"Thriving in Spirit"
Part 6 of a series on Thriving
Have you had a spiritual check-up lately? Did you know that the well-being of your soul can actually impact your physical health? You can take care to keep your soul thriving by deepening spiritual connections. According to Dr. Kelly Turner in her book, Radical Remission, one of the key factors patients in remission have in common is they focused on spiritual connections. Being in remission, myself (from Triple Negative Metastatic cancer), I continue to incorporate the factors Dr. Turner suggests. Fortunately, the spiritual area, unlike diet and exercise, was one I didn’t have to make major changes in, only continue to develop.
Being spiritually connected is summarized in James 1:27. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” In other words, genuine religion is loving people. When an expert in the Mosaic Law asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22: 37-39) Therefore, the ultimate “rule” (and really only rule) is love.
An effective way of getting to know God and forming a deeper spiritual connection is to develop a consistent habit of communing with God—it’s called prayer. You can’t know someone you’ve never conversed with, and prayer is simply talking to God. It doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, Jesus warned against formulaic prayers recited to impress. “And in praying do not use vain repetitions…” (Matthew 6:7) You just need to spend time quieting your mind and directing your thoughts and words to God.
Another way to strengthen your spiritual life is to relax in nature and observe. “By means of all created things, without exception, the divine assails us, penetrates us, and molds us. We imagined it as distant and inaccessible, when in fact we live steeped in its burning layers.”* Try to clear your mind of clamoring thoughts. If that is difficult, simply focus on one thing, such as a river, flower, or mountain. What can you learn from it? This may sound strange, but by mindfully asking, I receive insights. Also, really discern with all your senses. Feel the breeze, inhale the forest scent, and be aware of the sun on your skin. The Divine is not far away.
To develop spiritual connectedness, become more aware of yourself as a soul. “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”* Incorporate the spiritual dimension into your daily life. Even routine tasks can become meaningful if understood from a spiritual perspective. Chores are not drudgery if they are seen as ways to bless your family. (Proviso: It may be difficult to keep a cosmic perspective while cleaning the bathroom.) To be aware of the spiritual side of life is so important, but the tyranny of the urgent often interferes. Jesus asked a rhetorical question in Mark 8:36 which encourages us to reconsider our priorities. “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
My license plate is the condensed version of how to thrive in spirit: “Psalm 19.” That verse explains how to receive an interstellar message from the Creator. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” Getting to listen to and learn from the Divine by looking at the stars or the sky? Count me in! If you also want to deepen your spiritual walk, you can join me in receiving streaming data from the profound beauty and majesty evidenced in the starry heavens.
Reflection:
1. An easy way to discern if you are spiritually connected is to ask yourself if you are joyful. I am not referring to happiness, which can be fleeting, but to a deep, abiding joy and peace, not based on circumstances. You were created with a longing for God. You will only be fully satisfied and live an abundant life if you return the Lord’s love. Quick fixes sought in temporary pleasures will fail.
2. Be sure to not confuse “religiosity” with true spirituality. Religion may refer to following certain rituals and rules or being in a certain denomination. On the other hand, spirituality is nurturing your spirit in a relationship with the Living Lord. Are you growing spiritually?
* Quotation by Pierre Teal-Hard de Chardin, French philosopher and Jesuit priest
* Pierre Teal-Hard de Chardin