Brother, this is sooo true! I fell prey to this as well. I finally woke up to that fact after my heart attack. It's been a slow process "deprogramming" myself, but I have backed away from a lot of things that most people would consider to be very spiritual activities and such. Why? I was burned out! Frankly, much of it was being done in my own strength.
QUOTE:"I have a friend that confessed to me recently that he spent so many years trying to be spiritual, that he forgot he was human and neglected that part of himself. I am not talking about fleshly. I am talking about being human. He projected this persona towards others and consequently no one thought he ever needed anything. As it turns out, he was very spiritual, but very lonely, too. Being spiritual, is being human and vulnerable and honest. There is a freedom in being in this place. When we stop being human, we stop being able to communicate with our fellow man, saved or unsaved."There is enough inspiration in this post to discuss in a completely different thread. I suggest, pilgrim, you do just this very thing... ginnyrose
_________________Sandra Miller
Hi Ginny, I would be happy to. Any ideas for a title?Thank you,Pilgrim
I went back and read the post referred to in your link. After rereading it I was inspired by a paragraph that does go with the thought you are sharing here. Here it is:QUOTE:"When he would feel depressed, I would say to him, Well then, be depressed. Then when he would accept and not fight or try to figure himself out, he experienced a great release. When we embrace our negatives, it takes the bite out of Satan's temptations. What we fight, fights us. But when we praise the Lord and accept ourselves as right and relax, the inner word from the Lord comes naturally and easily in us."
Hmmmm...just off the top of my head - "On Being Human". You used this phrase. You likely could come up with something better.
I was thinking of that, too, and maybe "Human Beings or Human Doings?"I grew up in a performance related home and religion and always felt like a "human doing". It is so nice to discover what a human being is. I may get around to it later today, Ginny. Thanks for your encouragement.Pilgrm
Thank you Ginnyrose for re-routing this bunny-trail off the main topic. But while we're on it, I may as well hop-on for a minute.-------What you are talking about Pilgrim is "walking in the flesh". Trying to 'do' things for GOD in one's own ability or power or initiative.Someone may read one of the posts on this topic so far, since you've started it and ask, "What should I do instead? Pop a can of beer, pull out a cigar and watch the game?" :)I'd like to contend that, the 'Biblical' view of "walking in the Spirit", is non-self-effort - not from our own understanding or you can call that - not leaning on our own understanding of what to do next.It's child-like dependence on the Voice of The Good Shepherd as Jesus described in John chpt 10.It's knowing that, in our flesh dwells NO GOOD thing. Good intentions are OK for Babes in Christ - but the mature in Him should understand that they should not lean upon their own understanding - that they need to trust Him to guide/lead them into all truth and for what to do from moment to moment - in All their 'ways' acknowledging Him, so that HE will "direct their paths". It's totally Freeing of 'self' to walk in this manner and come what may, as a result of following His leading - it's our reasonable service - as Paul, John and the rest had shown by 'their' lives.If it truly 'is' "Not us that live but Christ that lives within us and the life that we now live, we live by the faith of Him' ... then we could be BIBLICALLY *spiritual* [walking by the Spirit's leading - doing Biblically spiritual initiated things that He directs us to do], 24/7.It's nothing about us - and all about Him.So, again - what you've brought onto this thread is about 'walking in the flesh' - "autonomously" - doing what our "minds" dictate needs to be done ... and Not "walking in The Spirit".The Spirit 'can do' JESUS-JESUS-JESUS - 'Others-only-always', all day - every day - in other words - do what He would do if He were living inside us - having full reign of our brain.There is a Biblical "spiritual walk" that we aim to walk in for that 24/7 and His yoke 'is' easy and His Burden is light ... though every one of His Apostles didn't have an easy life or death at all. GOD Bless and thanks for moving onto your own trail :)
What you are talking about Pilgrim is "walking in the flesh". Trying to 'do' things for GOD in one's own ability or power or initiative.
"I have a friend that confessed to me recently that he spent so many years trying to be spiritual, that he forgot he was human and neglected that part of himself. I am not talking about fleshly. I am talking about being human.
As our discussion is also driveled onto MaryJane's thread - may as well reply to your post here as well."Being human" - OK - Who's our example of how to walk?He 'ate' when GOD told Him to.He 'slept' when GOD told Him to.EVERY single action and word was in complete obedience to The Father - FOR "others-only-always".He'd stay up all night to pray. Pray for what? He rested and ate when told to - so that He'd have strength to do the next thing that His Father wanted Him to do.He's the Only Example that we have.