Religion versus Spirituality

Being here, an ocean away from the distractions of home and focusing so much on God and Christianity, questions about my own faith are being raised constantly. Here are some thoughts on this subject.

Ready for a bombshell? I consider myself far more religious than I do spiritual. Now I know it is much more fashionable for evangelicals to say they are spiritual and that they hate the word religion but hopefully I can shed light on why I am the opposite and maybe even put forward an argument on why being religious is better for me than being spiritual.

Christians often use the following phrases: “God told me to do this”, “I am waiting for God’s call in my life”
I never use this language because I would be lying if I did. God has never spoken to me in a literal sense or even a more figurative sense, such as a dream or a vision. I can see the many blessings God has given me in my life and I can see how God has led me to this point (see the first entry of my blog) but he does not speak to me in the spiritual sense. Many Christians say “I’m waiting for God’s call in my life” and too often it seems like it ends up being a cop-out in order to continue the status-quo.
Honestly if I waited for God’s call in my life to do something I would have done nothing up to this point in my life. I did not decide to apply and go to South Africa because God spoke to me. I came because it was the best opportunity that was put before me and because I have always wanted to go to Africa and because it was the right thing as a Christian to do.

I am more religious than spiritual. I go to church weekly on my own volition. I read the Bible more or less daily. Rather than have devotions I read straight-through the Bible chapter by chapter. I am almost completed reading the Bible for the second time in this manner. I have studied apologetics thoroughly and excessively. I pray daily and while it has become more spiritual here, it is still something I am not great at. I know Christianity, I know its doctrines and I know why I believe them. Overall, Christianity is as intellectual for me as it is spiritual, if not more so. I do not say this to point out that I am better than anyone (I'm not) but to show how being religious more than spiritual has worked for me.

The other day a fellow intern announced to us that she was going to do a two-week fast from TV, non-worship music, and food. She is doing this because she prayed and God told her to do this fast and during it God would tell him the vision she had for her. Let me be clear, I have no doubt that God spoke to her and this fast is completely genuine. As my friend, I hope God blesses her experience and I look forward to hearing about how God spoke to her during the next two weeks. I believe and am glad for all the spirituality in Christians today, but this is not me at least not at the moment.

In today’s pluralistic Western culture many Christians are trying to win people to Christ by saying it’s not religion it’s a relationship, it’s spiritual. That is all well and good but I think we must tread carefully. Christianity unmoored from its Biblical, historical, doctrinal truths can quickly become little more than glorified New Age feel-good mysticism. (There are examples of mysticism in the Bible, including certain visions, but I mention it here with its negative, non-Christian connotation).

I do not write this to make everyone more religious. I write this because Christianity is so rich, so wonderful, and so true, that it can speak to everyone. It can speak to me as an excessively logical, educated, western American and it can speak to the poor Indian Hindu child who has never owned a thing in his life and it can speak to the formerly New Age pagan who used to believe that everything was spirit. Christianity is the great truth of our existence and I would feel greatly saddened if it was restricted to only one understanding of it.

May God Bless you as you discover how Christianity and its truth is meaningful for you.