So back to The Congruent Life after a brief hiatus. Thompson’s view that you need to get all the areas of your life in order depends upon being aware of your spiritual life. Your actions in the business world and in the “church” world (and all your other “worlds”) need to be congruent–that is, go in the same direction. Don’t have a set of ethics for business and a different one for home. Ethics must come from your spiritual life.
So, what is your spiritual life? Thompson’s research and reflections on his own development, bring him to a definition that most people experience the Spirit as “a search or a stirring within.” Have you ever had that deep feeling that compelled you to do something? You just had to learn more about a topic? You just had to find a way to experience God more deeply? This is a stirring. I think that we neglect to teach people to be sensitive to this stirring in our haste to make sure that they repeat the correct words. The first thing you must do to cultivate the Spirit is to be quiet and listen. It’s OK if part of your prayer time is given over to asking God to help yourself and others. But it is crucial to your development that you take part of that time and just be quiet. If you get an unsettling feeling that something needs attention, stop and contemplate that feeling. See if the Spirit is leading you somewhere deeper. It will probably send you off to study for a while. The process may last for a day, or it may last for months. Mother Teresa experienced Jesus talking to her, then spent her entire life figuring out all the implications all the while doing the work that He suggested. This listening and study become the foundation for an ethical and congruent life.
Some people are worried about the form of listening. Is there a particular posture? Do you need background music or to chant something? If you are my age, you remember when the Beatles went to India and discovered the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Transcendental Meditation was suddenly everywhere with its chants and mantras. Maybe that’s a fond memory, but don’t let that corrupt your thinking. If you like meditative music, then by all means play it if it helps focus your mind. In fact, you don’t even need to sit. You can contemplate the Spirit while walking, or even running on the treadmill at the Y. I know of a man who wakes up at 2:30 in the morning and lays in bed on his back and contemplates for hours before he gets up. Which leads to a good point. Setting aside a particular time for God every day is a good habit. You’ll find that you’re ready to listen after a few days. Another thing, a smart person once gave the teaching, “Try, easy.” You try by setting aside the time. But don’t force anything. You simply quiet your mind and listen. Let the Spirit lead you. You’ll know.
Gary Mintchell
Tags: Christianity, religion, spirit
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