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The Spiritual Life

1 Corinthians 2:9-12 (ESV)
9  But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—
10  these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
11  For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
12  Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.  

 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 (ESV)
14  The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
15  The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.
16  “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 

 Let me begin at the beginning.  All of us have a Spiritual life.  There is no one who is not spiritual.  All of us have a life, and that life is not just lived on the material level.  We are meant to have communion with God - God is a Spirit, Jesus said.

When Paul writes to the  Corinthians he makes it clear they are not acting, or thinking, spiritually.  They were meant to live with a "now" sense of God's presence.  That type of Spirituality is  "close", "nurtured", "intimate", "cultivated", and on we could go.

A lot of times I have not felt close to God...he's been more of an idea, a concept than a person.  That's not even say God has been close, but simply that I have struggled to know Him on that personal, intimate place.
Now add to that is the circumstances of life.
It's been a rough week around here...a number of people have been going through really tough times.  Illness, disease, loss, unemployment, marriage, family, kids...it can all add up and become an assault on believing God is present, and he cares.

I want to be Spiritual...not in a concept form, but in reality...to know that I am in communion with God who is Spirit and to live with Him.

So How?  How do we do it?
First, a need to confess to God the distance.  Lord, I don't want to be far from you...it's not you that has moved, it's me.
Secondly, a desire to know and be connected on a personal level.  It can start with his Word, but it must go beyond that to times of conversation...which means listening...creating a quiet space for God to be with us.
Thirdly, a confidence that God has not abandoned...and never will.  We are Spiritual whether we know it or not.

St. Patrick is known for many things - some are probably myths more than reality.  But one thing he said was in the form of a prayer...a prayer worth repeating.

"Christ with me, Christ before me;
Christ behind me, Christ in me;
Christ under me, Christ over me;
Christ to the right of me, Christ to the left of me;
Christ in lying down, Christ in sitting, Christ in rising up;
Christ in the heart of everyone that thinks of me;
Christ in the mouth of everyone that speaks of me;
Christ in every eye that seems me;
Christ in every ear that hears me."

Isn't that what we all long for?  More tomorrow,

Peace

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