What has become of the Church over these 2000 years? Has it been replaced by more important values from the post-modern era? Have we built our own bridge from belief to capitalism? Is there still any real, reasonable belief? What does this faith look like? What characteristics would you give it?
Perhaps you, dear reader, were able to read the previously published blogs on EQ. For new readers I would like to recommend the following links:
EQ-Definition - EQ-AreasOfLife - EQ1-MarriageAndFamily -
EQ2-Job - EQ3-Health - EQ4-EveryDayLife
As a reminder: The five areas of social life:
MARRIAGE u FAMILY (mutual understanding based on self-image)
PROFESSION (dealing with colleagues, subordinates, with the boss, motivation)
HEALTH (healthy lifestyle promotes frontal lobe development)
ENVIRONMENT (privacy, public and society can see added value)
SPIRITUALITY (understanding and dealing with belief in a postmodern context)
Spirituality has taken root in our society. Different churches, institutions and religions ensure that our 'search for truth' is partially satisfied. But our social maturity does not testify to a good quality of our spirituality. There's a lot more to it. Luther discovered this 500 years ago and took action. Where do we stand today with the Reformation?
5. Last topic: Spirituality in our Time
Those who do not deal with faith at all and rely on the basis of evolutionist theory have some fewer challenges, but also some loss of quality of life. To do this, he will have to do without life after life entirely.
However, those who deal with biblical spirituality, possibly on a daily basis, sometimes have to endure some spiritual and spiritual battles. Not easy, but rewarding.
Man in Postmodernism
It seems important to me that we understand ourselves better. Important questions can be:
Why am I the way I am?
Why do I think this way and not differently?
Where do my inner and outer values come from?
Anyone who is close to the subject of 'education' as parents or at work knows that most things can be 'programmed' in us. We all go through a post-modern development system from which we cannot or can hardly protect ourselves. Most of it we are not even aware of. Unfortunately, otherwise we could defend ourselves if necessary.
Our children, as diverse as their talents and gifts may be, are geared towards one goal: to serve the economy. This defines their needs. The teaching objective is based on this. They must be able to meet postmodern demands. Our society demands it.
The question arises to me:
1. What are the Characteristics of Postmodernism?
My summary looks like this:
Consumption (We are geared towards consumption. Shopping, media, sex, pleasure, holidays, )
Individualism (Today's motivational question is often limited to: "What's in it for me?" We are thus designed for profit. There is no loss. Helping someone out of sheer altruism is unlikely for postmodern people.)
Extrinsic motivation (We have given up our intrinsic motivation, practiced from birth, and have it replaced with an external one. We are motivated from the outside. The economic monopolies and politics determine our purchases, our behavior, our freedom, our values ... Intrinsic thinkers quickly become labeled as lateral thinkers, extremists and as 'Persona non grata', because society and tradition cannot dissuade them from their path of happiness.) (BLOG)
Break with traditions (At the moment, this tendency is particularly noticeable in the family area. Our new gender generation is given so-called 'freedoms', from which our tradition and moral understanding had recently protected us.
Relativity (The question of what truth is can no longer be asked today, since there is no longer any absolute truth. This question is irritating and repulsive. Everyone has their own style, their own version. Whether something is fake news or not is a matter of fact almost no role anymore. Nobody gets upset or would advocate true transparency with moral motives.)
Living in the NOW (we have forgotten to learn from the past. Aligning ourselves to a stable future is not an issue. If we were, it would have an impact on our educational system. We would want to build a better future. But no. It works the other direction.)
Appearance before authenticity (Postmodern people attach great importance to their appearance. The clothes, demeanor, certificates, the car as a status symbol are extremely important. Authenticity is neglected. Everything is made up, artificially brought up to scratch. Where are the values how Naturalness, integrity, willingness to forgive and, last but not least, emotional intelligence that can genuinely connect people with each other?)
Knowledge before application (We are satisfied when we have read something interesting. Applying it, integrating it into life - be it on the occasion of a serious presentation in the church - that hardly comes to mind. Knowledge is queried, not the Application of it. Is that biblical?)
The elderly among us have seen firsthand how our society has changed in recent decades. It seems to me that the speed of change has increased. The new generation is very neglected when it comes to developing the frontal lobe (BLOG). We are all challenged!
