In the Hebrew Scriptures there is no word for "spiritual." And Jesus never used the phrase 'spiritual life." Because for Jesus and his tradition, all of life is spiritual.Isn't is strange that we speak of our spiritual life as if it were only part of our life and not our whole life. We spend a lot of our life trying to find Life in all other areas of our lives. Our work, our family, our hobbies, none of them come through completely for what our hearts truely desire. A true spiritual relationship with our creator. To get back to a walking and talking realtionship with Jesus.
But something always seems to get in the way of that relationship. Could you admit that your spiritual walk could use some refining? Is it the first thing you think about when you wake? Does it keep you up at night with unexplained excitment and anticipation? For most people it doesn't. It seems to fall short of expectains and feel almost dutiful. Could that be because our view of spirituality is some what foggy. Or could it be hazy because the enemy doesn't what you to discover the truth?
Ever since the beginning of mans relationship with God, satan has been distorting the truth about our relationship with God. We fell for his lie that God's heart wasn't good and the He was holding out on us. And in a moment we gave away our kingdom. And since that time we have longed for those times with Jesus in the cool of the day. The mentoring and fathering. The love and affirmation. The security and wholeness.
We now live as captives in a world or kingdom if you will, that is ruled by the enemy. A story that is so much bigger that we can see. One that's backdrop is war and that story line is full of battles. Battles over our hearts and for our hearts. We are living in a land that is occupied by the enemy. And that enemy is set against our joy.
When Jesus anounced His ministry he did so by making an incredible statement. He proclaimed He had come to heal the broken hearted and set the captives free. The Hebrew word used for broken was more like the word shattered, like pieces of pottery. The assumption is that all of us of broken in some way and are captives.
I find it amazing to think that God, the Son of Man viewed spiritual life as all enclusive. If He sees it as Life shouldn't we. Just a thought but if He came ot bring us Life and more abundantly, I don't think He was referring to our hobbies. He meant Spirituality...LIFE!
