At a recent coffee session, We tackled the topic of what it looks like to move in the right direction spiritually. We looked at the life of Jesus as a frame to paint the path.
What follows is most likely not an exhaustive list but represents the basics that we discussed that morning.
The question we attempted to answer was, what are we doing right now to fortify our desire to have a meaningful relationship with our creator? - What steps and actions move us in that direction?
We landed on five activities that have worked for us. These underlying building blocks have laid the base on which growth has been possible for us.
Focus on the Foundation
We believe the Bible to be divinely inspired – the words God chose to guide us to a deeper relationship with Him. For some, this might be a stretch, but for us, it is the absolute foundation of our faith.
We have realized that comprehension comes through personal reading time, preacher teaching, and our band of brothers (more on that later). We stretch to stay near the words of the best-selling book of all time as the further away we drift, the less substance our lives seem to have.
Jesus leaned on scripture as he fought first-hand with the devil himself.
For us, the message creates the map. We find direction and life application – if we are open and listen personally to the words of comfort and instruction.
Quite Time
Life is busy. A million things are going on inside our heads from the time we arise until the time we retire at night and often in the space in between.
When Jesus had much going on, he retreated and prayed (we read that in the Bible). This is laid out as an example of where we should go. When we seek peace, we find power. When we take the time to listen, the answers to life's complications come.
We needed to train for this important exercise. We started small and developed the practice over time. We learned, slowly, that it was through the whispers that the loudest messages were sent.
Investment in prayer and meditation repays the prayer in multitude. Time feeds the soul. The spirit, if nurtured, speaks volumes.
Community
A church building is, by classification, nothing more than a pile of bricks assembled to support an assembly. That said, we discounted the importance and sacredness of these structures for most of our lives. We have now come to believe that these formations house hope.
For decades, we argued that church, and religion in particular, were man-made and therefore not relevant to the relationship we had shaped with our creator.
We have come to believe today that it was our approach, our damaged and warped attitudes, that distorted the true essence of the establishment. Men ravaged the church brand. Corruption, sin, has created rot of something ripe.
Jesus valued church, and so should we. It is the members, not the mortar, that make up the community that is called church. We congregate to worship. We join in support of the message. We gather to hold up each other – to be held up when needed. We care as a community.
There will still be hurt caused by humans in any church setting. That is the enemy swiping at our knees. But, in the end, it is not about us and our feelings - It is about God and His blessings.
Connect
Nowhere in our journey have we found more value than in the connection of a small group of men.
This was a real stretch for us as, by default, we were isolators and were held accountable by nobody. We were raised to do things for ourselves. To be self-reliant was the model of the men of our generation.
Jesus traveled in a pack. There is strength in numbers. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Staying connected with others who have similar life objectives makes rowing that much easier – and more productive. We have found a group that is real; we communicate daily via text string and meet weekly to check in and grow in our faith – just trying to figure out the God thing. There is laughing, crying, and reliable assistance when needed. There is accountability by default. There is wisdom, and there is peace.
We beg the reader of this post to seek. Seek until one that works is found.
Care
Jesus came to serve, not to be served.
When we transformed our mindset and behavior to lead with service, our lives changed. From opening a door for a stranger to helping another financially, service took us out of the pain of the quest for self-satisfaction. As we have learned, personal yearning spoils the potential of the spirit, but serving opens the floodgates of fulfillment.
Authentic use of sharing our talents with others has been the linchpin to true love. It is all about the motive and the means of the act. If we are genuine in intent, the deed has depth. If we are truly selfless and acting by God’s will, the unbelievable becomes believable – the impossible, possible. In short, God will turn our treatments into treasures.
So, are we perfect at the above approaches? Heavens no! Perfection is our aim but not our reality. Progress is our benchmark, and peace is our scoreboard.
Today, we take one step in the right direction and let God lay out the journey as it should be.
What is your next step?
Thoughts and ideas for this blog post were taken and built upon from asweunderstandhim.coffee podcast “Staying in the Pool" … The podcast dropped on 11/5/2023. Click here to hear the podcast.
Photo by Emilio Garcia on Unsplash
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