reciprocal or expected to be. For more about this law of love, see John 10: 17; James 2: 8, 9; James 4: 11 and 1 Peter 2: 16, 17.
All the many and wonderful commands of God’s moral and spiritual law are fulfilled by the ethic of love. Love is the pathway of obedience to God. How do we love people? We love them by always seeking their bestand doing nothing to hurt or harm themin any way. If the love within the body of Christ is poor or weak, there will be no positive testimony to the outside world. If you fail to let God’s love flow through you to them, all other attempts to share the Good News with themwill fall on deaf ears. (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. & Zondervan, 1991).
Writer Jeff Levin (2010) describes the awesomeness of God’s love which hecalls “Divine Love. ” Levin talks about “the ultimate aim for many of the world’s major faith traditions is to love and be loved by God—to live in connection with the Divine, in union with the Beloved, in reconciliation with the Ultimate.” He goes on to say:
To be loved by God, to enter into a mutual and covenantal relationship with the Divine, may well offer solutions to many of the current crises around the world.Only a loving relationship with the Source of being within the context of the great faith and wisdom traditions of the world can fully inform and motivate the acts of love, unity, justice, compassion, kindness, and mercy for all beings that are so desperately required to counter the toxic influences in the world. (Levin & Post, 2010).
Godislove!!
God Shows His Love Through His Spirit
Spirituality provides you with what you need from the divine elements of life. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”(2 Timothy 1:7).It does not matter whether it’s simple or complex, internal or external, for yourself or for someone else, spiritual knowledge can help get you where you want or need to be.
Your spirituality will help get you through life’s crazy, impossible situations and anything else that life can bring, just believe and act on those beliefs!
You can find peace in the middle of your stormsand provide strength when most would have given up, if you believe and act on your belief.
Spirituality is about the spirit or the soul of a person, a representation or expression of or a search for your inner most being.
The main benefit or advantage of having a spiritual connection is to be connected to the source of life, connected to a Holy God who made everything that exist. Another benefit of the spiritual connection is the provision for a Divine resource during times of need, especially at those times when your human sources are either not available or ineffective, which they usually are.
My personal experience with the spiritual connection include such times as when Iam seeking direction for decisions needing to be made or when things seem to be hopeless and I don’t have a clue what to do next. My spiritual connection directs my pathand He also shows up when I find myself acting in ways contrary to my spiritual or moral beliefs.
My spiritual connection alerts me that I need to act differently.
For example, during times when I am really angry with my wife, other family members, a friend or even a stranger, I will often react spontaneously by saying something inappropriate that I will regret later. It is during these times that I will often catch myself, meaning the Holy Spirit, my spiritual connection, will connect with me and calm me downin such a way that I act differently, in a more pleasant, reasonable and appropriate manner. However, there are times when I don’t pay attention and I don’t heed to what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell me. Those are the times when I suffer the consequencesof my negligent behavior. And, sometimes the consequences can be quite substantial. One of these days I will expound on that with a testimony.
An assurance of the Lord’s strength (See Isaiah 40:29-31)
Even the strongest people (e.g. devout Christians) have weak moments, however, God’s power and strength never diminish. He is never too tired or too busy to help and listen. His strength is our source of strength. When you feel all of life crushing you and cannot go another step, remember that you can call upon God to renew your strength. Whatever the need, His strength is sufficient to meet it. Those who are fainting under extraordinary problems or exhausted by the rigors of daily life can by faithdraw on the infinite resources of the Lord. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, “Come to me,all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Hoping in the Lord is expecting that His promise of strength will help us to rise above life’s distractions and difficulties. It also means trustingin God. Trusting helps us to be prepared when He speaks to us. Then we will be patient when He asks us to wait and expect Him to fulfill the promises found in His Word, in His timeand in His way. The seeds of comfort may take root in the soil of adversity. When your life seems to be falling apart, ask God to comfort you. You may not escape adversity, but you may find God’s comfort as you face it.(Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. & Zondervan, 1991).
