Many people lately are looking at the issue of faith. Perhaps this is because the world around us is stressful, whether it’s politics or some war in the world, or some emotional or personal financial issue. Many people I know are concerned about sick or dying parents.
Especially since the financial collapse ten years ago, and the realization that the material world can no longer be depended on to provide satisfaction for internal needs, many people have re-prioritized what’s important in their lives. Some people are doing more internal searching for whatever reason, because they want spirituality to be a part of their grounding.
They want spirituality to be a part of their grounding.
This has been an interesting question for me because even after I became a minister I did not consider myself to be a particularly spiritual person. It was just a title. I had a religious background, but I didn’t consider that to be the same thing, plus I thought I had left that behind. Defining myself as a minister has been an ongoing process.
But I have found that spiritual connection and faith are like a lot of things in life – they take attention, and even consistent attention, especially in stressful times. The stress takes the form of doubt and worry and seems to take over everything. Then that becomes our reality, and we give it seniority. So we have to push it aside and develop another habit of attention to spiritual connection and develop faith in faith.
We all know athletes who have achieved excellence, such as LeBron James in basketball or the Williams sisters in tennis. I’m sure you can think of musicians whom you admire or enjoy who are great with what they do. You can think of writers or even mothers or fathers or chefs, or computer programmers.
Sometimes those with average talent surpass those with exceptional talent…
Most people assume that these people have tremendous talent, and that’s why they’re successful. Some do have talent. But sometimes those with average talent surpass those with exceptional talent, because they have paid consistent attention to their field – like one pianist practicing more than another or one basketball player practicing free throws more than everyone else on the team, or whatever else it takes. We’ve all heard of the 10-year overnight sensation. Those folks regularly do unspectacular, mundane things that people on the outside don’t see. Even those with talent need to do those things.
Many people worry that if they commit to something, or discipline themselves, that they will lose their “freedom”. “Freedom”, as defined by most people, usually means to not be or feel restrained in any way. This allows them the opportunity to follow their personal desires and dreams. People don’t want to feel that they have any limits imposed on them.
But if you want to have or achieve something, such as climbing a mountain or learning to play the piano, there are limits, such as disciplining oneself. A friend of mine was determined to not only go to Machu Pichu, but to climb all the way to the top, which was a 2-day very strenuous climb, which included steep stairs built out of the mountainside 2000 years ago. She had to get herself in shape, which meant walking along hills and trails 1-2-3 hours per day, plus going to the gym. It took her 3-4 months to get in shape. In order to do what she wanted, she had to discipline herself to do what it took.
In order to do what she wanted, she had to discipline herself…
She did, and she did climb Machu Pichu. A friend who went with her had not done what it took to get in shape. She was unable to complete the climb, and some of the guides had to take her back down the mountain and put her on the train to get to the top.
A pianist has to study and practice many hours. If the pianist is not disciplined, he or she would not be a pianist. The untrained mountain climber is not free to climb Machu Pichu; the untrained pianist is not free to play Bach or Chopin. Discipline and attention free you to do, achieve or have what it is that you want.
The same thing is true with spiritual connection and communication. Learning to meditate, for example, is not something that just happens; it is an acquired skill, acquired through practice and attention. We need to practice, with some consistency, on a regular basis.
I’m currently teaching a Step 3 Graduate class on “How to Meditate (and Why)”. I’m discovering that many people in the class don’t really know how to meditate. Much of this is due to lack of practice, or very intermittent practice.
The same thing can happen for our faith. I’ve met people who have a one “born-again” experience, and boom! –they have faith! But I have to work harder than that, and I suspect you do too. In times when it seems that things aren’t going all that well, we need to practice that much more, practice having faith in our faith.
In times when it seems that things aren’t going all that well, we need to practice that much more…
My personal definition of what it means to be a minister has changed over the years. Initially I didn’t want to deal with it at all, and I didn’t as much as possible. But I realized over time that looking at “psychic” issues also meant looking at “spiritual” issues, and that this meant examining what my connection to God meant and what “faith” meant. And not only to examine or look at these issues, but to ask myself – How do I, or can I, apply this to my daily life?
How does this apply to my paying bills, or to something stressful going on, or to a relationship I have? How does it apply to sitting in traffic or waiting for a bus? How does it apply to the outside world, such as your job, how you intend to vote, what’s happening in politics, how to express yourself in the world, your political beliefs? How does it apply to you?
It’s important that we exercise our faith muscle, and to practice. We need to put attention on this issue of our God-connection, if it is important to us. We need to develop our faith, develop our spiritual connection. It doesn’t necessarily appear out of nowhere and hit us in the face or the heart. It is our habits and our own willingness to discipline ourselves and our practice that creates the grace in our lives.
Matt 9:29 says: “According to your faith it will be done to you.”
If faith is that powerful, it is worth developing.
As always, thanks for supporting Psychic Horizons & the Church of Natural Grace with your sustainable giving! It truly makes a difference, both for us and for you.
Best regards,
Rev. Laura Hopper
Originally published September 25, 2018
