One of the tests for any form of spirituality is how we connect what we believe with everyday life. There are many ways to make this connection, and each Christian does it a bit differently. But the main thing is to be intimately connected to Jesus and to pay attention to His guidance.
As Christians, we know the importance of setting time
aside daily to read the Bible and pray; however, if you’ve
been a Christian for more than a week, you’ve discovered
that it’s difficult to maintain consistency. Why is
that? There are a variety of explanations,
but I believe one significant reason
is that it’s easy to bring a “sacred/
secular divide” perspective to our
devotionals. We can quickly fall into
the trap of thinking that this is our
“spiritual time with God” before we
move on to our “less spiritual” day at
work, at school, on the shop floor, or
wherever will be. Don’t make this
mistake!
Remember, this relationship
provides the basis for
how we live day by day.
For example, as a Christian,
you are a follower of Jesus, and you apply the Bible teachings, especially
the teachings of Jesus, to every aspect of your life. The
Bible teaches things like honesty, integrity, dignity, respect,
treating others with love, being generous, helping
the poor, sharing your faith, and many other things. All
of these affect your day-to-day living. They enable you
to love and forgive, to endure suffering, and have hope
when things look hopeless. As you grow in your relationship
with God, you will notice changes in your life that will
affect how you live.
God is not hiding; He wants to be found. He wants
to interact with you 24/7. God wants to bring faith, love,
hope, joy, and peace into your everyday life. It’s all yours
by faith.
Finally, let me say that spirituality is not meant to be
always fun. It takes discipline, and it is tough. But if you
practice it, the connection between what you believe and
the way you live will be apparent in many key areas: selfimage,
work, leisure, relationships, family, dealing with
life’s problems, and so on.
You may find the spiritual road demanding or even
frightening at times. Trust God. Trust Him with your life,
with everything you have, and everything you are or
would like to be. This is the stuff of spirituality. You have
embarked on a great journey. Now go and put into practice
what you believe—and delight in it!
