Relational Spirituality

I have been ridiculously blessed with the best family and friends a girl could ask for. I know I have said this before, but I can't help but write about it again. I love the people God has placed in my life. I am so grateful for them and for what they add to my life.


I am thankful for the way they love me, challenge me, stretch me, and walk beside me.

I am currently writing a paper on the different facets of spirituality (but taking a break to write this blog...procrastination at its finest) based on Kenneth Boa's book Conformed to His Image. One of the facets of spirituality he talks about is Relational Spirituality. Essentially, this is found from loving God completely, ourselves correctly, and others compassionately. Boa says, “…we are called to a lifestyle of growing others-centeredness and diminishing self-centeredness as Christ increases and we decrease." If we love God completely, he will teach us how to love ourselves correctly. 

Loving ourselves correctly allows us to love others out of the overflow and not because we require something from them- such as acceptance or in an attempt to overcome feelings of loneliness or insignificance. 

I can't help but think of what a beautiful relationship that would create- to love others out of the overflow. To see myself correctly and therefore love others more compassionately. And it all starts with loving God completely. 

What would that look like in your life? To love God completely? What is competing with God for your heart? It is an easy question for me to answer, and a scary one for me to act on. But necessary. So necessary. Because God has blessed me with special people in my life. And I want to love them compassionately, not selfishly. Don't you?