Personal and Spiritual Growth - Essay Example

Personal Growth Plan Personal and spiritual growth is worth and inseparable goal within the person’s life. It is a consistent path that lasts through the whole lifespan. There are many things to be discovered and many features to be developed. People have to care about own soul – and this care has to dominate over the mundane needs. One has to see the presence of God within all the things that happen. Gratitude within one’s heart is a consequence and prerequisite for the growth. People have to observe properly the heavenly connection with God and the earthly connections with other people – as serving people we serve God. Some people say God is not attainable through the organs of senses. Yet relation with God remains real. God reveals Himself through the people and the variety of events within lives of people. “Always a living Person is present, speaking, pleading, loving, working, and manifesting Himself whenever and wherever His people have the receptivity necessary to receive the manifestation” (Tozer, 2008). God is a person, who also has intimate relationships. Developing direct relationships on deep personal level is a proper aim for the person, devoted to Him. Every day I start with the meditation. I really go deep and enjoy prayer and the sense of overwhelming gratitude that streams from my heart. I really need to pray; I agree with the words “prayer is something we should do, even something we want to do, but it seems like a chasm stands between us and actually praying. We experience the agony of prayerlessness” (MacDonald, 2007). I meet other people with open heart and all the events I observe as those, sent by Him. I accept the daily challenges. Even if the life seems tough, I recognize all that is sent by God to challenge and improve me, thus I meet even seemingly bad events with gratitude. I honor Him for all the blessings and challenges he addresses to me. Devotional life seems to me not only to accept His presence in everything, but also remember this bliss is about relationships; this means not only to accept and gratify for what he gives but to serve as well. Every day has its opportunities to reveal the inner potential, own best virtues and creative force. Being a creator of own life and accepting responsibility for all own deeds and behaviors implies spirituality. This means understanding of own purpose, purpose of others and purpose of all the connections. All has its aim, its hidden and explicit meaning. There is a sense, a purpose of everything happening. All the simple things are touched by His bliss and intention. There are many ways to awake and enhance own spiritual being and connection with God. They may come from everywhere. This include readings, surrounding, all the events, music, art, meditation etc. I believe even communication with people who tend to have other religious beliefs also enriches realizing the roots of the sense. Person may find common features – they are observed through religious as well as origins of the world’s creation is showed with very look like features and aspects; just the shape differs. As for readings, I deeply enjoy biblical literature that helps to realize things and apply concept in the life. MacDonald distinguishes the private world into five parts, and he spends a few sections on each segment. In the first area, "Motivation," or inspiration, he asks the peruser to consider whether he/she "driven" or is "called" and gives scriptural illustrations for every kind of inspiration. Different areas include "Use of Time," "Wisdom and Knowledge," "Spiritual Strength," and "Restoration" (MacDonald, 2007). Another reading, which I am really impressed by is The pursuit of God by Tozer. This the objective after which Tozer is endeavoring, that we make God the Lord of our whole lives. Not simply the master of a certain minute to which we trait our salvation. Not simply to that hour or two a week we spend in chapel. Not simply to a circle of religion, aside from our work and our family and our pastimes. Maybe for Tozer the quest for God is to indwell our whole life and we are to keep on endeavoring to know of God as well as to experience him also. Very strong influence is brought by surrounding – community, close people, church community, friends, teachers etc. Direct example, I believe is the most powerful. Here I would like to share the words by Ortberg: “It is a mystical society because the search for deeper and more authentic experience, which has strongly characterized the under life of the corporate modern society, leads to the resurgence of religion – though not in this modern institutionalized forms. In the quest for authentic experiences, we see efforts to revitalize social being by a host of practices, methods, disciplines, and techniques that begin with the noninstitutional, informal educational work of changing the self, which leads finally to the recreation of historic social movements for collective transformation” (2002). As for the Spirit guidance, it appears unexpectedly to show what would be right. It is a kind of direct knowledge that omits thinking, doubts and reasoning. You just perceive things as they are. Being honest is very important. It is important to realize and address own misbehaviors – both physical and mental, spiritual deed. Even thoughts and feelings may be clean or polluted. All of them lead to God or away from Him. The neglects and problems I acknowledge within myself concern a piece of egoism, jealousy and vanity. Steps I would undertake to address the issue would concern providing proper place for God and personality; mainly all the aspects concern egoism, putting God in the center