The Riches of Purpose, Joy, and Freedom

There are two kinds of riches - material and spiritual. Material riches can be measured in terms of portfolios, bank accounts, and possessions. Spiritual riches are measured by love, fulfillment, joy, peace, and purpose you experience and the needs of others that you help fufill. However, most people sacrifice spiritual riches in their pursuit of material riches only to find that they no longer enjoy the materials they have acquired. We become stuck on the endless treadmill of needing more, often doing something we don't want to do and grinding the gears of unfulfilling work to pay for the things we no longer enjoy.... and on top of that, sacrificing the most valuable things in this life - relationships and time.

Spiritual investment is essential to obtaining purpose, joy, and freedom. Without it, no matter what we do, it will always lead to fleeting and momentary whiffs of happiness that quickly fade into dissatisfaction and frustration. 

When we have spiritual riches, we will have the ability to enjoy material riches, and we are able to balance our lives, create margin for the things that matter the most and truly serve others in our greatest capacity. 

Freedom is the byproduct of spiritual riches, the very thing we all long for, but often the last thing we pursue spiritually. We are programmed by culture to think that making more money will buy us freedom and often in the pursuit of money we become slaves to it.

Money is a horrible master that exchanges our time, relationships and enjoyment for a piece of paper that buys things that often require more pieces of paper to maintain. Upon attaining the level of success and stuff we desire, the inevitable question "Is this it?" will surface, along with the thought "there has got to be more than this." This "smoldering discontent" leaves us wading the shallow end of the pool of life, it's comfortable but we know that there is something more. Inevitably this can lead to pushing harder for more money and doing more leading to stress, depression, and burnout. This an epidemic in American culture today and the easy solution is to take pill to cure the symptoms so we can get back to the grind. And the cycle continues....

There is another way!!  When we focus on cultivating our spiritual development first, we can experience the riches of love, joy, peace, and fulfillment. Our lives won't change until we change what we focus on and what we are devoting our energy to. We have to make a shift, renew our thinking, and start down another path. Repeating the same thing over again, and expecting different results is insanity! 

The spiritual path is challenging and mysterious, it is not a short term, quick fix solution. A pill won't deliver it, and nothing in the external world will fix it. We live in a microwave popcorn society, we all want it now, and waiting 3 minutes is even too long! Spiritual transformation is more like growing corn than popping it. We have to clear out all the weeds, break the ground, plant the seed, water, fertilize, give it time and over the course of consistent diligence, we will reap a crop. 

On this journey of spiritual development, I believe that there are 4 things that are essential for success:

1. Jesus - I have tried a variety of religions, spiritual practices, agnosticism, and atheism. The only thing that was sustainable was my faith in Jesus, which was the very last thing I tried and tried to avoid at all cost, until all else failed and Jesus was my only option. 
2. Community - the chances of making it on this journey alone are slim to none. Bottom line, you have to surround yourself with others that are on this journey, that genuinely want to find the truth, and give the support that is much needed in the process.
3. Spiritual guide - we all know the power of mentors and leaders, the people that have gone before us and are a few steps ahead, there to help us avoid the pitfalls and to show us the best way to get where we want to go. Finding a spiritual guide is a huge advantage in navigating the course and keeping us on track.
4. Margin - the time to focus on spiritual development is essential! In a culture focused on doing, there is not a lot of time for being. However, we are human "beings" and to focus on your being, the spiritual side, it will require daily time to reflect, study, and implement spiritual disciplines. 

There are just a few things to help you get started. I would also recommend the book "Joy Model" A Step by Step guide to Peace, Purpose, and Balance by Jeff Spadafora. Spiritual development is essential to success in life, it will lead you to a life worth living filled with true freedom, lasting Joy and peace that surpasses all understanding. There is so much more waiting for you... 

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11