2. What are the Characteristics of Healthy Spirituality?
Postmodern then means that we are human beings who tend not to opt for absolute values, who do not see any great sense in serving basic attitudes, and if so, then we find it at most interesting. Put into practice, it usually doesn't happen. We needed help with that.
Now that we understand each other a little better and have positioned ourselves in the contemporary context, we want to consider what faith, the Christian faith, is actually about.
a) Basic Biblical Values and Statements
Bible quotes are not for everyone. Personally, I did my homework and looked at this topic carefully. My conclusion: the basic text of the Bible is reliable. The translations are of varying quality. Recommend Schlachter 2000, Elberfelder and Luther.
Here is an attempt to make a statement about the Christian faith with two scriptures:
John 3:16> God so loved this created world of his own that He sent his own Son so that, if we accept His offer, we may be redeemed from our misery and be rewarded with a timeless, eternal life.
Isn't that a sensational offer? The possibility for everyone to get a life after this life is unique! The postmodern question of 'what's in it for me?' is answered generously.
What it means for God, however, to sacrifice his own son for us, for you and me, so that this gift becomes possible, is probably a little too difficult to understand for our thoughts and feelings. Understanding this better and better leads to a better understanding of the term LOVE. Whoever dares to do this will meet God.
2. Galatians 5: 22-23> Since God knows that we could not choose our parents, our country, our culture or the religious context, He offers us the following qualities of life because of his grace and our willingness:
Love (Many people grow up subjectively unloved and deficient. All of us have the opportunity to fill up our love tank through close contact with HIM.)
Joy (Paul writes: “Rejoice at all times, and again I say to you: Rejoice.” Our vertical connection helps us to do this, because it teaches us to become independent of circumstances and to respect eternal values more and more.)
Peace (To find inner peace, what a gift. Many people would or spend large sums of money on it. HE promises that whoever seeks HIM will find HIM. There all of us can be picked up.
Patience (Would you like to be even more patient? This secondary virtue changes our relationships as well as the others. Those who have the patience have the right attitude. This is conveyed to us more and more by the Holy Spirit, for example by not following the circumstances in a human way, but in a divine way.)
Friendliness (by considering the circumstances just mentioned, it is possible to be friendly even in difficult moments. Even loving enemies is possible!)
Kindness (He who has understood and experienced God's goodness and grace cannot help but be kind. Such kind people will not be exploited, as they will also increase in wisdom. This is connected with emotional intelligence, especially active empathy and social competence. )
Faith / loyalty (So we can also come to God in disbelief and pray for faith. If we are serious, then anything is possible. Loyalty indicates a constant ability to have relationships. You don't just throw relationships away.)
Meekness (gentle courage, courage to act, to improve, gentle, controlled, benevolent, considered, constant and far-sighted. Wonderful.)
Self-control / self-discipline (Anyone who gets to know God's values, i.e. laws, who deals with his creation as an act of love and recognizes the natural laws laid in us humans, wants to treat all of this with respect and not destroy himself. A healthy lifestyle is the result. The frontal lobe becomes strengthened and with that God can give us this discipline that will help us prepare for His soon coming.)
There is of course a lot more to mention. The four Gospels contain such profound wisdom and advice. Do not miss that.
All these good qualities can be picked up HERE, at the CROSS, at JESUS. Isn't that sensational?
b) The biblical image of God helps
God is love
What do you mean by love? We talked about it on two blogs: Conditional and Unconditional Love
If you were to commit your own life for that of one of your relatives, for example a blood transfusion for one of your children with the loss of your own life, that would go way beyond the postmodern understanding of love, wouldn't it? What if someone did this for you?
Jesus, and what HE did for mankind 2000 years ago, is historically relevant and therefore shows much deeper dimensions of love. The knowledge of this love is our potential for eternity.
In order to open oneself to this world of love, it is recommended to read the last chapters of the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, if possible with a pleading attitude.
God is our Redeemer
Scripture speaks of a universal struggle. It's about the angel Lucifer, who with a third of the angels has made himself an opponent of God. This is how the term 'sin' came about. This sin leads to death. Sin is a basic attitude that wants to be independent of the life-giving God and therefore strives for autonomy. This leads away from God and therefore into death.
This fact moved God to offer us a solution, a salvation. As described above, he dies this death for us, for you and me and thus enables us to offer us the gift of eternal life. With this we can be redeemed thanks to the love of God.
