How To Hone Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual gifts are, first and foremost, abilities or talents bestowed by God on individuals for the benefit of the Church as a whole (global or universal church). That is all there is to it.

All spiritual gifts, in my opinion, fall into one of two categories: physical or metaphysical.

God has given some people the ability to impart wisdom or insight into a problem, as well as the ability to perform good work, or chores for the Kingdom. And, while I don't believe God gives you just one gift, I do believe you have a primary gift that informs your other gifts.

For example, I know a brilliant educator who was clearly born with the ability to teach and give wisdom to others. He's been given a brain that absorbs information, synthesizes ideas flawlessly, and articulates new knowledge in a way that students can understand.

His principal skill is the capacity to synthesize facts for the purpose of teaching, but he also has a secondary gift for speaking. He's just as good at expressing his thoughts as he is at thinking.

I know what some of you are thinking: isn't some of that learned behavior? So it's not a gift; God didn't give him the talent to speak eloquently; he simply worked hard and became proficient on his own. And you could be correct, but let me ask you a question…

Do you believe God's gifts can be cultivated? Do you believe you can develop or hone your talent? Do you believe that God wants you to grow as a person through time? Do you consider yourself to be a work in progress?

My own conviction is that God gives us gifts, and it is our responsibility to hone those gifts, to grow and develop into something amazing, and I'll discuss how to achieve that later.

How do you hone in spirituality?

Adopting a contemplative practice, such as meditation, prayer, yoga, or journaling, has far-reaching consequences not only on spirituality, but also on physical and mental health.

• To have a contemplative experience with others, join a spiritual community such as a church, prayer group, or meditation facility.
• Eat thoughtfully, relishing and appreciating the food you're eating and avoiding distractions at meals.

How do I connect with myself spiritually?

When trying to put all eight aspects of wellness together, the spiritual aspect of wellness can be the most individualized piece of the puzzle. People, on the whole, like to live lives that have meaning and purpose. When these objectives are attained, it brings peace into one's life and the lives of those around them.

So, what are some things you may do to increase your spiritual well-being? It's best to experiment with several ways to see what works best for you. Spiritual wellbeing can be reached in a variety of ways, both physically and intellectually, because it involves one's values, beliefs, and purpose.

1. Examine your spiritual foundation. You are merely asking yourself questions about who you are and what you mean when you explore your spiritual essence. Consider the following question: “Who am I?” What is the point of my existence? What am I most passionate about? These questions will lead you down a path where you will think more deeply about yourself and recognize aspects of yourself that will assist you in achieving fulfillment.

2. Search for hidden meanings. Looking for deeper meanings and examining patterns in your life will help you realize that you have power over your future. Knowing this can help you live a happier and healthier life.

3. Get it off your chest. It will be easier to retain a concentrated mind if you express what is on your mind. You may feel befuddled and unable to make sense of your feelings after a long day or an important event. You may be able to think more clearly and move forward if you write down your thoughts.

4. Give yoga a shot. Yoga is a physical discipline that can help you achieve spiritual wellness by eliminating mental and physical stress. Yoga is taught at all levels and can help relieve anxiety, sadness, weariness, and sleeplessness as well as reducing stress, strengthen the immune system, and lower blood pressure.

5. Take a trip. Yes, it is correct! Taking time for yourself to travel to a familiar location or to a new location can do wonders for your mental health. You will have a greater connection with yourself when your mind is able to block out distractions and assist you in reflecting and resting. This allows you to eliminate stressors and retrain your mind to focus on total wellness. Exercising, visiting with a counselor or advisor, meditation, or taking a temporary vow of silence are all activities that can be done while on a trip.

6. Keep an optimistic attitude. You will find yourself thinking differently and shifting your mind to a happy, healthy place once you begin to view things in your life in a good light. You'll discover that you're more comfortable when you eliminate negativity and re-frame how you think about specific things and situations.

7. Set aside some time to meditate. While managing your time and everyday tasks can be difficult, it is critical to make time for yourself. Take five to ten minutes each day to meditate, whether it's first thing in the morning, during your lunch break, or right before bedtime. By incorporating meditation and relaxation into your daily routine, you will be able to clear your mind and strengthen your connection to your spiritual well-being.

Source: http://student-affairs.illinoisstate.edu/health-promotion-and-wellness/7-ways-improve-spiritual-wellness/

Can you be spiritual without religion?

Spirituality is a topic that is frequently discussed, but it is frequently misinterpreted. Many individuals confuse spirituality and religion, and as a result, they bring their religious ideas and prejudices into debates about spirituality. Although spiritualism is emphasized in many religions, you can be “spiritual” without being religious or a member of an organized religion.