would help to decrease the amount of attention to self. Among the virtues to be developed I may also appeal to being humble, honest, don’t hold a grudge, avoid hypocrisy and do not judge others, as this God is eligible to do only; all have their presuppositions and reasons for doing something (“What Does the Bible Say About Christian Values and Christian Life?”). Forgiveness is another issue to be developed better. A viable model of discipleship considers what the last creation is expected to be. With the acknowledgment that we are on a persistent adventure in a procedure of blessing, it is imperative to consider what "completing great" resembles. In its decision, Conformed to His Image plots seven qualities of supporters who complete well:  “Intimacy with Christ…Fidelity in the spiritual disciplines…A biblical perspective on the circumstances of life…a teachable, responsive, humble, and obedient spirit…a clear sense of personal purpose and calling…healthy relationships with resourceful people…[and] ongoing ministry investment in the lives of others” (Boa, 2009). My relationships with God and surrounding community may me improved only on everyday basis: doing a couple of good things is not enough. To establish something valuable consistent and persistent steps are needed. Steps to remove negative aspects and enhance virtues would concern recognition of own little size within the universe and obedience to the eternal law. All the mundane would pass. Beauty, money, even dearest people. In this rather chaotic world apart from the God’s will and guidance there really few things to lean on – if they are. The steps I find tangible and realistic: first, trying to be aware and devote all the glory to God, not to own achievement. Then, acknowledging others’ freedom of feelings – each time I may meet with jealousy, I may recall the God’s will who created people to love each other, not to love him only but be happy and free. Finally, accomplishing own ideas and desires have to leave place for others, not to ruin their lives and opportunities in order just to treat own wishes. The pitfalls may show themselves when other people praise. That may cause vanity. Each time, I believe, when doing something worthy, it is important to remember it is the God’s will comes through us; it is merely not really our achievement. To me the step is to pray for the blessing of doing good according to His will every time I receive appraisal. As for jealousy, I should acknowledge people do not own other people. People may expect anything, still all of them are free. God gave the freedom of choice; it is not right to set border on other people. Responsibility and fidelity are features and duty accepted only voluntarily. No one can force another to conform the. As for egoism, needs and desires are not to be avoided but satisfied reasonably. It is important to remember other people have their wishes and aspirations as well; it is important to leave space and opportunities for them as well. I believe there are people who inspire me to follow my path. They are everywhere but mainly from the close surrounding and spiritual community. I believe their only presence will help me to keep on the right track, and of course, their example – they way they live and choose to act. The effect of presence really helps to stay and not to leave the idea. When surrounding people are full of compassion, honesty, bliss, it reduces the risk misbehave in any sphere – bodily, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Sometimes it is hard to define the specific measures when it comes to measuring success in the mental and spiritual sphere. It is not about numbers definitely. I suppose the only measure is the quality of life – both heavenly and earthly. It concerns relations with God, with people, observation of the Spirit within them, self-realization and amount of good brought to other people and, absolutely, the main identification tool is the state of consciousness – calm and blessed, and feeling everything is right – even in tough times. It is a king of feeling, wherever you go, you hold God’s hand in yours; and you have a purpose given by Him to accomplish and you realize the aims, purpose and outcomes. The outcomes of the spiritual discipline, which includes following steps and achievements as observation and contemplation of God’s presence everywhere and daily practice of meditation and prayer – and new steps like high awareness regarding self-gratification in any success, allowing people to have more freedom and seeing their interests will broaden the vision of the spirit. I believe such inner work was very useful for me. It helped to reveal the motives and recall what is really important. Following spiritual way, people may achieve something great and to stop, dropped into vanity of own superiority. This is a very tricky pitfall. Achieving some kind of deep spiritual knowledge and experience, people have be humble and share it with others with patience if they do not understand it. All the achievements have to be applied and shared for those who are ready to hear. People have to aim to prepare others to listen. References Boa, K. D. (2009). Conformed to his image. Zondervan. MacDonald, G. (2007). Ordering your private world. Thomas Nelson Inc. Ortberg, J. (2002). The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Discipline for Ordinary People. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Tozer, A. W. (2008). The pursuit of God. Arc Manor LLC. Christianbiblereference.org. (2015). What Does the Bible Say About Christian Values and Christian Life?. Retrieved 29 June 2015, from http://www.christianbiblereference.org/faq_ChristianValues.htm Read More