“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” —A.W. Tozer
When I was in college, I read the preceding quote from the theologian/philosopher A.W. Tozer. The substance was so profound I have never forgotten its message almost 15 years later. It continues to spring up again and again in my mind on a regular basis.
I realize spirituality can be a very touchy topic that arouses countless strong opinions, intellectual arguments, and far too many unspeakable emotional wounds. Nevertheless, I believe the quote above holds true. There is nothing more central to our lives than our understanding of spirituality. And it is a conversation we ought to engage in far more often than we do.
Whether we have intentionally pursued a personal spirituality or not, our beliefs have a profound impact on our lives. Consciously or subconsciously, it influences us in countless ways. Consider how it impacts our understanding of…
- Ourselves. Does God care about me? Is He mad at me or pleased with me? If there is no God, who am I? And where did I orginate?
- Others. Are all lives equal? If so, on what basis? What is my responsibility to care for others?
- Minimalism. If we have removed the pursuit of worldly possessions from our affections, with what will we replace it?
- The world around us. In what specific ways should we care about the world and the environment around us? Is our motivation in this regard more significant than survival of our species? And if so, how do we as humans responsibly interact with it?
- Morality. Is there a moral set of truth for the universe established from a higher power? Or is morality determined by each individual?
- Evil. What am I to understand about the evil and suffering in the world? Is it there for a reason? To what extent should I try to counteract it?
- Money. Does the universe give money/status to some and not others? Or is money/status earned by the individual? What should I do with it when I obtain it? Do I hold any responsibility to care for those with less?
- Afterlife. Is there life after death? Is death something to be feared or welcomed? And either way, how should I be preparing for it today?
No doubt, our understanding of spirituality carries great influence on our lives. For that reason, one of the most significant journeys we can ever embark upon is the exploration of it.
I understand fully this community is made up of readers from every imaginable religious/non-religious background. I am so very thankful for that reality. And I should be quick to mention this post is not an endorsement of any specific religion. Instead, my hope is only to prompt each of us to further consider the role of spirituality in our everyday lives. And cause us to joyfully embrace the journey rather than shy away from it.
Because of the important role it plays, you will never regret any time spent furthering your understanding of the Universe. Whether you have never tried, have tried but given up, or spend time everyday seeking one specific God, let me offer seven beginning steps that are central to our personal exploration of spirituality.
A Beginner’s Guide to Exploring Spirituality
1. Respect those that have gone before. The quest to understand spirituality is as old as humanity itself. Billions have gone before and have spent countless hours seeking spirituality. Don‘t overlook their efforts. Consider their findings and their writings—even those outside the religion you have become accustomed to.
2. Your journey must be your own. You alone must be the decision-maker for your view of God. You should not blindly accept the teachings of another (even your closest mentor or parent). Your heart must ring true and your spirit must rejoice in your spirituality—or it is worthless.
3. Start right where you are. We all have special gifts of character: compassion, laughter, self-discipline, love, etc. Use them as your starting point. Are you facing a trial in life (disease, loss, rejection)? Use it as motivation to further pursue your understanding of spirituality. Lao-tzu once said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” He was right in every regard. Start your journey with whatever first step makes the most sense to you.
4. Ask God for help. By this I mean, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by making the request. If there is a God, He may answer your prayer. And if there is no God, the process of making the request will still work to help focus your senses and desire.
5. Practice, practice, practice. Like everything else in life, spiritual growth is mastered through practice. If you don’t find your answers after your first few steps, take some more in a different direction. It will require time, effort, and energy. But given its influence on our lives, it is always worth the effort in the end.
6. Don’t be afraid of unanswered questions. Although leaving questions unanswered may sound contrary to the goal of the pursuit, we should not be afraid of them. These unanswered questions will cause some to forever abandon the journey. And while our spirituality should make sense of our heart‘s deepest questions, it would seem unreasonable to believe our minds could successfully fathom all the mysteries of the universe.
7. Be wary of “everyone is right” thinking. If there is no God, there is no God. If there is a God, He is something specific. Personally, I am skeptical of the thinking that says God can change from one person to another—that philosophy crumbles under the weight of its own logic. God is who God is. And it‘s our responsibility to successfully find Him.
Again, I realize fully this journey is going to look different for every single one of us. Spirituality is a highly personal matter and will likely result in different outcomes. This is not a post that endorses any specific religion. It is simply a post of encouragement and a reminder this journey is important.
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I do not typically moderate comments too closely (unless they turn offensive). But I might make a suggestion for this post. In the comments below, I would be interested to hear about your personal journey toward spirituality. How did it begin? And how did you arrive at your understanding? I think this conversation will be more helpful and encouraging than a specific argument made for choosing your view.
Image: overgraeme
Skylar Williams says
You really pointed out certain aspects of life that everyone thinks about. Who wouldn’t wonder about what happens after death? I’m trying to find God again after a long absence away from religion.
Spiritual Guidance says
Try to search Meishu-sama´s teaching about God and the spiritual world.
