Humanity & Divinity

The reality is, we are spiritual beings having a human experience. This is a common sentence, but when you understand it, it changes the perspective of your reality.

Being spiritual means a few things: 1. You have a soul. It is the deepest part of you that makes you the unique individual that you are. There is only one of you in this world, which is how God made you; your weaknesses, your strengths, your imperfections, your beauty- it is all a part of a purpose God created you for.

2. God created you in His image (Genesis 1:27), giving you His divine authority on earth and filling you with His Holy Spirit (1 Thess 1:5). When we believe in Him, He gives us His Holy Spirit who dwells within us. We are connected to God through His Spirit and when we fully surrender to Him, He works on the deepest parts of our soul to be made further aligned in His image. Our soul is connected to our spirit, and our spirit is connected to the divine; the power of God that is unseen.

Our soul comes first, which fills the human form that is knit together in the womb by our great Creator (Jeremiah 1:5). But we fill a body that is born into a sinful world, where every experience shapes our being. What we know as "normal" in this world is actually hurting us and pushes the Spirit given to us away. We shut down the divine nature we were created with, unintentionally and unknowingly. That doesn't mean it goes away from us, but when we allow darkness to be greater than the light, our world becomes more dim. It is not until we lean into that light that it becomes brighter, carries greater influence on our lives and we begin to experience the divine again.

A large factor in our experiences are the emotions we carry and feel. The more emotions we give into, that we may not feel we have control over, is actually us allowing the flesh to be in control. The flesh isn't bad necessarily, but it operates out of fears, out of survival; that's not how we were meant to live. The more we control the flesh by regulating our emotions, learning what we need to let go of and what we need more of, we encounter the Spirit within us. Emotional maturity is emotional regulation; when we are more calm and controlled in every situation, we take hold of the flesh. We are supposed to, as we are to honor our temple (our body) and work with it, not for it. Again, we carry the Spirit, who is the divinity of our identity (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Now the divine; what we can't see and is not always there. We can know something is divine when it doesn't fit in with this world. God may have created the heavens and earth, but we also know the prince of this world is not of God's kingdom (John 12:31). Divinity brings peace in all circumstances, love that is not measured nor has barriers, and joy that is not fully understood. Divinity is the act of the Spirit within us and within our lives. It is beyond our level of comprehension, but we know it when we feel its presence or get to experience God. The divine is based on the truth of the Word of God and His character.

Being both human and spiritual can be confusing at times, but the beauty is God knows we will make mistakes and fall. He never made us to be perfect, He is the only one that is perfect. He made us to experience life, His creations, through the lens of our being with the fullness of the Spirit. He created us to be in relationship with Him and with others; being human was His great plan in accomplishing this.

It may feel like your flesh and Spirit are fighting at times, they are. One wants dominion over the other. The trick is getting them all to work together. You may be a spiritual being with a soul, but you would not be here without your body. With the love you know from the Spirit and that you carry within you, learn to love your body the same. Treat yourself in the same way you would a spouse, a dear friend, or a child; with all the love and care you can express. After all, you would not be you without all parts of you. Take captive all thoughts and give them to God, see how you begin to change your mindset, your health and your being for the better.

You are a unique; complex, yet simple. Understanding fully who you are and how you operate through the lens of the greatest part of you, the Spirit, can shift your entire life for the better; shift your reality to what you were truly made for. Awareness is key and understanding of your triune being is wisdom. Learn to know all parts of you and that you are beautifully and wonderfully made in the image of God (Psalm 139:14).