Over the years, I’ve had friends who had strong spiritual convictions but low moral standards. The results of such lifestyles have been displayed widely in the media. I fear what has been revealed in the spotlight is only a fraction of what has been practiced in the shadows. More recently I have developed friendships with those who have strong moral beliefs, but not much spirituality. Must it be either/or? Can it not be both/and? Jesus found a way to incorporate both spirituality and morality into one lifestyle, so much so that his spirituality infuriated the religious leaders, who likely lacked moral convictions, and His solid morality was described as, “in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Expounding on this balance, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control.” However you say it, the ideal is a God-intended, Jesus modeled, lifestyle balance of healthy morality and solid spirituality.
For more from Dr. Dan, go to www.discipleallnations.org/blog.
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