Spiritual Pathways Part 1

In his book The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis wrote, “If all experienced God in the same way and returned Him an identical worship, the song of the Church triumphant would have no symphony, it would be played like an orchestra in which all instruments played the same note.” 

                We are his instruments. We each play a different part in the symphony of the Church triumphant. God, Who is wondrous and more unfathomable than any of us can imagine, created us as instruments to resound His glory. It would be small of us to think, then, that the way we connect with God individually is the best or only way to connect with God.

                The way we individually connect with God is called our Spiritual Pathway.  God knows us intimately and created us uniquely (Psalm 139)! John Ortberg* explains that a spiritual pathway has to do with the way we, individually, most naturally sense God’s presence and experience spiritual growth. All of have at least one pathway that comes easily to us. On the other hand, there are one or two pathways that come unnaturally to us, and require us to stretch beyond what comes naturally to pursue them. There is a freedom in identifying our unique spiritual pathways, and for the pathways that come unnaturally, there is a challenge to stretch beyond our comfort zones, to experience God in new and exciting ways.

                So, what are these Spiritual Pathways?

1.       The Intellectual Pathway. People who most identify with this pathway draw closer to God as they learn more about Him. Crises or spiritual challenges send you into an analytical mode, and you are typically a problem-solver.  You are in good company; the apostle Paul likely walked this pathway. The danger with the Intellectual Pathway  is that head knowledge may not become heart attitude.

2.       The Relational Pathway.  A person who walks the Relational Pathway finds an intimacy with God as they grow in relationships with other people. Small groups appeal to you, if  walk the Relational Pathway, because God speaks to you most through people. The apostle Peter, who was “BFF’s” with James and John, likely walked the Relational Pathway.  One strength of this pathway is that it leads, as Ortberg describes, to a relationally rich life because of the need to be a part of friendships and small groups that grow in depth and vulnerability. Dangers to be aware of with this pathway are superficiality, dependency on others, and worrying about what others think. Solitude may be a stretch for you to practice in your worship of the Lord.

3.       The Serving Pathway. If you are on the Serving Pathway, you experience the presence of God most tangibly by helping others. You feel His delight in you most when you are doing something, like stacking chairs, making coffee, decorating, etc… In the book of Acts (ch.9, verses 36-42), a woman named Tabitha (also known as Dorcas) was mentioned because she was always doing good and helping the poor. One way she helped was in dressmaking for widows. She used her hands-on skills to serve others. A danger to this pathway is that when you are not serving in church, you may feel distant from God, and you may begin to feel a temptation to think that God is present in your life ONLY when you are serving. Also, there is a danger in feeling resentment toward those who are NOT serving.

4.       The Worship Pathway.  If you are on this pathway, you have the natural gift for expression and celebration. Praise and adoration for the Lord make you feel filled with His presence. In contrast to intellectuals, who may be checking their watches during praise and worship music at church, you are filled with emotion, and long to say “Sing it again!” This expressiveness may not be a part of your daily conversation, but is most seen in your worship style. King David is a likely example of the Worship Pathway. He used music, poetry, dance, and prose to express worship of his Creator and Sustainer. Like David, you may need to worship in this way on a regular basis to feel God’s presence in your life. The danger in this pathway is that you may feel like judging others who are not as expressive.

We will introduce a few more pathways tomorrow, and discuss them in a special Sunday School hour this Sunday, October 20^th. 

After reading so far, what do you think your pathway is?  How does this help you understand yourself?  How does it help you understand others? 

Prayer: Reflecting specifically on this devotional, write out a prayer to God.