What is an example of spiritual development?

Enlightenment is a result of spiritual progress, according to the view of spirituality offered here. It would be a mistake, however, to believe that the path to enlightenment is always linear or predictable, or that enlightenment is always complete. Many people describe their spiritual paths as having periods of crystal-clear illumination followed by periods of difficulty. But, in a manner that others who simply think about or aspire to enlightenment cannot, a person who has experienced total illumination, however brief, knows that enlightenment is a real possibility. The capacity to be deeply present without assumptions or judgments, as well as constant awareness of oneself as being pervaded by the ground of all being, are two key characteristics of enlightenment.

In 1944, Aldous Huxley published “The Perennial Philosophy,” in which he provided convincing evidence that the fundamental views on the nature of human spirituality held by the mystical strains of each major faith group, Eastern or Western, could be traced back to a common underlying set of understandings about the human spirit that originated thousands of years ago in India. Personal realities are always incomplete representations of spirituality, according to this viewpoint; intuitive, mystical connection with the ground of being is superior to simply thinking about the ground of being; the human spirit has a divine nature, and a person can come to identify with that universal Self rather than the personal ego; and the ultimate goal of spiritual development is to experience no separation from the ground of being.

As a result, spiritual growth can be defined as a progression toward ultimate possibilities, with the highest levels of spiritual development occurring in the development of a capacity that allows consciousness to transcend the constraints of body, language, reason, and society. Movement toward ultimate possibilities entails a shift from simple imitative and dependent spiritual thought and behavior to a personal mental picture of spiritual issues that integrates both inner and outer life spiritual experiences; a shift to a subtle, contemplative, and transcendent understanding of the common ground of both inner and outer life experiences; and a shift to being fully united with the ultimate ground of all being. Spiritual growth is a process of transcendence that can be viewed as a spiral of ever-increasing knowledge and experience of oneself and the cosmos.

Some writers on spiritual development emphasize the fact that it is a lifelong process. Spiritual development, according to Zen master Joko Beck, arises from the daily practice of sitting meditation and the application of present-moment awareness to everyday life. “Enlightenment is not something that can be attained. It's when something isn't there. You've spent your entire life advancing toward something, seeking a goal. All of that is being abandoned in the name of enlightenment. But talking about it is pointless. Each person is responsible for their own practice. There are no alternatives. We can read about it till we're a thousand years old, but it won't help us” (Beck, p. 5). “Attention is the cutting, blazing sword, and our practice is to use it as much as we can,” says the author. (See Beck, p. 32.) The emphasis here is on the process rather than on progress or attaining higher levels of spiritual awareness.

Others believe that spiritual growth can be broken down into stages. Fowler, for example, saw adult spiritual development as having three stages: an individual-reflective stage in which the self begins to turn away from external sources of spiritual authority and toward the development of an internal moral and spiritual orientation that has personal meaning for the individual; and a conjunctive stage characterized by greater acceptance of paradox and ambiguity, a deepening sense of understanding, and disillusionment with spiritual authority. Fowler believed there was a link between life stage and spiritual development, with the individual-reflective stage occurring in early adulthood and the conjunctive stage appearing in midlife and later. He did not believe that many people had achieved the stage of universalization.

Wilber saw spiritual growth as advancing from sensory knowing in childhood to various stages of reasoning knowledge in early adulthood, and finally to contemplative knowing in midlife. Children, for example, frequently get their first mystical experiences through sensory sources such as communing with nature, listening to religious music, or witnessing a breathtaking sunset. Adults can later receive immense inspiration from written and spoken words through their minds, oblivious to the fact that the stillness between and around those words may be vital to their sense of spiritual connection. Most people adopt some type of discipline as they go on their spiritual path, a regular action that allows them to transcend their self-consciousness and experience inner serenity.

The call, the search, the struggle, the breakthrough, and the return are the five stages of spiritual development outlined by Moody and Carroll. When an inner yearning for connection, or a greater connection, with the spiritual Self arises, the call is heard. The call may begin as a sense of an empty part of oneself, eventually evolving into a sense that one's spiritual nature is not yet completely formed. Finding and exploring a spiritual path is part of the search. The search may take place within the context of a conventional religion or it may entail an investigation and sampling of a variety of religious traditions. Overcoming the ego's opposition to transcendental meditative or contemplative techniques is a common battleground. The myriad arguments and hurdles the mind develops to obstruct the experience of quiet mind can cause great anguish in beginning meditators. When the impediments or objections to transcendence are overcome, even if only temporarily, breakthroughs occur. People are more likely to stay motivated in their aim to be open to experiencing these qualities as part of their awareness once they have experienced pure mindfulness and transcendent consciousness.

