Welcome to Two Covenants Ministries
We tend to reflect the atmosphere in which we live. What do I mean by that? We are all impacted by the circumstances of our daily experience. It may be trouble at home or a general frustration with the way things are going in our lives, or in the world. Others are buoyed by positive things, a good job or relationship. This, however, places us at the whim of chance, we can loose our job, or our partner can become sick or decide to leave. No one can guarantee good things in their lives. There is always something negative to darken our skies.
Is there a way of rising above a circumstantially driven life? Yes there is. We can connect to a spiritual atmosphere that transcends our circumstances. What does that mean? I like the way CS Lewis puts it. "Good things as well as bad, you know, are caught by a kind of infection. If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to … the thing that has them. They are not a sort of prize which God could, if He chose, just hand out to anyone. They are a great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very center of reality. If you are close to it, the spray will wet you: if you are not, you will remain dry." We need to connect with the spiritual world in a way that causes us to be infected by that atmosphere of love and support. How do we do that? (Biblical support)
At its core healthy spirituality is best described as a perfect healing relationship with God where we are changed as we experience His support, compassion and love - His grace. God meets us where we are. We don't HAVE TO change. In fact, healthy change can't come until we begin to connect with God according to the principles of grace. We then begin to reflect the qualities we experience in that relationship. Christian spirituality is not something you simply do, it's something you experience. (see Characteristics of Grace).
If we are to grow spiritually we need to loose ourselves from two serious impediments to spiritual growth. The first is our natural moral perspective and the second, our tendency to believe that changing our circumstances is the answer to our happiness.
Our conscience often frustrates our spiritual growth. We have a natural tendency to judge ourselves and others. We are a "tree of the knowledge of good and evil," so to speak. This pushes and prods us from the outside, rather than feeding us on the inside with love, support, understanding and compassion, the appropriate motivators of good behavior.
So how do we deal with this moral policeman? We must first see its flawed nature. We won't seek an alternative if we believe that goodness and growth comes simply by complying with our conscience and doing the right thing. (see The Covenants)
Interestingly, this flawed morality can be a catalyst to moving us in the right direction. As we see our conscience condemning, badgering, and prodding us, we can ask the question, how would love relate to me in contrast? This turns our attention from ourselves and our internal judge to the qualities of God's grace. It is grace that truly changes us. Our conscience provides the incentive to make grace a subject of our thoughts, providing a light for our lives.
Then there is the issue of our circumstances. A great Indian philosopher once shared the secret of his spirituality. His simply said, "I don't mind what happens." Christianity adds to that the foundation for that perspective. It states that God is working in everything for our good. Acceptance, being able to live peacefully with the negative as well as the positive circumstance of our lives, is a significant part of healthy spirituality. If we believe that God is working in everything, to bless us, it changes our perspective. We can have a positive outlook in all our circumstances.
Finally, if we can live in this spiritual atmosphere of grace rather than under our normally judgmental morality, it inspires our lives. We will naturally begin to reflect that light. If we take that to the next step, letting it shine on our circumstances, it leads us to a peaceful acceptance. We can trust God with our lives. If these two qualities are working in our lives, you have the foundation for love, the fruit of trusting in God's grace. Now, when you have the opportunity, simply share the qualities you experience. This fills out a positive perspective on life. We experience love, then share the love we experience.
The secular world is disconnected from God and spirituality. It tends to be driven by fear, sensuality, materialism, or ego issues. These are self-destructive. They are darkness. I hope you choose to walk in the light.
Copyright, Patrick Fagenstrom, 4/2010
