What does the spiritual life include?

Answer 1

In it's purist manifestation the Christian spiritual life is active participation in an emotionally intimate relationship with Jesus Christ; and it begins like any other friendship. You hear a rumor, by whatever means, that this Christ-person somehow cares about, and is genuinely interested in you. So, partially out of curiosity and partially out of a vague sense of something good you once knew which has now become increasingly unfamiliar (perhaps hope?), you ask Him who He is, and if it is true that He cares. God promises in The Bible that He will answer and embrace anyone who sincerely seeks Him. A wonderful thing about this unique conversation is that once it begins, it never ends unless we chose to end it. And the better you come to know Him, through ongoing conversation with Him (about everything!), through reading fundamental, doctrinally sound literature (books that are based on fundamental biblical beliefs), and by engaging other Christians in relationship (to explore the wonders of God, their experiences with Him, and the Bible), the easier it is to believe that this awesome, all- powerful God really does care about being connected with you. So great is this caring, you discover, that when mankind rebelled against God, He took the death sentence that sin against God carried and died in mankind's place. The Spiritual life is a beautiful by-product of the process of engaging this Marvelous Love.

Little by little you want to turn your back on rebellion against Jesus and just start to want to get the junk out of your life. He gives you the direction and inner resources to begin to do so. After hanging out with Jesus you can't help but want to treat others with more compassion. You want to help others. You find that you begin to see and celebrate Christ's hand in your life meeting your need and you also begin to see how He's been with you all along. Recognition of the most simple sacred, the beauty of His creation nurtures and refreshes your soul. You begin to experience answers to your prayer, God's love and purpose in your life. Its not that once you begin experiencing fellowship with Christ all your life circumstances become perfect. It's that you begin to see life differently. We, in our great "scientific advances," now understand in the way the mind works that the attitudes we nurture in our thoughts control the way we feel (physically and emotionally)and then the way we act. Engaging in a committed, moment-to-moment relationship with Jesus Christ eventually changes the way you think all the way around. When you realize how much you are loved by God, you are not so easily offended by people. When you become rooted in His stability you just aren't so easily shaken. When you see how valuable you are to Him, how unique you are, you realize also that He made you, YOU, for a divine purpose and a good destiny. Trust begins to form and it becomes easier to believe that His promises, written in His Word (the Bible), were written for you. That's faith, and you get more and more of it the longer you walk and talk with Him. Best of all is the exquisite beauty of the fact that by beginning that conversation you began to walk out The Spiritual Life.