God Giveth and God Taketh Away
This author is especially interested in helping Christians make the connection between God’s rewards and His corrections. God rewards those who keep His commandments and corrects those who don’t. It’s simple. Do right and be rewarded; do wrong and be corrected. When we are behaving in accordance with the Holy Spirit who lives in us, life is usually moving in the right direction. That does not mean that you are problem free or everything is just fine. But it does mean that if you are in His spirit, your behavior, actions or inaction did not cause the issue, problem or situation. Problems, issues and unwanted situations are all a part of life. Your behavior, actions or inactions could be the cause of things getting worse or cause additional issues or problems that were a direct result of your action or inaction. This is especially likely if you are not behaving in accordance with God’s spirit. I think it is safe to say that everything that happens is either God created or God permitted/allowed it to happen.
God’s mercy and His grace
“Mercy” is God not punishing us as our sins deserved, and “grace” is God blessing us despite the fact that we do not deserve it. Mercy is deliverance from judgment. Grace is extending kindness to the unworthy. Retrieved from: https://www.gotquestions.org/mercy-grace.html.
There are times when we make mistakes, go wrong or even do something that is really inappropriate. For example, you’re driving alonga street in an area of the city that is new to you and at the same time you are illegally talking on your cell phone. Not paying attention to what you are doing, you make a bad turn down a one-way street.All of a sudden a barrage of cars is speeding toward you as you are headed the wrong way. Cars see you and all in unison start blowing their horns; fortunately they are all able to stop in time to not hit your car. You panic but in a very hurried process of turning your car around in the middle of this busy street you manage to make it out of that situation without having or causing an accident. You did not even get a traffic violation for illegally talking on the phone while drivingor for driving in the wrong direction down a one-way street. That was God’s mercy.
Most of us have experienced situations where we have a need for more cash and simply don’t have it and don’t know where we will get it. An examplemight be where you start saving up money to cover the cost of cutting down a treein your yard that is diseasedbecause your local arboristhas given the tree one or two more seasons to live and that was last season. After several months of saving you realize that you only have a couple hundred dollars saved and you know you need to save a lot more than that for this project. Then one day you look out your window and see the neighbor is having their diseased tree cut down before it falls.
You go and talk to the tree remover and they tell you they will give you a discount. They say that normally it would cost $500 to $550 and that some people even charge up to a $1000. However, for you they will cut your tree down, remove the stump and dig up the roots, haul away the debris and clean the sidewalk for $400. You tell them, you don’t have $400 to pay them. They look at you and tell you they will do everything for $150. Wow! After your initial excitement, you begin to wonder if they are going to do a good job for just $150. But then you think positive because you will be there to see that they do a good job with your neighbor’s tree across the street and you will make sure they do the same good job in your yard. That is God’s grace.By the way, they did an excellent job on the tree in my front yard. Isn’t God’s grace just oh so wonderful?
Most of the time, we simply take God’s mercy and His grace for granted. Anytime we see a homeless person, or see a person going through tremendous difficulty, or see someone who has been assaulted on the street, in each case, that could have been you or me. As is often said in Christian circles, “But for the grace and mercy of God, that could have been me.”
Many of the things we take for granted, such as the (relatively) clean airwe breathe, the waterwe drink and the warm and cozy homesthat most of us go to every day. Then there are the things we lose (sometimes temporarily) and (sometimes) gain back, such as our health and our positive relationships with family and friends, for example. All these things have the hand of God all over them. We typically don’t give them a second thought until they are not available. Then we panic and frantically try to get them back. If the truth be told, we need tothank God for everything we haveand thank Him for all the non-accidents that did not occur.
When something goes wrong(whether you are a Christian or non-Christian), who do you call on first?When the situation or incident is over and it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, do you thank Him? When something good happensor things go as planned, who gets the credit?God’s mercy and His grace is ever present. Are you aware that God either caused it or allowed it to happen? Be sure to give God the credit and thank Him. Don’t be so arrogant and presumptuous to think you got that job or succeeded at that task because you are smart or because of something you did.
Before I leave the subject of God’s mercy and His grace, I thought I would share a few key ingredients on the topic of grace. This information came from Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. & Zondervan, (1991, pg. 2409)which I used in a Sunday School lesson I was teaching that Sunday titled: “Set Right by Grace” (Romans 3:21-31).
