Starting Your Spiritual Journey was written by a really good friend of mine, Taylor Gilkey. She’s sharing some great wisdom and I thank her dearly for guest posting for me! I hope you enjoy it!
Starting your spiritual journey is a challenge in itself, don’t fool yourself. I thought it would be A BREEZE! Read a couple of versus, say a little prayer, my relationship with God would FLOURISH, and all of my dreams would come true.
There is WAY more to it than that. You can receive so much encouragement from your friends and family (church and blood). But you could still be struggling to get your feet moving on your path to righteousness. I forgot the discipline it took to start and continue this journey. I also forgot that this is a lifelong journey, and that it would be consistent work.
Everything will not look like bloomed roses, sometimes all I will see is the dirt. With all this in mind, giving into the flesh and believing “Well maybe this isn’t the journey for me” becomes in arm’s reach. It becomes easy to revert back to my old ways.
It wasn’t until I realized that this journey IS a challenge, that I began to take my journey seriously, and really recognize the reason behind my journey: to glorify God and live in His purpose. A spiritual journey has hills, ups and downs, but as long as you keep an eye on God and His word, those downward slopes are easier to bear.
Life may not always make sense, but as long as God is in the midst, it doesn’t have to. You just have to listen for His word, seek His guidance and have faith. The picture is crystal clear to Him, and that is all that matters. But how do you get to this point? Here are a few tips to get your feet moving.
1. Find a Spiritual book that isn’t the Bible!
First one knocked you off your feet, huh? Don’t get me wrong, the Bible is the GREATEST book, but it can be a little overwhelming. Reading someone else’s journey make starting your spiritual journey less overwhelming. You can take away how they apply the Bible to their life’s experiences. It’s enlightening to see how someone else was able to take a scripture and get that “ah-hah” moment.
It is also a great way to figure where you want to start in studying the Bible. The Bible does not have to be read from Genesis to Revelations. But it should be read no matter what order it is in. Let the author guide you and pick what chapter you will read that evening, or in the morning before you start your day.
Check out The Uninvited: Living Loved When You’re Feeling Left Out, Lonely, and Less Than by Lysa Terkeurst!
2. Get an Accountability Partner
Find a friend that you have Bible study dates with, and that enjoys breaking down the content. I find the best people for this are those in your shoes. Just starting, and want to strengthen their relationship with God. It can be a bit intimidating, when you’re starting your spiritual journey, to have someone who is proficient in the Bible making sure that you’re progressing.
From experience, people that grew up in church and know all the books in order aren’t as relatable when you’re just starting out. I had, and have, a lot of questions, but hesitated to ask because I didn’t want to look silly for not understanding the message.
It wasn’t until, through my own experiences, that I realized everyone may interpret the Bible differently depending on their own life experiences. Yes, there are things in the Bible that are pretty concrete, such as God’s promises. But how we interpret different stories in the Bible is different from person to person. It can even change every time you read it, just based on where you are in life at that moment.
3. Set time Aside for Devotion
This can be for any sort of devotion. Reading, music, prayer, anything! I like to listen to podcasts or watch sermons on YouTube. When I do this, I take notes so:
- I stay focused and,
- Because it makes the experience that much more personal.
With COVID, there are many churches that are only doing online services. That can definitely be your Sunday option as well, but you should set time aside everyday to get into the word, worship and praise God. Find something that will keep your attention, as well as promote interactive learning. This can also be something that you and your accountability partner do together.
Getting into the word is extremely important. The goal should be to crack open your Bible, even if you are just focusing on one verse, everyday. Now, that’s the end goal, but starting out like that can be a bit daunting. So, I suggest at least five days a week.
Something I’ve been wanting to try is called verse mapping. After watching this video on how to verse map, I’m sure I’ll be back soon with a review on how this has impacted my Bible study.
4. Remember this Journey is Not Going to Be Perfect
Don’t beat yourself up if this journey isn’t smooth, because it won’t be. You’ll miss some days, and some days you will not feel like it. You will learn to overcome that feeling and do what you need to do to make sure God knows He is a priority in your life.
Relationships take time to build. You are getting to know God, so it makes sense for it to be a slow process. People don’t just say ‘yes I want to be together’, get married and that’s it. There will be ups and downs. There will be times when you’re frustrated with God and don’t understand. But the more you get to know God and just let Him lead, the more peace you will have in every aspect of your life.
It is a process, but trust the process.
About the Author:
Taylor Gilkey graduated from Missouri Valley College as a double major in Broadcast Journalism and Public Relations. She currently works in the insurance industry as a claim adjuster where she has made a career. Taylor hopes to show others that they can begin there spiritual journey at any point in life and see the everlasting effects. In Taylor’s free time she enjoys working out, reading, naps and hanging out with friends.
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