29/06/2019
The quest for authentic spirituality in personal life
Man has the ability for the longing, inquisitive, searching spirit within to look beyond the physical universe and dive into the realm of invincibility. There is the human curiosity that lies beyond the emotions common to the human experience that is seeking to know if there is anything else?
If we assume there are sacred and divine realms. What should be our relationship to spiritual reality? There are things that belong to the sphere of the invisible. There is an aspect of the non-material universe such as the "sacred," or the “spiritual.” Man has a reasoning capacity to deal with spirituality through reasoned processes without confining spiritual reality to natural science.
Man lives in the flesh and in his physical environment. The five senses of man are expressed through touch, taste, sight, sound, and smell. Man can enjoy the finer textures of cloth and avoid encroaching on the thorn bush through his ability to touch. The man could enjoy his meal and be aware of spoiled food through the ability to taste. Sight gives strength to our sense of beauty and enables us to see obstacles in our path. Man can enjoy the uplifting music and take note of impending danger through sound. The smell draws man to the fragrance of the rose and makes the stench of the skunk repulsive.
As human beings, I am well equipped by the natural endowment to survive in the material world. Human nature contains all the systems necessary for fueling and maintaining fleshly life. It has been possible for me to adapt to changing climates, diets, and circumstances. I was able to live successfully in tropical climate region in Africa as well as in temperate climate region in Europe.
Nevertheless, man is neither a mechanical robot nor an image comprised merely of dirt and water. Man experiences both pleasure and pain; he is capable of love and hate; he is tempted by a variety of enticements that may control both body and mind. None of these elements fall into the classic definition of rationality. But they do testify that man is a complex being, consisting of both mind and sensation.
The causes and the sources of sensations lie beyond human comprehension. The human’s emotion and other unseen aspects of being bear witness to the presence of something that cannot be explained in physical terms. When one loves, there is a feeling of non-material emotion. Despondency and grieve cannot be seen in a microscope.
Human beings have the capacity to have a sense of “spiritual. The possibility of a spiritual realm is conjectured, especially during the process of dying. The dying may be in the depth of despair or may be overcome with a sense of burden because of a sinful act. The phenomenon is above human comprehension to understand the matter and the spirit or the visible and invisible, the real and the imagined.
The concept of spirituality in personal life
Every human being is an individual and unique. There could be genetic similarities among family members, yet every human being stands apart from every other human being. Children born of the same parent may turn out differently irrespective of a common root, environment, and upbringing.
Although genetics and the environment play a significant role in character formation and in influencing the constitution of a human being, his moral nature can only be explained spiritually. Man is a free will moral being. He is individually responsible to God for all his personal thoughts and actions. Despite genetics and environmental influences, man makes his choice and decides personally how to discharge his responsibility. Man chooses on his own how to respond to human circumstances
Religious thinkers claim that all humans have inherited through birth a "sinful" nature from Adam. This hereditary sinful nature is also known as original sin means that a person is totally depraved and has no ability to make the right choices.
However, since each person is unique, each individual face unique challenges. Each person bears personal responsibility for how he responds to his environment, though he may have inclinations that could be predetermined genetically. Each person makes his choice by choosing the kind of person, he wants to be. He selects leisure activities that provide personal fulfillment. He adopts a diet and eating practices that satisfy personal goals.
Though it is possible that habit is formed extensively by the cultural or family influence, the individual should evaluate those habits to determine if they conform to the standards of righteousness and Christ-like behavior. This does not, however, diminish the concept of salvation by grace.
The spiritual maturity in personal and private arena
The private arena is the area of life that is peculiar to me alone. In the flesh, I could experience carnality which is the opposite of spirituality. Once a time I had a constant battle going on within me. “14 We know that the law is spiritual, but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (Rom. 7:14-20).
I was doing things I knew was wrong. Sometimes I began to look for justification to what I was doing. I began to easily give into the act, whenever there was urging to do so.
At some point, it became a regular habit of mine to act in this manner. “21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me” (Rom. 7:20-23).
But by the grace of God, I decided am going to stop this. I prayed to God, for forgiveness and asked for the grace not to do it any longer “24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom.7:24-25).
I stop doing it. Thereafter I hardly experience the urge to do it again. And if there comes any urge in me for this act, I simply ignore it and it was easier for me to avoid it.
As a child of God walking in the spirit, I could say No to temptations. I made a choice to reject every evil suggestion blowing to my mind. “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Gal.5:16).
What I do is to start praying for more grace, when I see temptation coming. This always helps me to resist and withstand temptation.
I have found items such as cash or purse that are not mine on the road, in a shop or in the public Bus. What I do is to bring the items to the owner if the address is known to me. In case the address is not known, I gave it to the police officer or the bus driver.
In all what I do on daily activity, I seek for holiness and righteousness. I endeavor to speak the truth all the time and attempt never to defraud anyone.
