Circumstantial Spirituality

This past year (much like the rest of life) has really been up and down for my family.

We moved across town.

Up.

We downsized from renting a house to renting an apartment.

Up and down. (Cheaper rent, less space.)

We added a new member to our family (Lorelei- or as Larkin calls her “Worewei.”)

Definitely up!

Financially this has been a down year but somehow we still have had everything we need and more.

Up and down, up and down. Our life seems to be filled with ups and downs..

I have noticed myself developing some bad habits in relationship to the ups and down of life. If things are bad and I am in desperate need of something, be it money or some other thing, I become very spiritual. I start praying very fervently and feverishly but then when things are fine again my prayer life becomes non-existent.

My spiritual-life is very much based on my circumstances. As humans I think we are inclined to react to life based on our circumstances so it makes sense that we have a tendency to do that in our relationship with God but I don’t think that is really what He has in mind for us.

I have been reading for the last several months (with the frequency of my reading dependant on my circumstances) in the book of Numbers. In Numbers 10:8-9, the priests are given a command to blow their trumpets as they go into battle and if they do so they will be remembered by God and rescued from their enemies. They are also commanded to blow their trumpets at times of rejoicing- during their appointed festivals and New Moon Feasts.

God is telling them to acknowledge him when they are in the middle of really tough or difficult circumstances but also in the midst of the good times.

This is something that I struggle with. I very easily move on to other things once God has given me what I want. What about you? Do you struggle with living a spiritual-life that is based on your circumstances?

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