Spirituality Part One

"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ." 1 Corinthians 3:1

Paul's desire was for the Corinthian believers to be spiritual not carnal, fleshly minded, or babes. Spiritual believers are maturing believers. Maturity is the result of spiritual discipline. The process of spiritual growth comes from both the disciplines of abstinence and engagement. One very important warning is necessary. Spirituality isn't found in the process. Just because we do certain things doesn't make us spiritual. Spirituality is the goal of the process. The process is the pathway to spirituality not spirituality in itself. The purpose of the process is produce the changes in our lives bring us into conformity with the image of Christ. The image is that of character.  Let us first consider the disciplines of engagement.

Spiritual growth necessitates the removal from our lives certain activities that serve as a hindrance to the process. When this happens it is best we replace it with some activity that that contributes to our proper growth and development.

Legitimate acts of engagement are:

1. Study: engagement in the written Word of God. It is the positive counterpart of solitude.
2. Worship: engagement in the expressions of God’s great worth.
3. Celebration: completion of worship for in celebration we express God’s goodness to us.
4. Service: we engage our goods and strength in the active promotion of the good of others and the causes of God in the world.
5. Prayer: communicating with God and the establishment of prayer comes in response to the establishment of the disciplines of solitude and fasting.
6. Confession: both confessing our sins to God and letting trusted friends know our deepest weaknesses and failures. It becomes a guard to help us avoid sin.
7. Submission: humility and complete honesty are the result of submission that is a call for help to those who are able to give it because of their strength of experience and Christ-likeness.

Remember the value of these disciplines is not in themselves but they are tools God can use in the process of discipleship to bring about the changes that are needed to bring us into greater conformity to Christ.