Integration

True spirituality is about wholeness and growth in every area of your life. That is what makes God God. God is wHoly, Complete and fully perfect. Now I don't know any person who I can describe with these adjectives, however we re made in God's image. We definitely have the potential to grow and transcend from the point of where we are.

True spirituality is about just this. Growth and integration of every part of our person hood. Spiritually, physical, emotional, intellectual and even sexuality. True health is about balance.

I know many people(including the one typing this blog) who are healthy and doing well in some areas of their lives, but true wholeness and spirituality touches each of these areas. Spirituality is the part of us that ties all of our other parts (emotional, physical, intellectual etc.) together. Our life emanates from our center or spirit. That is why true spirituality is the source of healthy growth in every area of our life. Any practice that causes us to grow and expand into more whole and healthy people is a spiritual practice.

Sometimes religion has been a source of devaluing a part of us or labeling some part as nonspiritual when in fact this is not possible. For instance religion has many times labeled the physical body or sexuality as less than the other parts of who a are. When the truth is we cannot separate, but instead need to integrate all of who we are so that we can be whole and truly healthy.

A person's faith, beliefs and practices should encourage and promote growth. This is why we should regularly evaluate and ask questions of what we believe. Even doubt can be a spiritual practice if it leads to growth.

In the past my faith or beliefs caused shame, fear and even guilt. This did not lead to growth but instead caused me to be stunted in growth and even unhealthy. The greatest blessing in my life came when I realized that my beliefs did not stand up to the challenges in my life and this was not a failure on God's part but a failure on my beliefs and understanding of God.

Today I have more wholeness and peace in my life than ever. I still have a long way to grow, but I am growing into that man that I see in Christ.