Perceptions #200218

"Spiritual and Unspiritual"

by James Bailey

Have you ever noticed how easy it is for us humans to make distinctions that perhaps God does not make? One that comes to mind is the distinctions we make between what is "spiritual" and "un-spiritual." Many times we talk ourselves into the notion that to be "Spiritual" something must either have something to do with church, or just be done at church. We think that really "spiritual things" have to do with some earth turning soul winning project. Or we get the idea that projects or efforts that require a lot of physical work, somehow aren't spiritual.

I bring this all up because I think there are good hearted, warm spirited members of the church who are burdened down with a load of guilt because they can't find the time to "do what needs to be done" in their lives and then find time to "do something spiritual." While I admire people who are concerned with spiritual things, and I also appreciate those who are really getting things done "that need to be done" on a daily basis, maybe we could use a little breathing space.

Old Moses got up every morning for decades and tended sheep for someone else; he didn't know he was doing a spiritual work of being prepared to lead God's people. Jeremiah was just a young man doing his daily routine before God called him to deliver a really depressing message to Israel. Amos was tending sheep and trimming trees when God needed a raw-boned straight-shooter to talk to the "upper crust" of his day. Even Paul spent some time in Arabia before he did his very best work. Anybody want to argue that those people all saw more spiritual light in those days of "routine ness" as they looked back on them.

My point is, parents who go through the daily grind of getting kids to school well rested and well fed, are doing a spiritual work as you prepare them to be the best they can be as a child of God in later life. Sure we can see those things when it comes to having them in Sunday School, but don't discount the other either. The greatest spiritual work of folks with kids is "Christian Parenting." That person who offers someone a ride (to church or somewhere else) is doing a spiritual work. They are living out the example Jesus left for them. When projects inside God's family need to be done and require physical effort, those too are spiritual for they promote the ongoing effort of the church. Even that parent or grand-parent who works at a job all week and is tired, but they see to it they are in church, on-time, giving it everything they have - is a spiritual work. They are showing by their example that being a child of God, and being with the children of God, is an important thing in their life. You that that little "thing" you do, that you don't think matters very much? It does - God sees - and God will reward.

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