Monday, May 3, 2010

The New Spirituals

The other night at Soho Bar & Grill, a young man said he considered himself "spiritual," but not really "religious." He reflected the majority of people in his age group, according to a new survey. Nearly three-fourths of adults age 18-29 say they're "more spiritual than religious."

Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily -- and in fact, it can be a good thing. Check a Bible concordance, and you'll discover God's Word uses the word "spiritual" much more often.

"Keep your spiritual fervor," Paul recommends in Romans 12:11. How? He answers: "serving the Lord." Verses 9-10 indicate that means practicing a way of love, and honoring others above themselves.

On the night the young man made the comment about being spiritual, we asked if he tried to put others above himself. He gave an "it depends" answer -- and in this society, we can understand that. Some people can take your honor and turn it into an attitude of dominance and control.

That's when you need something else that's spiritual in nature. Paul told a church he asked God "to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Colossians 1:9).

You can ask God for that spiritual wisdom, too. It takes what some might call a religious act -- seeking Him in prayer (Col. 4:2). But there's really no better way to gain help from the greatest spiritual power source of all.

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