Purplelily says
I am a lifelong athiest, but have a belief in something more – deeper, more akin to nature, the sky stars, infinity…. I lean towards believing this is Spiritualism, but I don’t know for sure. How do you define Spiritulism? I recently had a spiritual healing, and had a sense of peace afterwards, plus a smell of perfume in the middle of the night. Was that my guide? Help, I am sooooo confused!
Sid says
I was inspired by a topic for speech in one of our language sessions in school. That topic was meditation. I did not understand anything when one of my classmates read out a passage about the topic which had so many terminologies foreign to me. That was my starting point. That one moment turned me into a seeker. Years later, now I think of that moment and thank God for giving me that start in such a tender age. BTW, you have written a very good article. Keep it. up. It just sent me to my beginning.
Minh says
I enjoy reading this article until I read guide #7. I wish you are more honest. Instead of being frank about your spiritual guidance from Christianity, you jump from “this post is not an endorsement of any specific religion” to “If there is a God, He is something specific”. This is not different from saying “My Christian worldview of God is the right one. Other views about God (Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism, Bahá’í) are wrong.
Anyway, I have to thank you for this article since I am an aspired minimalist. I will stick to your post about minimalist living and avoid any spiritual stuff because this article shows me Christians’ true color. Spirituality in Christians’ mind is simply a nice sugar coating word for proselytization.
Lauren says
Hi Josh.
Maybe I’m a little late here, but I had a question…
You said in this post that there has to be a right answer, right? If there’s no God, then there’s no God. If there is a God, He’s something specific.
So, in exploring spirituality, how can it be valuable if it’s false? If you accept a false belief, how will it benefit you? It’s false. You’re suggestions are great only if they lead someone to the truth. Wouldn’t you agree? Otherwise, these suggestions could lead someone into lies and false beliefs and ultimately to their demise. Spirituality is worthless if it’s wrong.
You contradict yourself. #7 says not everyone can be right. There can only be one right answer. But you go on to say that you’re not encouraging any one religion. There has to be a right answer, therefore there has to be a right religion, right?
I believe there’s a God. And I believe He’s interested in more than what you sacrifice. He doesn’t want your things. He doesn’t want your time. He doesn’t want anything you try to offer Him. He wants YOU. All of you. If you seek Him wholeheartedly, I think you’ll find Him.
I love the minimalist thing you’re doing. I love reading these posts. But it’s worthless if you’re doing it with the wrong intentions…
So here’s my big question…
Why?
Minh says
“””There has to be a right answer, therefore there has to be a right religion, right?”””
In other words, any worldview is wrong except Christianity, isn’t it? Thank goodness I wasn’t born American. Otherwise, I will become a fundamentalist bigot sooner or later.
Arkanas says
Take a look at truthcontest.com
It will help.
Erin says
Very interesting article and comments. I was raised without any formal religion, with my parents telling me they wanted me to adhere to only my own views about religion and/or spirituality when I was ready to do so. And although they only wanted me to be both open-minded and mindful of my own path, I have always felt quite lost and unable to communicate with a ‘God’ or higher power or to find the right way to express my desire to be spiritual.
In college, I took advantage of my education and focused it on religion. And even after a degree in religious studies, I feel unable to even begin my personal search for spirituality and/or religion. I have learned about many religions, and although many have appealed to me and I respect them all, I have never felt a strong connection with one. At 26, this desire to be spiritual is becoming something I can no longer ignore, but I am lost at where to begin or how to find what it is I am searching for.
L says
I was raised in the Christianisms; my parents dabbled in Catholicism, Presbyterianism, Christian Science, and denomination non-specific paths. I could respect them, but they didn’t feel right to me. I tried on Wicca for a few years and then turned to deism/agnosticism/atheism for my teenage years, but not having a religion was emotionally suffocating in a way that’s hard to describe. I’m now a polytheist, and conduct worship in the way that feels most natural and pure to me. The idea of there being a singular God is something I cannot understand on a pretty fundamental level.
jasi says
I think that God can change from one person to another in respect to their own relationship with God. For example, the person that is my mother is also my father’s wife. She is someone’s friend and another person’s enemy, etc. We are to each other what we need the other to be in our own experience. Certain realities are shared and exist as a mutual understanding (or agreement sometimes) so that we can relate to each other. But these agreements do not make it truth.
Tori says
I started my spiritual journey when I was 15. I was just coming of a phase of hating God and claiming to be an atheist (which, you can’t hate God and deny his existence at the same time). I realized I felt most connected to the Spirit when I was out in Nature. I became interested in Pantheism. Since then I have become very interested in exploring many religions and spiritual beliefs. I enjoy reading about paganism (which is not what everyone imagines it to be), Native American beliefs, Buddhism, Taoism, and the teachings of Jesus. I think I will always be slightly agnostic, as there’s so much to take in. However, I am confident that I already know the bases of what I believe in, and I will always be quite spiritual.