Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. (Colossians 2:18-19)
Sometimes the more spiritual a person seems, the less Christian they are. Sometimes the more religious a person claims to be, the less they know about Christ. Have you noticed that? That was true already 2,000 years ago. The Bible warns us to watch out for unspiritual spirituality.
What might “unspiritual spirituality” look like? Paul gave the Colossians a list of examples. 1) False humility. “Look at me. Look at all I’m giving up for Christ. Look at all the good I am doing…” True humility doesn’t brag about itself. 2) The worship of angels. From the idea of cute little baby angels flying around us to the thought that deceased loved ones get their wings and watch over us, false ideas about angels cloud the truth about Christ. 3) Great detail about what they have seen. “I died and saw heaven” stories captivate our attention. Rumors of UFO sightings or unexplained miracles generate headlines. Yet, true faith is believing in what we cannot see. Can you see how unspiritual so much of “spirituality” is today?
True spirituality isn’t about what you’ve seen or what you think or what you’ve done. To be truly spiritual, a person needs a “connection with the head.” Who do you think that’s talking about? Jesus! True spirituality flows from Jesus—the Head—through his whole body—the Christian Church. Being “spiritual” isn’t about dreams or visions or notions in our minds. It’s about being connected to Christ.
Do you know how that happens? Through God’s Word and Sacraments. When you were baptized, you were connected to Christ as a child of God. Every time you receive the Lord’s Supper, you receive Jesus’ true body and blood, given and shed for you. What a connection to our Head! Every time you read or hear God’s Word, the voice of Jesus himself speaks to your heart.
So watch out for unspiritual spirituality. Instead, look for every opportunity to be connected to the head—to Christ. That’s when God will cause you to grow.
Dear Jesus, forgive me for all the idle notions about spirituality that float through my mind. Connect me to you again and again through your Word and Sacrament and keep me growing in my faith. Amen.
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