Let's get real!

Recently a client recorded as one of his treatment goals, “I want to figure out what God is to me.” While it is true that this is an out of the ordinary goal vis-à-vis a substance abuse treatment plan, I find that he selected it nothing less than extraordinary. 

            For anyone to seek something or someone, they must first determine that what they have or who they have is somehow insufficient.  Moreover, from ‘ground zero’ as it relates to things spiritual or religious, someone seeking must be open to the reality that what they will discover may well be an “it” rather than a “who”.

            Truly spiritual men and women know their path has been littered with struggle – pain, suffering, and error have been their teachers.  You see, spirituality should never be confused with religion.  The term spirituality involves finding meaning and purpose in one’s life and experiences. It encompasses a person’s philosophy of life and world view. Spirituality, then, refers to our inner belief system.  Conversely, religion refers to the externals of our belief system and has to do with such things as church, prayers, traditions, rites, rituals, and etcetera.  Religion is the frame – spirituality is that which is contained inside the frame.

            I’m thinking it is this misunderstanding of the unique character of each of the aforementioned that leads so many Christians to abandon church attendance altogether.  Whenever one embraces the church (religion) so as to provide meaning and purpose for their lives (something it can never do), they will inevitably leave the same, feeling let down and unfulfilled – normally these misguided souls will seek and attend several different churches before ultimately believing they are ‘better off’ to stay home. 

Tragically, from the hallowed vantage point of their home, these misdirected individuals find they still battle emptiness – only now they can’t blame the church! Truth be told, the difficulty – the REAL difficulty – was their futile attempt to make the “context” of church replace a personal and feeble sense of spirituality. Sound familiar? It should.  It happens far too often!

Perhaps we should each take some time and ponder my client’s treatment goal.  Can you strip away or at least peal back the religious jargon and ritual long enough to stand before a mirror and proclaim, “I want to figure out what God is to me.”?