New Reminders: Spirituality
by Ardith Hoff
The term “spirituality” has been cooped to apply to many kinds of beliefs and practices that have nothing to do with the gift of the Holy Spirit, sent by Jesus, to guide us on our spiritual journey in our practice of Christianity. Almost any kind of ritual, has been dubbed “Spiritual” as though some external force can be conjured up though some type of magic performance. True spirituality is God-given and relates to how we interact with the world. Spirituality is composed of: relationships, values, and life purpose.
Relationships include how we interact with God, ourselves, and others. If we see ourselves as representatives of God’s love and mercy in this world, we will seek the Holy Spirit’s direction to carry out Christian values in whatever we do in our purpose-driven walks of life. Faith (believing that God’s way is best), intension (our motivation to do God’s will) and action (carrying out God’s work using our God-given gifts and talents) are how we are meant to practice spirituality.
Each of us have been given gifts from God through the Holy Spirit. In the Bible these are called spiritual gifts, and we are to use them to serve one another. Spiritual gifts are meant for helping others! A big part of living out our greatest generosity is tapping into our spiritual gifts. The Bible reveals the types of spiritual gifts God bestows on his people. Some of us are given the gift of leadership, others are given the gift of teaching, of healing, hospitality, faith, prayer or wisdom. Whatever our gifts may be, God intended for us to use them in our interactions with others as the Holy Spirit leads us.
We grow in spiritual practice as we allow our spiritual gifts to become real to us. Once we recognize and appreciate the nature of our spiritual gifts, we will begin to desire the values, principles, and purposes that are characteristic of such a spiritual practice. Whether we are called to preach, teach, pray or volunteer, we become more disciplined in our approach to whatever we do. Giving ourselves over to God’s will takes hard work and constant self-restraint.
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7. Growing in our practice of the Spirit’s disciplines, then, flows from our relationship with Christ and not from an independent effort to make ourselves holy. As we depend on the Spirit of the indwelling Christ, the Father “works in us both to desire and do in order to fulfill his good purpose” Philippians 2:13. “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:11.