The results of the latest national survey on religion indicated that 70% of Americans who have a religious affiliation feel their religious belief is not the only way to God and that there is no absolute interpretation of their faith's doctrine. What is implied in the survey results is a broad definition that today's society gives for spirituality. The definition is like a net that when thrown into the sea of contemporary culture, pulls in a vast quantity of supposedly spiritual fish. Some define spirituality as a coming awareness and empowerment of themselves to achieve success in life. Some others define it a mystical coming of one with their inner self. Still others define it as being connected to an impersonal, nebulous higher power. Spirituality has even become a major business for entrepreneurs, a recreational sport for the bored, and for some a lucrative opportunity to gain personal wealth. All this has created an environment of false spirituality based on truth relative to human nature, not absolute truth. People are attempting to invent their own spirituality customized to accommodate aspiration, inspiration, and meaning without the inconvenience of moral or personal sacrifice.
However, true spirituality is a serious and disciplined commitment to live deeply and fully in relation to God each day. How can we accomplish this daily commitment? By walking in the Holy Spirit each day. As spiritual people, we walk by the Spirit both in the sense of Galatians 5:16 ("I say then: Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh") and Galatians 5:25 ("If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit"). And our lives are reflections of the Spirit's fruits.
Walking in the Spirit daily is essential for keeping us connected to God. It is a continuous process.
Here are 9 steps we can take to walk towards true spirituality.
Step 1: Get Rid of The Junk
As Christians we hold on to situations we have experienced and attitudes we have developed that have no value to our spiritual growth. This is "junk" that through the power of the Holy Spirit we can dump in order to come into a true knowledge of God.
Step 2: Be Intimate With God
True intimacy with God is a relationship developed through direct communication with Him through the Holy Spirit. In addition to our prayers, we must wait to hear God speak to us, be familiar with His voice, and be willing to respond to it with obedience.
Step 3: Use the Key to the Kingdom
The key to the kingdom of God is the Gospel, which is the power of God to salvation to those who believe. The Holy Spirit is the seal or our current evidence of the salvation we have received from God. The Spirit leads and guides us into all truth.
Step 4: Follow In Jesus' Footsteps
The Holy Spirit guides us into being more like the one who sent Him, Jesus. By following in Jesus' footsteps we reflect His servant's heart and servant's spirit. This "Christ likeness" is essential for reflecting true spirituality in our lives.
Step 5: Acknowledge God's Daily Presence
The Spirit leads us to acknowledge the presence of God each day. Our actions are continuously focused on Him. It is a daily step-by-step disciplined process into holiness and Godly living.
Step 6: Come With An Empty Cup
The cup represents our lives. God wants to pour the anointing of the Holy Spirit into it. But our cups must first be emptied of all that is not pleasing to Him before He can fill it with a spiritual overflow that will never run dry.
Step 7: Let Jesus Dwell Within
We must open the deepest levels of our very self to the indwelling Holy Spirit. This is not a superficial spirituality. God's indwelling Spirit must enter us and go through us to result in a life desiring solely to do His will.
Step 8: Follow The Light
The Holy Spirit shines the "light of Christ" within us. It gives us spiritual sight for our daily walk and illuminates the path to Jesus for others to see in us. It keeps us out of spiritual darkness.
Step 9: Living A Spiritual Life
The Holy Spirit empowers us to be the models of moral and ethical behavior set before the world according to God's purpose for us. We cannot do this through our own, made up spirituality. It takes the daily indwelling of the Holy Spirit for our actions and behavior to reflect the Christ that is inside us.
Dr. Oscar L. Chestnut is the co- founder and senior pastor of New You Ministries, Hollywood, Florida (www.newyouministries.org). He is a community leader and an active member in area ministerial alliances. Dr. Chestnut is also an instructor at South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary. Visit his web site at www.oscarchestnut.com.
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 View other articles written by Oscar Chestnut(168)
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