Saturday, June 13
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.
—1 Corinthians 2:12
Becoming " spiritual" is now something we are aware of and are striving for. With self-help techniques, we are told we can touch our true nature, communicate with the Holy One, overcome guilt and shame, and become a spiritual person.
While self-help techniques are beneficial in many ways in our lives, when it comes to becoming spiritual, they miss the point. We don't need to try to become spiritual. We already are spiritual!
What makes us spiritual is being filled with the Spirit of God. We don't need to travel on a lifelong expedition in search of becoming spiritual. We need only respond to the Spirit that is already within us—already in our DNA, so to speak.
The response that we are invited to give is simple, really. We are asked to be still and aware of the movement of that Spirit within us. We are asked to listen with the beat of our heart, rather than merely the thoughts of our mind. We are asked to open up in order to breathe fully the holy air.
We are asked to whisper to heaven the longings and yearnings that nudge our soul. In the end, the gifts of being spiritual are understood not through techniques that we learn from a manual, but through the very Spirit that is already in us.
Gracious God, thank you for breathing your Spirit in me and for giving me spiritual gifts. Help me be still and listen to the movement of that Spirit so that I open up to the breath of heaven.
