Today's devotion by Dr. Charles Stanley, my favourite preacher, says that when God created the world, the only thing He didn't declare to be good, was that Adam was alone.
Something that I was not very attuned to during this pandemic, was that this is the first time in some, possibly many, people's lives where they truly felt isolated. I heard an influencer say that quarantine is like a depression - not being able to be social or work. It was a new perspective for me. While I understand that the pandemic has been a nightmare for some, my experience has been emotional and spiritual growth, because I have already passed through a period of a nightmare and woke up from it.
While I encouraged my readers to use this time to develop a personal relationship with God, which I also deepened and refined in my time in lockdown, I didn't consider the culture shock of truly being isolated with only one's thoughts. This is when relying of God is even more important: this is truly the time for God to be our main point of contact in quarantine.
The problem with developing a relationship with God when there is an abundance of free time, is that there are many hypnotic cult leaders, and very deep rabbit holes to fall down. I have gone down a couple in the past three months, but by the grace of God, along with past works, was able to not let it last more than a day or two. I don't even want to consider what people with no spiritual or emotional discipline are mentally tormenting themselves with at this time.
It's easy for me to be a Christian, because I had an experience with Jesus coming to me during a low point in my life in 2011, after having been fired from what I thought was going to be my dream job. So whenever I am seduced by charismatic teachers, I can easily recall who truly offers eternal life, and who can transcend the impermanent, emotional, and erratic social fads and norms. The only person I know this to be true, is Jesus.
Some people say that religion is for people who are afraid to go to hell, and spirituality is for people who have been to it. I find this statement to be incomplete and unfounded. Religion sustains and protects an ideology, whereas "spirituality", whatever that actually means, is porous, with few, if any defences against deceit; where there are no clear boundaries, and where one can easily be misled during moments of weakness, such as a pandemic. A true religion will offer both consistency and inspiration, and will provide opportunities to be lifted up, and to grow, within a set of healthy guidelines that tames our egotistical and opinionated minds.
But sometimes we see these boundaries and rebel for a utopia, without the actual tools or blessings to create one. What we end up participating in is a world where we don't feel judged and where we don't feel wrong, but where we do feel scattered and ungrounded. Every healthy system has instructions and checks and balances, and every guideline that comes from God is rooted in love.
Instead of fighting a perceived limiting institution, I suggest learning its core precepts instead. Oftentimes in our attempts to be free we end up being more restricting. We interpret something to be a threat, oftentimes based from misinformation, and decide it can't help up. The truth is, we have a long history behind us and no matter what, we are going to be disenchanted at one point or another. But the hiccups along the road walking with Christ are a lot less disruptive than damaging trips on stones that random spirituality, oftentimes from unqualified teachers, places in our way.
Something that I was not very attuned to during this pandemic, was that this is the first time in some, possibly many, people's lives where they truly felt isolated. I heard an influencer say that quarantine is like a depression - not being able to be social or work. It was a new perspective for me. While I understand that the pandemic has been a nightmare for some, my experience has been emotional and spiritual growth, because I have already passed through a period of a nightmare and woke up from it.
While I encouraged my readers to use this time to develop a personal relationship with God, which I also deepened and refined in my time in lockdown, I didn't consider the culture shock of truly being isolated with only one's thoughts. This is when relying of God is even more important: this is truly the time for God to be our main point of contact in quarantine.
The problem with developing a relationship with God when there is an abundance of free time, is that there are many hypnotic cult leaders, and very deep rabbit holes to fall down. I have gone down a couple in the past three months, but by the grace of God, along with past works, was able to not let it last more than a day or two. I don't even want to consider what people with no spiritual or emotional discipline are mentally tormenting themselves with at this time.
It's easy for me to be a Christian, because I had an experience with Jesus coming to me during a low point in my life in 2011, after having been fired from what I thought was going to be my dream job. So whenever I am seduced by charismatic teachers, I can easily recall who truly offers eternal life, and who can transcend the impermanent, emotional, and erratic social fads and norms. The only person I know this to be true, is Jesus.
Some people say that religion is for people who are afraid to go to hell, and spirituality is for people who have been to it. I find this statement to be incomplete and unfounded. Religion sustains and protects an ideology, whereas "spirituality", whatever that actually means, is porous, with few, if any defences against deceit; where there are no clear boundaries, and where one can easily be misled during moments of weakness, such as a pandemic. A true religion will offer both consistency and inspiration, and will provide opportunities to be lifted up, and to grow, within a set of healthy guidelines that tames our egotistical and opinionated minds.
But sometimes we see these boundaries and rebel for a utopia, without the actual tools or blessings to create one. What we end up participating in is a world where we don't feel judged and where we don't feel wrong, but where we do feel scattered and ungrounded. Every healthy system has instructions and checks and balances, and every guideline that comes from God is rooted in love.
Instead of fighting a perceived limiting institution, I suggest learning its core precepts instead. Oftentimes in our attempts to be free we end up being more restricting. We interpret something to be a threat, oftentimes based from misinformation, and decide it can't help up. The truth is, we have a long history behind us and no matter what, we are going to be disenchanted at one point or another. But the hiccups along the road walking with Christ are a lot less disruptive than damaging trips on stones that random spirituality, oftentimes from unqualified teachers, places in our way.
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| Still Life with Bible by Vincent van Gogh |
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