God is threefold - Father, Son, Holy Spirit
Many theologians quarrel on this matter. For me it is biblically obvious that Jesus as 'Son of God' - whatever that means universally - has taken on this most difficult task of the act of redemption. With this HE has redefined the depth of God's love.
The function of the Holy Spirit is described in many biblical passages. He seems to be concerned about direct communication with us humans. He speaks to our frontal lobe when it is still intact. He likes to help us practically when we ask for His support.
Jesus himself calls God his Father. Why shouldn't we do that too? Many people have difficulty doing this, however, because their human father image has suffered so much that they are unable to think of a loving Heavenly Father. But that can change.
It takes humility to personally accept such an act of love. Not all people are ready for it. Unfortunately. Otherwise it would look different in this world. Because this universally galactically relevant act has consequences, effects, consequences. This is where the spirits part about eternal life or death.
C) my contribution to faith
The Bible clearly speaks against righteousness based on our works. We cannot be saved by our works. Nevertheless, they play an important role. How does the process of salvation actually work?
1. What should we NOT do?
Do not despair with this question.
Do not use any literature to investigate this question. Take the Bible, please.
Don't think that you have to be 'good' before you can get in touch with Jesus. The biblical stories show very clearly that HE showed interest especially in those who did not see themselves as 'good'.
Never let anyone discourage you on this path. It is clear that the enemy of men (Satan) has no joy when someone chooses the friend of men (Jesus).
2. What should we do?
Micah 6:8 "You have been told, man, what is good and what the Lord asks of you. That is, to keep God's word and practice love and be humble before your God."
Isaiah 45:22: "Look at me and you will be saved."
The final chapters of the four gospels help us to see HIM and what HE has done for you.
If the love of God in Jesus has spoken to us, then HE is happy and waits until we acknowledge HIM and become a team. Many people testify to this process in baptism, just as Jesus himself did.
Jacob 2:22 says that the works make the faith perfect. Works are important. But they should be a consequence of love. Our motivation counts for God. (Prov 16: 2)
In order to know the truth, we must seek it with all our hearts and be ready to follow it.
God has given us the power of decision (free will). We should practice this ability by adjusting our decisions to God's Word every day. When we do that, He will direct our will and our deeds according to His pleasure.
Following Jesus is sometimes associated with great challenges. It is HIS interest that through this our character can prepare for his return. After all, HE has already prepared an apartment for us!
1. Where are the limits crossed?
A life with Christ will sooner or later lead to the realization that we cannot rely on ourselves. So the process of giving up on yourself and giving the place to Christ within us is the only solution. Whoever does not come to this insight and is not ready for it, for whatever reason, will ultimately not be 'recognized' by Christ. This process is a big challenge.
God has given us free will. Constantly using this against God can lead to the fact that one is programmed in such a way that a change is no longer possible. However, this depends less on age than on conscious or unconscious involvement with the occult side.
2. How do we keep the balance?
As long as Jesus lives in the heart, His presence can be felt. This creates good and pleasant words. Anger and attachment go away.
Developing awareness that thoughts produce action. This can lead to habits that ultimately affect character. This daily reflection on our thoughts and actions and their focus on Jesus allows us to keep our balance.
When we make mistakes, the best place is the cross where we can unload everything. HE helps us to stop making these mistakes sooner or later.
The awareness that we are God's children and therefore even have bodyguards promotes our daily decisions.
"Rejoice, and again I say to you: Rejoice!" That's how excited Paul is about Jesus. All the circumstances can no longer make him sad. He has learned to deepen his relationship with Jesus so that all circumstances are measured by divine standards.
Live the healthy lifestyle that has been spoken of many times. Living healthy promotes the frontal lobe. With it God can communicate better with us.
EQ and spirituality
You have probably noticed that when it comes to living a Christian life, it is actually about active empathy and social skills.
Those who have a high EQ have the potential for a mature living out of Christianity and are wonderfully suited to be a missionary of God.
Charity is the foundation of emotional intelligence as well as Christianity. Egoism disturbs EQ in the same way as it makes life more difficult.
Those who want to live charity have some important decisions to make. No trophy can be achieved with this. Maybe even rejection. But standing up for others makes you happy inside. Selflessness is a virtue that is divine. The reward will follow later.
Congratulations on making it to the end. God bless you, dear reader.
