One of the disservices of the modern era was dividing life into secular and spiritual, of splitting our existence, behavior, and reality into separate realms of activity.
Premodern man had no such illusions; neither did ancient man before that. To them, everything was spiritual.
If you don’t believe me, consider all the spiritual lessons and stories in the Bible. How many of them happened during a church service? Not too many.
Indeed, the Bible shows God at work throughout the week, not just on the Sabbath or Sunday and not just at the tabernacle, temple, or synagogue, but anywhere, anytime.
In the Bible, God seldom waited for people to show up at the temple before speaking to them. Nor did he often require exuberant worship as a prerequisite for revealing his presence or power.
Yes, those things did sometimes happen, but not usually.
When we view all of life as spiritual, the concept of secular disappears. Then we no longer need to wait for Sunday morning to encounter God; that can happen throughout the week—if we’re open to it.
On Sundays, we often arrive at church expectant of a spiritual experience: waiting for God to speak and open to experience his presence.
But if all aspects of life are spiritual, as the Bible shows us, then we should be expectant of a spiritual experience at any moment.
This should inform all we do, including when we drive our car, how we interact with the clerk at the store, what we watch on TV, and how we talk to our family.
Yes, all things are spiritual. It’s time we act like it.
May God speak to you and reveal his presence the next time you are in church—and even more so when you leave.
Do you like this post? Want to read more? Check out Peter’s book, Bridging the Sacred-Secular Divide: Discovering the Spirituality of Every Day Life, available wherever books are sold.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.