There are a number of challenging messages we hear on a regular basis that make living a Jesus-centered way of life very difficult. Last Sunday I shared a message in our (Restoration Church) Vision Gathering, entitled, “Recreating: Cultivating Contemplative Spirituality.” HERE is the audio.
Challenges to living a Jesus-centered way of life include…
- Happiness is found in having things (luxury lifestyle = happy)
- Get all you can for yourself, as quickly as you can
- Security is found in money, power, status, and good health
- Seek all the pleasure, convenience, and comfort you can
- God is irrelevant to everyday life
- There are no moral absolutes
- You’re not responsible for anyone but yourself
- Life on earth is all there is, YOLO!
No wonder it’s SO difficult to follow Jesus… isn’t it!
Do you know what commandment out of the ten God said the most about and was most specific? Hint, it’s #4
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Ex 20: 8-11)
God designed us to work hard. But also to RECREATE! Recreating is our application of the Sabbath principle.
Recreating our spiritual health.
Spiritual health doesn’t come quickly or easily. There’s no magic pill (oh how I wish there was!).
It’s the combination of emotional health and contemplative spirituality that I believe will UNLEASH us to live the ABUNDANT LIFE Jesus promises us (See John 10:10 and my message on Emotional Health HERE for more)! In fact, when Jesus was asked, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment.” His answer tied emotional health and contemplative spirituality together…
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matt 22:37-40)
Loving God involves emotional health in that we become self-aware enough to love well. Being self-aware helps me acknowledge that I am not God, God is God; He is great, I am weak and in need. Therefore I love Him in response.
Contemplative spirituality gives me the tools to slow down enough to cultivate my relationship with Jesus, so that I can love my neighbor as myself. Much of the information on contemplative spirituality comes from Pete Scazzero and his book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. I HIGHLY recommend this as a key resource for developing and deepening spiritual formation.
Contemplation is not just about God. Our love for God and others are really two sides to the same coin. Genuinely loving God always results in genuinely loving others. In fact, in Gal 5:14 the Apostle Paul said, “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Three GIFTS we receive via contemplative spirituality
1. The GIFT of SLOWING DOWN
We are often too busy for the kind of reflection needed to sustain a life of love with God and others.
Contemplative spirituality calls us to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n enough to pay attention to God. It’s about being with God above all things. We create continuity and growing familiarity w/God’s presence in our daily lives!
2. The GIFT of ANCHORING in God’s love
“Christianity is not about our disciplined pursuit of God, but about God’s relentless pursuit of us-to the point of dying on a cross for us that we might become His friends.” ~Pete Scazzero
Contemplative spirituality helps us anchor in God’s love through the day — talking to Him, listening to Him, being with Him!
3. The GIFT of BREAKING FREE from illusions
The world is FULL of illusions! We convince ourselves that we can’t live without certain pleasures/things, accomplishments, and relationships. We get addicted! Think PHONES! We end up wanting and needing more and more and more and more!
Contemplative spirituality gives us perspective on the limits of all of these illusions. It grounds us in REALITY, in God!
- I won’t live forever, but with God…
- I don’t have to have that…, but I have to have God…
- I’m ok with my weaknesses and failures, because God accepts and loves me and designed me to need Him…
Contemplative spirituality boils down to this: slowing down to BE WITH GOD! It is about creating space through contemplative practices.
Four contemplative practices you can implement this week
1. Stop
2-5 times a day, call it QT, devo, office, time w/God, whatever.
The essence of stopping is BEING w/God, and trusting that He is on the throne as God, He rules, I don’t. Stop, pause, give up control and trust God to rule His world w/out me!
2. Center
Be still and know that I am God (Psa 46:10)
Spend a few minutes centering down, let go of tensions and distractions, rest in God and His love.
Pay attention to your posture, be still, breathe deeply, close eyes or settle them to be undistracted.
3. Sit in Silence
This is the most challenging and least practiced rhythms (not to mention awkward feeling! Sit in silence recently?)
Silence allows us to quiet every inner and outer voice so we can be with and hear the voice of God.
4. Read Scripture
Read the Psalms… a lot! Second most quoted book of the bible by Jesus to Isaiah.
Read the Gospels, get intimately familiar with the life, words, and works of Jesus.
If it helps, do it! If it doesn’t help, don’t do it (listening to music, journaling, walking, etc.). Let God and His Spirit guide you!
CONCLUSION
Join me this week and beyond as I deepen my roots in contemplative spirituality.
REMEMBER: this is not about trying to be more spiritual. It’s about spending more time with God, dwelling more deeply in His presence, and being more aware of His greatness and love.