Sincere Spirituality

Many people in today’s world are seeking validation in all the wrong places and in the wrong people. In that in order to feel good about themselves they rely on another’s opinion, this leads to a roller coaster ride of insecurities.

Where as with God He loves us where we are and who we are, despite the fact that we do not deserve such an Awesome love, still it is God who loves the unlovable, for there is no one on earth who equals God's Goodness and Purity.

We see in the world around us, how many people fall into the trap of making the outside look perfect whilst ignoring the inner soul. Even in this consumer society, just how many face lifts, botox treatments and divorces do people need in order to gain some sense of security?

Many reach this predicament because they have forgotten what love is, for sincere love is selfless, it longs to give rather than receive. True love seeks not after its own gratification, but instead it seeks to enrich those who have most need of it.

God does not love us because we have made efforts to deserve it, He loves us because we need Him. Therefore the Triune Spirit endeavours to give each soul the Gifts it needs in order to teach the soul how to Love with Christlike compassion and mercy. For in and of ourselves we have no love, all that has been given to us is gratuitous, for Christ Himself paid the price for our unfaithfulness.

It is when we place our happiness in the hands of another that we are doomed to a life of inner unhappiness, in that it is beyond man's ability to provide the inner joy and peace that many seek, this inner peace and joy can only be found in Christ. And through the Holy Spirit our souls are illuminated to the fullness and meaningfulness of the essence of Divine Love which ignites the heart and sets itself aflame.

For if one's life lacks meaning and purpose, could the answer lay in one's own attitude towards God and others? Could it be that we seek our own happiness at the cost of another, as we burden those around us with the responsibility of providing our need for self worth.

Sincere spirituality seeks not after its own happiness nor pines for the things of this world which only provide short term gratification with long term side affects. Instead it recognises that all it has and that all it has been given has its source in the Divine, and the love the soul shares with others is the reflection of the Divine working within that persons soul.

For the person who sincerely wishes to love God longs to please God, and live lives of obedience to God's Will. With full understanding that in and of itself the soul is nothing and that it is the spark from the Divine which ennobles man to become adopted children of our Heavenly Father and co-redeemers with Christ our Lord.

It is this love that seeks the wellbeing of others above its own wants and needs, by praying unceasingly for others so that they too may enjoy the Beatific Vision, through Christ our Lord.

The world and all its luxuries cannot offer the peace of heart and mind that can only be found in Christ, if one seeks it with all their hearts then it will be given to them. This is why so many misunderstand what love is, for true love gives of itself rather than live for themselves.

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Superficial Spirituality

We live in a society that tells us in order to feel good we must look good, society also dictates what will make us feel good, as if we were children without direction. The problem with this feel good philosophy is that many accredit it with too much power, as if being a perfect size 8 or a macho image will fix our interior soul, and all our insecurities and problems will cease.

This constant focus on the superficialities of life only increases our inner turmoil, insecurities and self doubt, as many search about looking for the perfect diet, in order to have the perfect body, where men and women spend copious hours in the gym and even more hours on the therapists couch.

In a culture where the new TV sensation is the 'make over' shows, where a person can be transformed by applying more skilled makeup techniques, and wearing the best designer labels. These TV shows also intrude upon one's home as if by redesigning the decor, will provide the 'spiritual elixir' which many people are longing for. Yet when the cameras stop rolling, what happens to those who thought that this would be the magic pill they needed in order to feel whole and secure?

The problem is that many people become confused with sincere spirituality and self improvement and believe that both are the same thing, no they are not! But due to such catchy phraseology as 'self esteem', 'self awareness' 'self fulfilment' and 'self image', many buy into this way of thinking and believe it is this that will fill the emptiness they feel within their inner most being.

This is not to negate the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, nor those who wish to utilise the gifts they have been given, through their various careers or hobbies, but it should not be the entire focus on which they depend. It is when we think that the only thing that will improve us is a better body, a better home or a better job that we will stumble and miss out on the most integral aspect of personal happiness, for joy springs from within, and not without.

This spirit of joy cannot be found in self improvement courses or books, for joy has its origins from the indwelling Spirit. This inner joy and peace is that which Christ promised us and is there for all if they seek it with all their hearts and souls. One begins with a spirit of thanksgiving and gratitude to God not for what He has given us, but for who He is, we then partake in the Divine nature by adoption as brothers and sisters in Christ.

The feeling of wellbeing and sense of inner security and certainty does not need validation from the outside world, for a soul that has centred itself on Christ has no need of superficial fixes, for it has found the pearl of great price. This does not mean that a soul can then go to sleep and expect God to do all the work, for in order to maintain a healthy spirituality one needs to practice prayer, in all its different forms. And in order to maintain a healthy prayer life, we need to keep our focus on Jesus and allow the indwelling Spirit free access to give us the Gifts we need.

In affect prayer requires discipline, in order to hear the still small voice of God we need quiet times of reflection and intercession, and in a busy world this is not easy. There must also be an understanding that prayer is not an emptying of one's mind, but of focussing one's mind and recognising the Presence of God within the soul and acknowledging with reverence that one is in the Presence of the Divine.

For it is when we take our eyes away from God that we, like Peter, will begin to sink beneath the waves of despair, futility and powerlessness. This is why we must learn to discipline our mind and keep it focussed on our Lord and Saviour, in who lay our peace of heart, mind and soul, even amidst the daily turmoil of life.

It is when we open our hearts to a loving and forgiving Father that we find our true worth, as God transforms our souls into living reflections of His Beloved Son. This is where we find our peace, that peace which Christ speaks of, which the world cannot provide, no matter how alluring the outside package may look for without that inner joy, one becomes a plastic image of the Divine.

For God loves us where we are as we are, we do not have to fit into a size 8 or have a perfectly buffed up physique in order to gain the validation we need to feel worthy and lovable. We also do not need to be 'perfect' in order to be loved, for it is through God's Divine Love for His children which will perfect us, as we open our hearts to our loving Heavenly Father.

The key to peace lay not in the outside world but in the inner sanctum of the soul....

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.