Religious, Spiritual, Relational or Seeking

10/6/2015

I just returned from a Life Coaching conference and while on the plane I was listening to and engaged with praise and worship music while reading A.W. Tozer's This World: Playground or Battlefield. I am a fan of Tozer and was enjoying a re-read of the book. The man in front of the guy next to me almost collapsed the guys tray trying to rearrange his seat and was apologizing to the man beside me but that man could not hear him. I removed my earbuds to relay the message. As I was going to put my earbuds back on the man sitting next to me said, "Can I ask you to tell me about the book you are reading?"

I gave a synopsis of who A.W. Tozer was and the the explanation for the title. He had some great questions which lengthened the conversation to our destination point. One of the things he asked me to do was define " what it is to be religious verses spiritual."

I responded saying, " to me being religious is following the rules of an institution and thinking that by following them they secure your salvation and /or your relationship with God. It is by the doing of these rules one thinks God loves and blesses them. As for being spiritual it is man determining the state of connection to a place/thing/being where they are attempting to minister to their soul and mind." He then asked, "Which one are you?" My reply,

"Neither." He was shocked. I then responded to him saying, " I am relational - I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ." He asked, Is this for all people?" Me, "Absolutely!" He asked,

"So do you think you can force this on others?" My response,

"FORCE, no God does not force Himself on others and neither do I. He gives us the freedom to choose Him! "

"But God wants us?" he questioned.

"Do you have children?"

"Yes" he replied, "two boys."

"Well if one of your children walked away from you how would you feel?"

"I would be sad and upset," he said.

"So would you force yourself on them?" He said,

"no I wouldn't."

"Well in the same manner God our Father does not force himself on His children but just as you would long for that relationship with your boy God longs to have a relationship with each of us."

By the expression on His face I could tell He saw the heart of our Father with fresh eyes. I told him how blessed I was by our encounter and that if He truly sought the One True God He would find Him. He asked if he could give me his name and did so now I offer him and his household to God to bring him home into the family. If you were to evaluate yourself which are you: religious, spiritual, relational or seeking? Love to you all as God continues to use us and strengthen us for His glory!