In Jesus is life and light. To tap into that we need to embrace the first four verses of the New Testament book of John: “In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.” Jesus—the Word—Who was with God and at the same time, was God at Creation. A mystery really; through Jesus all things were made, and in Him was life and that life was the light of men.

I got the “life” part in my mid-teens when I began understanding that “God so loved the world [including me] that He gave His only Son [Jesus], that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). I entered into that life when I prayed the prayer that saves:

“Thank You, God, for loving me, and for sending Your Son to die for my sins. I sincerely repent of my sins, and receive Christ as my personal Savior. Now, as Your child, I turn my entire life over to You. Amen.”

I did not fully comprehend I embarked on a spiritual journey with that prayer. Henri J.M. Nouwen, author of Spiritual Direction—Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith understood the spiritual life rests on a paradox: “Without solitude, it is virtually impossible to live the spiritual life. Yet we cannot live our spiritual lives alone. Although we need solitude to know God, we require a faithful community to hold us accountable.”

In my youth when I had a break from farm chores I ran to a nearby lively stream where I discovered solitude. There I found privacy to stop and listen to murmuring water as it spilled over rocks. I also found beauty that piqued all of my senses when I could retreat to the woods. During scorching summers, I found respite under the thick green canopy of trees. The wind moving leaves in rustling whispers shut out the noise of the world and made a sanctuary where I could listen to God. As Nouwen said, we need solitude to live the spiritual life as surely as we need community. I had the community of church to bring me to faith, but did not find instruction about the spiritual journey.

In retrospect, it seems my spiritual development began from a position of knowing more about God than knowing Him. I was stuck in a spiritual infant state until I left home and the Navy shipped me overseas to Japan in the middle of the Vietnam War. It was there God provided spiritual direction. 

First I had to ask for spiritual direction, and that did not happen until an abrasive fellow soldier demanded I give him tangible proof I was a Christian. I had no proof. But I asked God to show me truth, and a friend opened his Bible to read I John 5:11-12 which says, “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (ESV). It was a revelation to discover God does not want anybody wandering through life not having a clue where they are going to spend eternity. God put eternal life in Jesus. Whoever has Jesus has life, but whoever does not have Jesus does not have life. It is incredible that God gives us the free will to choose where we will spend eternity. If you have never read the Bible, I would encourage you to read the New Testament book of John. As we read the Bible, our souls are cleansed by the “washing with water by the Word” (Eph. 5:26). I got so excited I became a student of the Bible. I wanted know Jesus, but I needed help.  

Five centuries ago, John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim’s Progress. The book’s main character, Christian, is the pilgrim on a journey to the Celestial City of God. Many of Christian’s obstacles mirror our own daily struggles. The book illustrates God’s mercy and grace in providing spiritual guides for Christian at critical points in his journey. Christian is continually learning dependence upon God—something we all must master if we desire to mature in knowing God.

In my spiritual journey I needed a mentor. I was a seeker searching for a spiritual guide to hold me accountable, teach me how to listen to the word of God, ever present in my heart. I needed somebody to teach me the disciplines of study and spiritual practice to discern the word of God in words of Scripture, someone to help me bear burdens, and someone who could be my confessor offering forgiveness, and celebration of life. I needed a tangible example of Christian maturity to guide me through great darkness. God answered my prayer by giving me a spiritual mentor named Mark, and used him to re-image Father aright in the creative faculties of my mind and heart. Mark taught me how to walk with God, and as a result I grew to know God. 

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Jesus is the way to eternal life. It is through the sacrificial love of Jesus we are able to enter into God’s presence. Our faith in Jesus launches us on a spiritual journey with potential maturation in intimacy with God. To be successful in that journey, we need helpers along the way who can embrace us in a community of faith. We also need guides: spiritual friends, a spiritual director [mentor], or a spiritual accountability group that can function for us as a safe place to bear our souls. My prayer is that we all would desire to know God intimately.

May the peace of the Lord be with you!

Tags: community, faith