- Justification(Romans 4:25; 5:18) God’s act of declaring us “not guilty” for our sins.
- Propitiation (Romans 3:25) The removal of God’s punishment for sin through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
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- Redemption (Romans 3:24; 8:23) Jesus Christ has paid the price so we can go free. The price of sin is death: Jesus paid the price.
- Sanctification (Romans 5:2; 15:16) Becoming more and more like Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.
- Glorification (Romans 8:18, 19, 30) The ultimate state of the believer after death when he or she becomes like Christ (1 John 3:2).
- A righteousness that comes from God (Phil. 3:9)
- We are saved only by trusting in what God has done for us (Ephesians 2: 8-10)
- The law was designed to make people conscious of sinand lead them to Christ (Gal. 3: 21-24)
My Personal Belief
Before I get too far into the topic ofspirituality I feel a personal obligation to make note that I am a born-again Christian, if that is not already apparent. As has been noted in other parts of this book, I am also a counselor educator. Many of my students ,clients and other individuals and groups with whom I work are not. And, many of the readers of this book might not be. Consequently, I want to make it clear that I am writing from a Christian perspective.
I believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only God whom I serve and strive to emulate.
I was baptized at a young age when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I believe He died on the cross for my sins and He rose again. I believe that the Bible is the ultimate source of truth and I believe that when I die , I am going to Heaven and that privilege was given to me by the grace of God. It was not something I had to earn. You, the reader, can also have that same assurance of going to Heavenwhen you die, just acknowledge that you are a sinner; believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and rose again; ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your lifeand you accept Him as your Lord and Savior.
Even though I taught adult Sunday school for twenty-plus years, I am by no means a scholar on the subject. Consequently, as I have done in all the other chapters in this book, I rely on other credible and reliable sourcesto expound on the subjects covered in this book.
Since the title of this chapter is Spiritual Connection , I have chosen sources I found that come closest to what can be validated through scripture directly or indirectly. The Bible is my primary and ultimate source.
From a Christian perspective, to be spiritual is to know that Jesus Christ came in the flesh and is King and Savior (1John4:2).
But spirituality is more than what people feel or experience. From a Christian perspective, spirituality is determined by knowing God because God is Spirit and the only way to worship Him is through His Spirit(John 4:4). And knowing the truth about God can only come from God (1 Corinthians 2:11).
This makes sense when we think about it in that we can never know what a person is thinking unless they tell us what they are thinking. In the same way, no one can know God unless God tells us about Himself and He does that through His Word in the Bible.
I believe that true spirituality is possessing the Holy Spirit of God as a result of receiving salvation through Jesus Christ. True spirituality is the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in a person’s life:love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians5:22-23).Spirituality is all about becoming more like God, who is spirit(John 4:24) and having our character conformed to His image(Romans12:1-2). Sometimes it is not that easy to do.
It helps to keep in mind the two-sided reality of the Christian life:
- At one and the same time we have the status of royalty and the duties of regular human beings. (1 Peter 2: 9-10).
Royalty Regular Human
- On the one hand, we are complete in Christ • On the other hand, we are growing in Christ
(our acceptance with Him (we are becoming more and more like Him)
is secure, declared righteous). Also called Sanctification.(Romans 5:2)
Also called “justification” (Romans 4:25; 5:18).
- (as royalty): We feel both the presence of Christ• (as regular humans): we feel sin’s pressure
and His awesome power. (Exodus 33:14). & our vulnerability as humans. (Rom.7:23-24).
- (as royalty): We enjoy the peacethat comes from • (as regular humans): We face daily problems, • trialsbeing made right with God, (Rom. 5:1) and tribulations designed to help us grow. (James 1: 2; 12).
If we remember these two sides of the Christian life, we will not grow discouraged as we face temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13) and problems (Hebrews 13: 5b & 6). Instead we will learn to depend on the power available to us from Christ, who lives in us by the Holy Spirit (Philippians 4:13).