People who gain transcendent knowledge do not usually disappear from the world. Instead, people go about their daily lives as usual, but their viewpoint on them is altered. The return entails bringing into the world the spiritual insights gained via transcendence. The form that such service takes is largely determined by the spiritual path chosen. A devotional journey can lead to being a devotional exemplar. Being a teacher or a leader may be a way to return to a road of awareness and understanding. The ability to perceive the world from a nonpersonal perspective that is open, unselfish, honest, trustworthy, compassionate, and clear-minded, among many other attributes, is a trait shared by everyone who have broken through. Bringing these traits to everything one does in life can have a significant return effect.

The sequence described by Moody and Carroll does not imply that there is only one course to complete before becoming enlightened. Rather, it's a cyclic process in which one grows increasingly enlightened by going through the full process they explain whenever a need for deeper development arises.

But how can one be sure that their spiritual experiences are genuine? After all, the human mind is highly adept in persuading one to misinterpret a wide range of events. For starters, millions of men and women have claimed to have felt a global presence as a part of themselves across thousands of years and in a wide range of historical eras and cultures. This inner experience is described as a direct link that bypasses the verbal mind, making it less vulnerable to personal or cultural bias. Second, by collectively commenting on individual spiritual experiences, spiritual communities provide an important function. Sharing spiritual experiences and insights with others in a spiritual group is a vital safeguard against mistaking spiritual realization for a subtle ego agenda.

Daily, morning meditation

Start your day off well by meditating. Meditation can help you calm down your thoughts over time if you practice it. And as your racing thoughts calm down, your intuition becomes more evident.

Take altruistic action within the community

Kindness and compassion are two ways to increase spiritual energy. And there's no better way to do it than by assisting people in your neighborhood. Building a community might also aid in the search for your tribe. It's not easy to cultivate your spiritual side on your own! Making genuine connections with others is beneficial to your emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.

Get a daily dose of nature

Spending time in outdoors promotes holistic balance and personal development. Being in nature can help you relax, feel more energized, and connect with a power greater than yourself. Nature is awe-inspiring in its vastness, strength, and beauty. You, on the other hand, are not separate from it. You are a part of nature, just as nature is a part of you, as the world's rivers and air flow through your body. So, take a time to see how connected you are.

Surround yourself in music

Because music impacts your ideas, emotions, subconscious, and physical well-being, it may speak to you and heal you in ways that no one else can. Music can assist you in connecting with your spirituality by allowing you to connect with your essence and reach the deepest part of your soul. Listening to music that moves you, taking a sound bath, or chanting can all help you connect with your spirituality.

Listen to your gut

What is your heart's true message? What are your true feelings? And what truly resonates with you may go against your spiritual “rules.” Don't be scared to pay attention to that inner voice and even start acting in ways that support it. Allow yourself the opportunity to try new things and find your own path.

Support your mind and body

Your mind, body, and soul are all intertwined. Taking care of your spiritual side also entails taking care of your mind and body. Drumming, dancing, singing, or athletics are all ways to express oneself with your body. Follow your curiosity to feed your mind; reading, writing, and creating are all excellent ways to allow your mind to freely express itself.

Appreciate what you have

Having thankfulness and appreciation for what you have, the people in your life, and the achievements you have made. Appreciation is not simply a trait that is internal, such as being pleased with what you have rather than continually looking for the next big thing, but it is also a quality that is external. A simple grin or hello to your neighbors expresses gratitude and concern for others. Small actions add up when multiplied by a large number of people!

Accept others

Each of us is a one-of-a-kind individual. And we're all on our own trip. It's nearly difficult to determine what influences the priorities, behaviors, and words of others. You may either evaluate someone based on your own ideals and preconceptions, or you can allow them to be themselves. This does not imply that you agree with everything someone says or that you avoid being a guiding voice when necessary. It's about not being abrasive, harsh, or judgmental.

How can I see my spiritual eyes?

• Pray with your eyes closed. You don't have to close your eyes, but there's something about tuning into God's realm and shutting out the earthly sphere that allows us to see what He sees.

What is the greatest spiritual gift?

Wisdom is regarded as the earliest and most important of the gifts. It affects the intellect as well as the will. It both illumines the mind and instills an inclination to the divine, according to St. Bernard. “The latter is a view taken by the mind, while the former is an experience undergone by the heart; one is light, the other love, and so they connect and complete one another,” Adolphe Tanquerey OP defined the distinction between wisdom and understanding. The theological virtue of charity is perfected by a wise and compassionate heart.