In the light or enlightened?

So ever since we first heard about you we have kept on praying and asking God to help you understand what he wants you to do; asking him to make you wise about spiritual things; 10 and asking that the way you live will always please the Lord and honor him, so that you will always be doing good, kind things for others, while all the time you are learning to know God better and better. (Colossians 1:9-10 TLB)

Wise about spiritual things - would that describe you? There are lots and lots of "spiritual things" in our world today, ranging from "untapped healing centers" in one's own body to "noble truths" one may attain to on some level or plane of existence. Let me just say this - truth comes in one form - it is either fully truth or not! There is but one spiritual connection that matters - that of our spirit with the Spirit of God himself. Enlightenment, self-realization, and all these "untapped energies" aren't really going to do as much as that one connection known as the "grace connection"!

It is important to become wise when it comes to spiritual things - and the most important way to become wise is through connection with the one who created all things. We begin to recognize anything that falls short of absolute truth when we come to know the one who is absolute truth. The more we know truth, the less we fall for anything counter to truth (a counterfeit). Understanding comes not so much from opening our minds as it does in opening our hearts and submitting our wills to his teachings!

When truth is at the center of all we do, we find ourselves doing things that please and honor God the Father. We aren't as prone to want our own self-will to override his because we find it a joy to submit to him. Obedience is hard at times, because we do struggle with elements of self-will that challenge us on so many fronts. Yet, obedience becomes easier and easier the more of God's truth we get into our lives. It is a reciprocal relationship - truth enters, self-will settles down and becomes satisfied with the choices one makes in order to align with that truth.

The goal of all "spiritual" journeys is to know something better. I would challenge us to know "someone" better - not just "something". The closeness we have with Jesus is never going to measure up to any substitute spiritual pursuit. If we draw near to him, truth is near and within. We begin to find evidence of truth wherever we look. It isn't that we become "enlightened" as much as his light is within us. Just sayin!

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