“I’m twice as religious as I ought to be and only half as spiritual as I need to be.”
Catchy. Somebody said it, but what does it mean?
The Meaning
Religious: “believing in a religion”
Spiritual: “relating to the soul as opposed to material things”
The Words
For some, the words are synonymous while for others, they are differentiated. For me, religion is defined by the blending of three elements:
- Holy Scripture
- Man-made doctrine
- Human traditions
Religion
Faith devolves into religion when scripture is replaced by tradition and truth by men’s doctrine. The amalgamation is complete when believers can longer separate God’s will from the will of men. When religion is held too high then religion falls, and it fails. Or is it man?
Spirituality
Here are five things that Spirituality isn’t:
- Moral perfection
- The right church
- Specified degree of bible knowledge
- Being moved emotionally
- An external stimulus
Spirituality is living in concert with the Spirit. It embraces belief, not just an acknowledgment of a divine existence, but a transformational faith. It’s a living faith on a journey to grow closer, and to become stronger, with God’s Spirit.
The Text
Jesus our Messiah said:
“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit…” John 7:38-39
“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come and make our home with him.” John 14:23
Some Perspective
Each of us must decide what these words mean and how to live them.
However, I fear that spirituality is being supplanted by religious fashion, experienced as emotion. It’s a form of Godliness that denies his purpose and will. It seeks his love and peace but is devoid of holiness, reverence, and the heart’s devotion.
To Close
“I’m twice as religious as I ought to be and only half as spiritual as I need to be.”
I said that in a sermon ten years ago. It was a confession of sorts, the sharing of my own journey to find life in the Spirit and a deeper connection with God.
I’m glad to say, “I’m making some positive progress.”
It bothers me that the word Religion has devolved into something people perceive of as being bad. Recently I figured out why, when I read that Religion is supposed to mean the things you DO because you believe in God. I’m not sure there’s any modern word that conveys that idea.
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A good thought. Thank you.
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