Spirituality That Matters...

People in western culture like to hedge their bets.We do not like it when politicians flip flop but if we are being honest it is a trait shared by the majority of us. We have lots of preferences in our culture but few convictions. We don't simply throw out traditional values, that would be bad if it turns out there really is a creator. We, instead, dilute them and redefine the words until they are unrecognizable.

 

This is certainly the case with spirituality. I have heard many celebrities make statements like, " I am not religious but I am deeply spiritual." Somehow they think that covers all the bases, and if there is a creator, He will understand. Look at the difference in definition from the old traditional Webster's Dictionary and modern Wikipedia.

 

 

WEBSTER

•  the quality or state of being concerned with religion or religious matters : the quality or state of being spiritual

• something that in ecclesiastical law belongs to the church or to a cleric as such

• sensitivity or attachment to religious values

 

WIKIPEDIA

• Spirituality may refer to almost any kind of meaningful activity, personal growth, or blissful experience.Traditionally, spirituality refers to a process of re-formation of the personality but there is no precise definition of spirituality.

 

One very popular television personality defines spirituality as, "Living your life with an open heart through love, allowing yourself to align with the values of tolerance, acceptance, of harmony, of cooperation, and reverence for life." That sounds like a politician. The words are beautiful but they really dont say anything. What could be wrong with that? While these modern definitions may make people feel better,  they are foreign to God's design for spirituality.