What Would Jesus Say About Your Spirituality?
Perhaps you are someone who says, "I am spiritual, but not religious." OK. What else? What are the core doctrines and principles of your spirituality? And most importantly, what would Jesus say about your spirituality?
Let's assume you treat others with kindness. And let's also assume you try to be honest in your dealings with others. What do you think Jesus would say about those traits, especially as it relates to your soul?
Spirituality after all deals with matters of the soul, right? Outward actions are a reflection of our soul, but they don't tell the whole story. In order to get those details, we must listen to what a person says about his or her spirituality. Such communication often reveals the "well" from which the individual is drawing their spiritual resources.
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Some people are big proponents of meditation. But here again, what is the source of the meditation? Where does a person look to find a proper starting point to meditate? And if you are a person who practices some meditation yourself, what would Jesus say about your meditation?
In order for a particular brand of spirituality to be acceptable to God, it must have a stamp of approval from Jesus. He knows the kind of spirituality which is helpful, as well as the kinds that are harmful. All spirituality is not created equal, just like all prophets are not created equal. And there is even one prophet who was never created because He has always existed. Guess who?
True spirituality not only connects you to your Creator, but it also produces good fruit in your life. It makes you a better person. Jesus knows all about true spirituality. He knows what is inside man, and He knows what man needs in order to succeed spiritually.
One must look at the life and death of Jesus if one is going to understand true spirituality. And by "true spirituality," I am not suggesting that those who practice "false spirituality" are being disingenuous. Those folks are just as sincere, even though the well from which they draw their spiritual resources is much different than the well Jesus sent into the world after His resurrection and ascension into heaven.
Jesus sent His children a source of power. But not just some impersonal source of power. Instead, Jesus sent a Person. Guess who? The Holy Spirit is just as much a Person as Jesus. Along with the Father, they make up the Trinity. And so true spirituality must by definition be connected to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. If it isn't, then it is false spirituality. It's sincere, but it doesn't draw from God's well.
Jesus never approved any form of spirituality which keeps a person outside His family. Instead, Jesus teaches us the true nature of man, and the true nature of salvation. While man is good at devising various types of spirituality, man isn't so good at aligning himself with the kind of spirituality which draws from God's well. After all, there is only one well, and there is only one wellspring of living water. (see John 7:38,39)
In order to center your life there, it will be necessary to come to the cross. This involves admitting to God that you have broken His commandments, and it also involves repenting of your sin. And you trust that Jesus died on the cross because your life, your spirituality, and your morality will never be enough to wash away your sins against God. For that miracle to happen, you will need the cross of the Savior, the blood of the Savior, and the love of the Savior. And all three are available to anyone who will receive Jesus through faith. "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31)
Once that happens, you have been converted. And after your conversion, the wellspring of the Holy Spirit is living inside you. He becomes your personal spiritual mentor so to speak. He will teach you what you need to know about God, and He will do it through the very Word which He inspired to be written. That's how you start to flow in the spirituality God designed for man.
This river of living water is the one form of spirituality which comes from a well that is pure through and through. The purity of Christ and the purity of the Holy Spirit get poured into you at your conversion, and then you start living for God everyday with the goal of saying "no" to sinful desires. The more you say "no" to the wrong stuff, the more you will flow in the good stuff. The fruit of the Spirit will overflow in your heart and life. (see Galatians 5:22,23)
So let's go back to the original question. What would Jesus say about your spirituality? Would He approve of it? Or would He point you in a new direction? And would you be willing to do whatever Jesus instructs you to do in your quest for the truth? Or are you not concerned about truth in the realm of spirituality?
There are plenty of spiritual options which deviate from the truth claims of Christ. But there is only one spiritual path which Jesus paved with His own blood, sweat, and tears. Which path will you walk upon?