When all is said and done, spirituality is our human connection to our spiritual God (Jesus Christ).A friend and colleague Perseus Pokuprovides this perspective by saying (personal communication, March 4, 2015): “Spirituality denotes the existence of anon-physical realm. Topics dealing with the non-physical fall under the term “metaphysics.” Metaphysics deal with thingsthat are not physical such as beingness(human beings, angelic beings, God…etc.),it also deals with things such as prayer, angels, souls, etc. Finally, spirituality may get you on the road to knowing that God may exist but Jesus will get you through the door to an everlasting relationship to the authentic God.”
Spirituality: The True Wealth
Sharon Janis (2008), in Spirituality for Dummies, illustrates the great wealth found in spirituality with the analogy of dollar signs and a simple smile. Wealth is often used to denote monetary success, but riches come in many different forms. People (in the world) say that “health is the greatest wealth,” “a good mind is paramount,” or “having loving relationships is what’s really important.” However, there is a prosperity that only a small percentage of people (true Christians) are likely to attain. Their wealthis the experience of expanded consciousness, inner peace, and serenitythat comes from spiritual awareness(and from knowing Jesus Christ).
Here is an analogythat can give a sense of how spirituality (the Holy Spirit) gives enhanced meaning to all the good things you have achieved thus far. Imagine that all the enjoyments and achievements of your life are like a string of zeros: 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Only when you put the number one before them, will each zero add more value, like this: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
It’s a big difference in value, once you add the 1, right?Adding a (Holy) spiritual perspective of life is like adding that number one.Spiritual wisdom (from the Holy Spirit) gives greater value to all the elements of your life. When you enter the dawning of spiritual understanding, you may outwardly seem nearly the same as before–with all the same set ofaccomplishment zeros. However, inwardly you will have gained a greater wealth of peacefulness, faith, love, and spiritual vision.
The spiritual connection (God’s Spirit) is responsible for the purpose and passion we find in our work, play, family and social life and all the other areas ofour life. The Bible tells uswe are more than conquerors, we have a direct connection to the ultimate source and when we take full advantage of our spiritual resources, we are truly awesome. “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). The Creator who created us loves us. We operate under God’s power, whenwe turn our will over to Him.
We turn our will over to Him when we admit that we cannot deal with an issue and give it to someone who can and will.
Spirituality intersects with all areas ofour lives: our physical and mental health, family and social relationships and interactions with colleagues and others with whom we work; our spirituality will affect the nature of the connection in each area of our lives.
Spirituality and Belief
When people are asked, “Are you a spiritual person?” the answer is often given with information about the person’s belief system.The core of spirituality is rooted in a person’s belief. To more fully understand a person’s spiritual reality, we must consider their day-to-day activities that tell the real story.
“By taking into account the interplay of the person’s beliefs, practices and experiences, we are able to get a better picture of their spiritual life”(Cashwell & Young, 2011, p. 8).
Beliefs, Practices and Experiences
In addition to distinguishing among spiritual beliefs, practices and experiences, it is important to differentiate the translative and transformative purposes of religionand spirituality (Wilber, 2008). The translative aim of spirituality is to assist with the meaning-making and purpose-seeking aspects of life. This is frequently connected to the formation of beliefs. Conversely, the transformative aspects of spirituality entail those practices and experiences that enable a person to be transformed or “born again” (“…be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Romans 12:2). This is where they are acting on what they believe, what some call authentic religious-spiritual practices. Our beliefs come from the values we hold starting with what we were taught as children including those experiences that helped us develop a belief system that we live by and eventually follow in most of our day-to-day life.
People’s beliefs about spirituality are central to their worldview and can be an influence on their family life, physical and mental health, financial security and all the other areas of their lives.
Perseus Poku commented, “The ability to choose stems from the “will.”The “will” is defined in philosophy as the inclination by a rational agent towards a desired goal. For Christians, they choose or will to love God.Conversely non-Christians will to love other things or individuals” (personal communication, March 4, 2015).
Spiritual development that is often missed is the spirituality that shows up in a person’s actions, behavior and consistent lifestyle. This is the real spirituality that matters most. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forget what he looks like” (James 1:22-24). That is the level of spiritual development that others can see and be impressed with as being truly Christ-like.
