Spiritual Shortcuts

I left dealing with spiritual shortcuts for last; however, our spirit is the most important aspect of our lives. If our spirits are inline, we are in great position to listen to God and work on our soul (Way of thinking, decision-making and emotions) and, our bodies. King David knew the vital importance of the spirit when he prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God,  And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (NASB)

This information is designed to affect the way we think so we be in divine position to make Godly decisions and enjoy better and more stable emotions such as peace and joy; not anxiety, anger, depression, etc.

Spiritual shortcuts are even more detrimental for us as humans. That is because our spirit is the inner most part of us. It is with our spirits that we do the most important and the deepest thing we can ever do as humans… worship God. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24 (NASB) Anything outside of worshipping God is idolatry; idolatry happens when our spirits are corrupted.

The spirit is the only part of us that is born again (John 3:3-6); therefore, it is the only part of us that that has the ability to voluntarily and willingly, after the born-again experience, cooperate with God. In Matthew 26:41 Jesus made a powerful statement that describes the essence of our spirits and our flesh as He stated “…The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

The flesh has no hope; it opposes the Spirit of God in us (Galatians 5:17). All we can do with the flesh is discipline her (First Corinthians 9:27). That is the reason why I made the statement in our previous article that, I do not pray for God to heal my diabetes, I pray for grace and discipline in my life to continue to embrace this lifestyle.  Just like taking care of our bodies requires work; the same principle applies to our spiritual life.

Jesus gave us the best example of how we should live our lives and the foundation of a righteous life. As we are able to clearly see all through the gospels Jesus was:

1. Committed to Intimacy with the Father through prayer. (Matthew 14:23)
2. Committed to the study of the Word. (Matthew 5:17-19)
3. Committed to sharing his life with others. Let me point out that true and authentic fellowship is not just a Sunday Service, is family, brothers and sisters who are a part of each other’s life, who are there for each other’s celebrations and are also there in the struggles and sufferings of life.
4. Committed to His Ministry. (Matthew 20:28)
5. Committed to discipleship. Our ultimate mandate, after worshipping God, is making disciples.
6. Committed to the fulfillment of Father’s will in His life. We can’t get so lost in everything else and lose our soul in the process. We are here to do God’s will and not our own. (Luke 22:42)

These six commitments are the foundation of our Christian duty. A conference, a book, a Christians TV or Radio Show, a retreat, etc. are all good things and great spiritual exercises. However, if at the end of the day, you are still 1) without intimacy with God, 2) you have no desire to study the Scriptures or know what God has to say, 2) you are still disconnected from the Body of Christ, 4) you are not ministering anywhere, not even making a living or depending on the government 5) you are not in position for someone to disciple you  and you are not making disciples and, lastly, 6) your lifestyle reflects that you are doing your will and not God’s, whatever external spiritual thing you are doing is not working because is just that… external; a sad attempt to shortcut the things of God.