Don’t be a Monk

Have you ever been to a spiritual retreat or conference, and felt so connected with God, then had to come back to the real world? You may have felt like it was a complete letdown and been frustrated. You might have even thought, “Life would be so much simpler if I didn’t have to deal with people and just spend my time with God.”

That’s the point of people who join monasteries in different religions all over the world. It’s easy to be pious and holy when you shut the world out, but the hard path is to live as Jesus wants us to when we deal with life’s struggles. However, Jesus did make a habit of getting away and spending time alone in prayer.

“But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” –Luke 5:15-16 NLT

Spirituality doesn’t have a right or wrong way to look. “Prayer without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) doesn’t mean being on your knees 24/7 and never thinking of anything else. It means to go about your entire day being aware of God’s presence and seeking his guidance in everything you do. This is just one example of a spiritual characteristic.

"Is there a spirituality for the rest of us who are not secluded in a monastery, who don’t have it all together and probably never will?" (Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli. p. 21)

What if being spiritual means living out our daily journey, doing our best, and admitting when we mess up? That seems to be what we often witness with Jesus and Peter, and he turned out to be one of the primary church leaders in the New Testament.

This process also works better if you do it in groups. If you don’t have a group of people to grow spiritually with, let us help connect you.