Do you confuse spirituality with religion? We can be both religious and spiritual, or religious without being spiritual, or spiritual without being religious. By Dr. Margaret Paul.
You go to church every Sunday and you say your prayers every day. Does this mean you are a spiritual person?
No.
You practice yoga and meditate every day. Does this mean you are a spiritual person?
No.
You belong to spiritual group and are devoted to following the teachings of the group. Does this mean you are a spiritual person?
No.
What, then, does it mean to be a spiritual person?
Being a spiritual person is synonymous with being a person whose highest priority is to be loving to yourself and others. A spiritual person cares about people, animals and the planet, and strives to be a kind person. A spiritual person knows that we are all One, and consciously attempts to honor this Oneness.
You can go to church every Sunday and say your prayers every day, without caring about being kind and loving to yourself, others and to the planet. You can practice yoga and meditate every day without being conscious of what is loving and what is not loving in your thoughts and actions. You can belong to a spiritual group and devotedly follow the teachings, yet still be judgmental toward yourself and others in your daily life.
There are many people who do not practice a religion, who do not meditate, pray or belong to any group, who are very spiritual people. These people naturally do caring things for others. They think about how they can help. Their thoughts are kind rather than judgmental toward themselves and toward others. When you look at them, you see kindness in their eyes.
There are many religious people who are anything but kind. We all know of religious people who are extremely judgmental, righteous and outright mean. Can you be both religious and spiritual? Of course! But only when you are operating in your religion from your heart rather than from the learned dogma of your mind.
Years ago I very briefly attended a "spiritual" group. People would meet in an auditorium to hear the leader of the group speak. The second time I attended I heard a number of parents yelling at their children and judging them to try to control them. These parents were being anything but kind with their children. That was the last time I attended the spiritual group. The focus of the group was surrender to God, but love was rarely in the picture! They obviously had a very different experience of God than I do.
My experience of God is that God is the energy of Love that created us and sustains us. In my experience, "God is Spirit" (John 4:24) and "God is love" (1 John 4:16). Anything that is not of love, peace, joy, truth and kindness is not of God. Praying to God does not mean that you are allowing the spirit that is God - the love, peace, joy, truth and kindness that is God - to guide your thoughts and actions. Practicing yoga or meditating does not mean that you have invited the love that is God into your heart, or that you are turning to that ever-present love to learn about what is in your highest good, and the highest good of others and the planet.
If you want to be a spiritual person, then let kindness be your guiding light - kindness toward yourself, toward others, toward animals and toward this beautiful planet that is our home. Recognize that we all have the spark of love that is God within us, and learn to honor that love so that you can know and experience the Oneness of all that is.
Practicing Inner Bonding and learning to be kind to yourself inevitably leads to kindness to others. Inner Bonding is a powerful spiritual path.
Matt The Rally Driver
Shot Down! Author Steve Snyder
Majungas a band from Chicago plays songs about Seattle
Conversations With Coryelle- Inspire others- don‘t try to change them!
Lynette Smith- Author of ”How to Write Heartfelt Letters To Treasure
PTR on KKNW- Brandon Wainwright- Tyson‘s Gift
Conversations With Coryelle- Are your friends really your friends?
Chelsey Chew- Kwyptoland
Conversations with Coryelle- The Stream of wellbeing
PTR- First Wednesday show introducing the players
The Lunch Club- Seattle Cascades Drum Corp
Conversations With Coryelle- Embracing Change
Positive Talk Radio Returns to KKNW in Seattle
The Lunch Club- The Northwest Firelight Chorale
Tommi Tikka‘s New Release is called ”Doormat”
Paul Draper Magician, entertainer
Conversations with Coryelle- Improve your life- Just change your Story!
The Lunch Club- Following your Intuition
Conversations With Coryelle- Forgiving yourself
Conversations With Coryelle- Picky Eater
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
We Can Do Hard Things
Unlocking Us with Brené Brown
Date Yourself Instead
Let’s Be Honest with Kristin Cavallari
Love Life with Matthew Hussey