Be ye transformed– the Greek verb here is the word from which we get our word “metamorphosis.” It refers to “a complete change which, under the power of God, will find expression in character and conduct.” The transformation is passive; that is, we do not accomplish it ourselves. It is the work ofGod the HolySpirit(cf. II Cor. 3:18). However, our cooperation is a necessary part of God’s work. We must not only present ourselves as living sacrifices but also renew our minds.
The mind is the control center of one’s attitudes, thoughts, feelings, and actions (cf. Eph. 4:22-23). Transformation does not just happen. Somewhere along the way, we choose to make a change.
As one’s mind keeps on being made new by the spiritual input of God’s Word, prayer, and Christian fellowship, his lifestyle keeps on being transformed. The result of this transformation is that we will be able to “prove” or discern, the “will of God” (Rom. 12:2). The enemy wants nothing more than to wear us down, and in so doing, change our minds. In order to remain strong, we have to continually renew our minds with God’s Word.
God wants us to offer ourselves, not animals, as living sacrifices—daily laying aside our own desires to follow Him, putting all our energy and resources at his disposal and trusting Him to guide us. We do this out of gratitude that our sins have been forgiven. God has good, pleasing, and perfect plans for His children. He wants us to be transformed people with renewed minds, living to honor and obey Him. Christians are called to not conform any longer to the pattern of this world with its behavior and customs that are usually selfish and often corrupting. (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. & Zondervan, 1991).
Self-Assessment
It does not matter whether you are a new believer or one who has believed for years, we all need to do a self-assessment on a regular basis. The value of a self-assessment is to help us stay connected or re-connect, and to reflect on where we think we should be in our spiritual walk.Because it is difficult, if not impossible, to get a good and accurate assessment from our own perspective alone, we need to recruit others who know us well to help. One way to get started is to be asked the following questions:
How satisfied are you with your spiritual development?
Do you feel you are on the “right” track, headed in the “right” direction with this area of your life? Or, do you feel that you need to spend a lot more time developing yourself in this area? On a scale of 1 to 10, where would you place this area of your lifein terms of being satisfied withthisarea?Ten (10) meaning you are completely satisfied and one (1) means you are very much dissatisfied.
One way to keep in touch with where we are spiritually is to do periodic self-assessments that are based on where you are at that moment, and that are brutally honest andas truthfuland as straight forward as you can possibly make it. Always pray first. Self-transparency is good for the soul. It is a good idea to make a written assessment of where you think you are and where you want to be in the area of spirituality. This activity might take place over a period of several days, weeks, or maybe even months. The important thing is to begin to document (with dates) as complete and as accurate an assessment as you can. It is worth mentioning again that it would be a good idea to get feedback from friends, relatives, colleagues and others who know you well and whose opinions you trust and respect. Their opinions are often helpful to either confirm or refute your own assessment. Self-assessments should be done periodically, for as long as you see the value in doing them.
Onceyou have made that self-assessment and have identifiedthat you are in a place different from whereyou want to be, your next step might be to begin a strategyof getting to that desired next level. For most of us, that involves some aspect of change in our behavior.
Next Steps
A number of different strategies can be used to get to and through that nextstep.The following is simply one of many. This is also from a Christian perspective. The desire to take that next step needs to come from the heart.
PRAYER
Pray to God to help you through these next steps and to give you the desire to do whatever it takes to get to where He wants to take you. 1 Peter 2:2 says, “Desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”
For the beginning believer, hang in there when things get tough and you want to quit.
For the more mature Christian, don’t think that you only need to grow a little because you have been there before. 1 Corinthians 10:12says, “Therefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”People who are saved might think they don’t need to grow anymore, but that is simply not true.We all need to grow meaning to go through a sanctification process which entails becoming more like Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.
There was a graphic display in my study Bible (Tyndale House Publishers 1991, pg. 2641) comparing mature and immature choices that I thought was worthy to be shared. It stated that one way to evaluate spiritual maturity is by looking at the choices we make. The reference is made about how the writer of the Book of Hebrews in the Bible notes many of the ways those choices change with personal growth.
