“Your soul stretches far beyond who people perceive you to be and who you pretend to be. Beyond the veneer of religious performance, who you are eventually surfaces, and when that happens it can often be the most painful experience in your life. But for those courageous enough to be authentic with God, it can be the most liberating experience to realize how God sees us.”- Heath Adamson
“I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”- Third John 2
In Chapter 3 (“God Welcomes You . . . Wherever You Are”) of The Sacred Chase, Heath Adamson notes that you may not struggle with spiritual apathy. Nor with applying what you believe. However, you may need to develop greater understanding of who you are deep down inside. Furthermore, Heath addresses a basic flaw in our human condition:
” . . . a fundamental flaw in the human condition: we can fail to care for our own soul even when we care for others or outwardly appear successful. Coming to God, and accepting the free gift of salvation is no different. When we do so we can also forget to care for our soul. It doesn’t take long for this reality to emerge. . . . It feels dangerous to become vulnerable and deal with what’s there. But this isn’t nearly as dangerous as ignoring or pretending it isn’t there. Either our previous experience will shape the expectations we have of our future or God’s character and audacious love for us will.”
The condition of your soul literally influences the way you view God, your life, your past, and your current reality. In addition, your soul’s condition affects how you interpret Scripture as well as the shape of your future.
The awareness of your soul’s condition provides clues. Clues as to where you need to begin setting aside those things that block your sacred trust.
Today’s question: What most helps you penetrate the veneer of religious performance? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Relevance as an excuse to compromise?”
