What is spirituality ?

The spiritual response to anxiety and depression
GIL
Posts: 46
Joined: Sun Oct 14, 2007 2:28 am

Re: What is spirituality ?

Post by GIL » Mon Feb 17, 2014 10:33 am

Hello bradley1960,

Thanks for answering my question. Sorry it took so long for me to respond. My first thought was that maybe you were confusing spirituality with spiritism or spiritualism. Spiritualism has a different meaning which can incorporate the belief that spirits of the dead communicate with the living, etc. In a general, or in a broad sense, spirituality is an essence distinct from matter; immateriality, but I do not know of any definition of spirituality which would relate it to having to believe that a part of us survives after our physical body ceases to live.

As you know words can change or broaden their meaning over time. So, to answer LyndaLu's question about whether or not you can be spiritual without God, my answer would be yes. Spirituality has, in more recent times, gone beyond anything that might have a religious connotation. For example, a spirituality that deals with living healthy and having a good sense of well being without relating it to any kind of belief in a god. Having said that, I can relate to forever young 06's question, "Why would you want to be spiritual without God?"

Spirituality can be based on all kinds of aspects relating to "self" or all kinds of gods, but I believe in the one true God of the Bible. Being spiritual is based on some kind of spirit. The Bible says, " God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."-- John 4:24. When it comes right down to it I believe that there are only two kinds of spirits in this world and they oppose each other. I am speaking of Christ vs. Satan. "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."-- 1 John 4:1-3. Antichrist means to be against Christ or in the place of Christ. I do not believe that there is any kind of neutral ground. Jesus said, "He that is not with me is against me."--Matthew 12:30. Joshua 24:15 says, Choose you this day whom ye will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” God created us with the free will to choose. Love is a great and powerful thing, but love would not be love if it could be forced.

I can recall the time many years ago when I was at a bar, soaking my brain in alcohol as usual, contemplating what this world was all about. I was thinking about what would be the greatest or most powerful thing in the world. I thought about people, with their position of power, money, military strengths, and nuclear power, etc. After the mental dust of all my thinking had settled it occurred to me that love had to be the greatest, most powerful, thing. Even though I couldn’t put my thumb on the definition of love, I somehow reasoned that this had to be true. I was quite elated to discover, later on, that the Bible comes right out and says, “God is love.” It was this power of love that was able to take upon all the sins of the world. At the crucifixion the people shouted, “If you are the Son of God come down from the cross and save yourself.” But love says I can’t do that. Love is totally absent of anything selfish. The nails were not holding Christ to the cross, He was holding the nails. Jesus loved us too much to come down from the cross. It was the power of love that took our sins and buried them in Christ’s death and it was the same power of love that couldn’t keep Christ buried in the tomb. This is why in Christ we can die and have the old self buried and be raised up anew. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."--2 Cor 5:17.

God bless everyone as they contemplate what spirituality means to them.

GIL

mramirez10
Posts: 94
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 12:51 pm

Re: What is spirituality ?

Post by mramirez10 » Mon Feb 17, 2014 1:27 pm

I agree with what everyone has said so far. I just want to add that to me spirituality is getting in touch with our higher power. We were all created by a loving Heavenly Father who loves us. We are all spirit son's and daughters of God. And God talks to our spirit if we allow Him too. He is not controlling or intrusive, so He patiently waits for us to come to Him. So for me to be spiritual I need to talk to my Heavenly Father and include Him in my daily life. In my opinion we cannot be spiritual without including God.

LyndaLu
Posts: 794
Joined: Sun Oct 03, 2010 4:43 pm

Re: What is spirituality ?

Post by LyndaLu » Mon Feb 17, 2014 6:23 pm

Gil
Thank you so much for sharing your point of view !
Spirituality seems to be more complicated than I thought ?
But I am reading some very good things here.
LyndaLu :)

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