Mature choices verses Immature choices
- teaching others rather than • just being taught
- developing depth of rather than • struggling with the basics
understanding
- self-evaluation rather than • self-criticism
- seeking unity rather than • promoting disunity
- desiring spiritual challenges rather than • desiring entertainment
- careful study & observation rather than • opinions & half-hearted effort
- active faith rather than • cautious apathy and doubt
- confidence rather than • fear
- feelings and experiences rather than • experiences evaluated
evaluated in the according to feelings
light of God’s Word (watch behavior)
READ THE BIBLE
The Bible records for us the beginning of the world and the end of the world; the story of mankind, from beginning to end—from the fall into sin to redemption and God’s ultimate victory over evil—is found in the pages of the Bible (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. & Zonderban, 1991, pg. 2771).
Genesis Revelation
- The sun is created •The sun is not needed
- Satan is victorious • Satan is defeated
- Sin enters the human race • Sin in banished
- People run and hide from God •People are invited to live with God forever
- People are cursed • The curse is removed
- Tears are shed, with sorrow for sin • No more sin, no more tears or sorrow
- The garden and earth are cursed • God’s city is glorified, the earth is made new
- The fruit from the tree of life is not to be eaten •God’s people may eat from the tree of life
- Paradise is lost • Paradise is regained
- People are doomed to death •Death is defeatedbelievers live forever with God
Read first, then study the Bible, attend worship services, fellowship with fellow believers and pray often and find a way to “live” what you are studying from the Bible. Acts 17:11 says, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true. Psalm 1:2 says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
DISCOVER LIFE’S PURPOSE
Find out what God would have you to do with your life. At some point you will need to find out how your life fits into God’s plan, the earlier the better.
God has purpose for our lives.The reason we are still alive is because we have not yet completed the purpose God has for us here on earth. Once we learn what the purpose God has for our lives and begin to fulfill that purpose, things start to come together like never before. Our work become more fulfilling and life itself is more meaningful. As people clarify their life purpose according to God’s will and begin to live true to it, many of them report a surprising increase in synchronicity (a meaningful coincidence) and serendipity (a pleasant surprise or fortunate happenstance) in their lives. It’s as though the Universe is rewarding them for the courage to live true to their purpose. When you commit to living true to your purpose, something amazing begins to happen. The Universe lines up with your intention and commitment.Much of the information here about purpose can be found in Patrick Morley’s book Man in The Mirror (1989).
Morley’s book talks about the search for meaning and purpose in the chapters under the main heading: “Solving Our Identity Problem”. I was especially impressed how he explained the difference between setting goals and identifying one’s purpose and then delineating man’s external and earthly purposes. God’s earthly purpose, according to Morley is divided into three levels: “universal” purpose that all men have; “personal” purpose which is unique to every human being on earth, and “other” life purposes that include all areas of your life, including your relationships, gifts/talents that glorify God, finances, work/school and other areas of your life. Morley broke it down this way.
God’s Purpose for Your Life
THE PROBLEM
One of the most perplexing problems men face is that met goals tend to become an unrelated string of hollow victories, increasingly frustrating as more and more are achieved. That’s the problem with goals: You have to keep setting new ones, because achieving them doesn’t provide any lasting satisfaction.
Before we set goals, we would do well to answer the question “What is the purpose of my life?”The only purpose that will survive are ones linked to God. “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails”(Proverbs 19:21). Once we understand the direction He wants us to take—our purpose—then we can set goals to move us in that direction.
GOALS VERSUS PURPOSE
A goal is a specific objective we want to accomplish.Our purpose is what God wants us to do long-term.Once we know this purpose, we can set goals to advance us toward the answers we give to these questions. Purposes are threads of continuity that we weave into the long-term view of our lives. Goals come and go, but purposes survive because they are long-term; they pertain to the why we existpart of our lives.
Purposesare a place to begin. They help us focus our livesand give them directionso our goals do not become an unrelated string of hollow victories.
Goals are whatwe do. Purposes are whywe do what we do. When you set a goal, do you ever ask yourself, “Why am I pursuing this goal?” The answer to this question reveals your purpose.
