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How To Build Your Spirituality
Contributed by Brian Atwood on Dec 23, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: How to be more spiritual.
1. Give something away regularly. (Acts 20:35)
Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
No one practiced this precept more than Jesus.
You may give something material or you may give someone a compliment, a "thank you", a card, a phone call; but when you give, Jesus said you receive a blessing.
You are blessed because, among other reasons, your spiritual muscles grow.
If we’re not careful we can become greedy. That’s why the Bible says, "The love of money is the root of all evil." (1 Timothy 6:10)
But our greed can be not only with our material possessions but also with our time and our abilities.
It has also been said, "Measure wealth not by the riches you have, but by the things you have for which you would not take money." (Anonymous)
2. Live more for others, less for your self.
In Philippians chapter one, the Bible lays out the great quality of selfessness exemplified by Jesus. He is our benchmark.
You might think you don’t have anything to give in comparison to Christ. But you can help someone excel in their work. You can look out for the advancement of others. You can guard against the sin of envy by praising others for their achievements.
You can think less of yourself at home. You don’t always have to prove you are right. You can say, "I’m sorry." You can forgive.
3. Invest more in heaven than in retirement.
Jesus said, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." (Matthew 6:20)
Jesus said, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matthew 6:34)
Jesus is not telling us not to plan. He’s telling us not to worry about our future. Plan for the future state of your financial affairs, but don’t worry about them.
Concern yourself more with the treasures you are storing in heaven.
4. Watch less TV, read more Scripture.
Psalm 1:1 - Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
1:4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
1:5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
1:6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
5. Make Sunday a day of worship and rest.
Don’t try to out think God. He rested and He told you and me to rest. We are not smarter or stronger than God.
Don’t try to play Spiritual Superman or Superwoman by doing everything on Sunday.
How ironic that churches often take away the opportunity for Sunday to be a day of rest by a long list of meetings to attend on the Lord’s Day.