On Being Spiritual

Can one be a humanist and be spiritual without believing in God? Absolutely! Being spiritual means that you activate a flame of pure spirit inside of you that brings out the best in you and endows you with goodness and truthfulness in your heart. Being spiritual means you possess a desire to lead a meaningful life beyond the material norms of our world.

Belief in God ignites a Divine spark that He placed and purposely hid inside your soul. If you don’t believe in God, you won’t call this a Divine spark, but your spirituality must come from somewhere because not everyone is spiritual. My own personal belief is that it’s the same spark whether you believe in God’s spirituality or your own.

Regardless of belief system, being spiritual means that you don’t have to flaunt yourself and thrust your ego upon others. Others see the spirituality in you, almost immediately upon meeting you. There is no need for one-upmanship, and humility automatically and gradually replaces self-promotion as you advance on the spiritual road.

What is the common ground among all those who have adopted spirituality? Doing for others in addition to yourself is a prerequisite in any human ascent. You gain a sense of self worth

-2-

and feel good about yourself. However, there is more. Spirituality gives rise to an appreciation and gratefulness for life’s gifts and the beauty of nature that surrounds us. There is a respect for all human beings providing they have a mutual respect for you, no matter their station in life.

On being spiritual will help you gain entrance into a second Garden of Eden, the Messianic Age, prophesied to come at the End of Days. Spirituality is the first step to being happy as it affords you the opportunity to create your own happiness. Therapy can offer inner peace but only if it is accompanied by spirituality.

If you can get all of the above without God, why do you need God? Take two persons of equal spirituality, one a humanist and the other a believer in the Divine. What’s the difference?  A biblical commentator wrote, “God offers fragrance to all but His wine is reserved for those who are righteous and wish to be guided by Him.”

The wine means that you can expect and even demand God’s help. If you don’t believe, why would you ask for God’s help, never mind expect it? The wine allows you to receive Ruach Hakodesh, a kind of Holy Wind.  From the wisdom of King Solomon in the Book of Proverbs, Ruach Hakodesh is granted to individuals who are using their own efforts and intelligence and receive Divine help, guidance, and inspiration in order to enhance their accomplishment in furthering the Divine plan for humankind.

-3-

When you are spiritual, you ought not let your spiritual passion exceed your earthly common sense. You need do for yourself as God helps those who help themselves. Some time ago, I said to a doctor that I was leaving my fate to God when I didn’t want to follow his instructions. He looked me squarely in the eye and said, “You do realize Jerry that God made doctors for a reason.” I knew then and there that the time to ask for help is after you have exhausted all other avenues. That’s the time to lay the problem at God’s “Feet.” We also learn from King Solomon that the wise man seeks counsel.

Faith in God helps you on your spiritual journey because if God recognizes your efforts at righteousness, He is there with you assisting you as you slide backwards. Acting righteously means that your non-moral outcomes are determined by your moral decisions.

Belief in God does have one pitfall. You may, as Mother Theresa did, have doubt during your lifetime in your faith, especially  when you see inactivity from God despite your constant prayers. One spiritual experience can transform all of this doubt and convert your uncertainty into certainty and unshakable faith. In the Bible, Moses in apparent disagreement asks God why He did what He did. God responds, I shall show mercy and kindness to whomever I please, even to a sinner who is undeserving. I know from personal experience because I am that sinner.

-4-

Unshakable faith also means that not only God can but God will; for example, in curing you of a doctor pronounced terminal illness. The tense of the verb is a progression up the spiritual ladder.

A final thought has to do with wisdom. It is thought that our intellectual capacity utilizes only up to 5 percent of our brain. Wisdom on the other hand allows you to tap into the remaining 95 percent. We have only our human brains to work with, but over time our human brains are filled with all sorts of creative and wise thoughts as we pursue an understanding of the Divine.

Wisdom is not intelligence. Nor is it street smarts. In the Bible, Job said it best, “Days speak and a multitude of years teach wisdom.” Wisdom comes from the spirituality of the soul and the soul resides in the brain as well as the heart.

God has given us the gift of free will. We need to use the gift wisely. Practicing any type of spirituality is better than doing nothing. Remember, God sees all and is watching.