If we can examine each goal we set in clear view of why we want to achieve it, then we can set goals that build toward our understanding of God’s purpose for our lives rather than for our own motives.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)
God’s eternal purpose for us is to seek His kingdom,by which we enjoy Him forever. And His earthy purpose for us is to seek His righteousness, by which we glorify God. We are to give priority above all else to the knowing and the doing of God’s eternal and earthy purpose for us.
ETERNAL PURPOSE
The unseen kingdom is a volunteer kingdom. Jesus does not force Himself on us; rather through Jesus, we are offered a new birth. This new birth is into a realm that lasts forever. God’s eternal purpose for us is to enjoy Him forever.
EARTHLY PURPOSE
God’s earthly purpose for us is why we, the “eternal” man continue to exist here (instead of God’s just beaming us up). This is a subject about which Christian men are really hungry: Why am I here, God? What do You want me to do with my life? We are all hungry to know our earthly purpose.
Different levels of earthly purpose exist.
(1) Universalpurpose – level one – ALL men have this purpose
Who God wants us to BE
What God wants us to DO
The universal part of our earthly purpose is to be a certain type of man in CHARACTER (being) and CONDUCT (doing).
(2) PersonalPurpose – level two – There is a sense in which each of us is unique,and God gives each of us a specific call on our lives. In other words, God has a personal, unique, and specific purpose for your lifejust waiting to be discovered.
How can we discover God’s personal purpose for our lives? Every man should prepare a Written Life Purpose Statement that encompasses what he discovered as God’s personal earthly purpose for his life. God’s word reveals His known will. If possible your purpose should spring from Scripture so you can have confidence it conforms to the will of God.
(3) Other Life Purposes– level three – In addition to your Written Life Purpose Statement, which is the overarching purpose for your earthly life, you can drop down a level and develop written purpose statements for important areas of your life. Examples:
- relationship with God
- relationships with family
- other relationships
- use of gifts (serving others, witnessing, encouraging, etc.)
- work life
- financial responsibility
- civic duty and social responsibility
Goals and activities are how we put specific actions to our purposes. They are a natural result of a carefully examined life. When we determine God’s purposes for our lives, whether level one, two or three, our goals and activities are focused on doing the known will of God—His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
If we are working on level three titled “Other Life Purposes,” the other chapters in this book can be helpful, specifically chapters 1, 2 and 4 through 12.
Let Your Light Shine
As you read the Scriptures and learn more of His Word. Find a way to use what you are reading. Practice what’s in the Word and infuse it into your daily life and make it a part of your lifestyle. I Timothy 4:7 says, “…train yourself to be godly.” Be an example for otherswho see you. When people see you, they should see God in your behavior and the way you respond to crisis situations.
Once again, it does not matter where you are in your level of maturity.
We all need to do our part to be the best role model we can be. When people see us, they know automatically that you are a believer.The best time for them to see you is when trouble hits and they still see that you are a true believer and your witness shows.
I look at my relationship with my (heavenly) Father similar to the way a son would relate to his(earthly) father. Even though I knowmy father isgoing to protect me regardlessofwhat I do, he goes that extra mile for me when I keep my end of the bargain: surrender my will, (show) love unconditionally, and maintain a spirit to serve others. Surrendering my will should be relatively easy to understand since I’m surrendering it to the all mighty God who created everything and who knows all and especially who knows what is best for me, certainly better than I know what is good for me. God shows up more often than the average person thinks. He wants us to develop a mind-set of looking for the hand of God at work in our daily lives.
Bottom Line, This is Where it ALL Begins and Ends!
Want a quality life? Have an appropriate spiritual connection.Does the Spirit of God rule your life? Is Jesus Christ Lord of your life? The most important aspect of life that encompasses all others is the Holy spiritual connection. The quality living you enjoy is largely because of your spirit-filled life.
I close with two of my favorite scripture verses. They come to mind when I think I need some spiritual help:
Galatians (5) 22-23 – Fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Philippians (4) 8 – Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. 4/27/17 – 5-19-18
Contact information:
Joseph D. Dear, Ed.D
(916) 688-7538
joedd@frontiernet.net
website: healthylivinghealthylife.com
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