SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING

SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING

Recently I was challenged with this question.  What is spiritual understanding?  I thought about this for a moment, to myself.  Do I know what spiritual understanding really is?  And then my next thought was, perhaps I better do some research.  I started out with Mr. Webster online, and here are some of the things I learned about understanding.

         

      .   A mental grasp, or comprehension

·    The power of comprehending, especially the capacity to apprehend general relations of particulars

·     The power to make experience intelligible by applying concepts and categories

·    Friendly or harmonious relationship

·    An agreement of opinion or feeling: adjustment of difference.

·    A mutual agreement not formally entered into but in some degree binding on each side.

Then as I moved on down the wisdom trail of Webster on line, it gave some examples of understanding.

• He has a thorough understanding of the subject.
• She has a basic understanding of the process.
• I hope to get a clearer understanding of the issues involved.
• He seems to have little understanding of our situation.
• We have an understanding that whoever cooks doesn't have to do the dishes.
• She treats them with kindness and understanding.

And Webster’s definition of understanding goes on.  But nowhere in any part of the definition, did we see what we consider to be the real true meaning of understanding.  Implied in all the above are people.  Note the lower set of bullet points and all the pronouns involved, he, she, I we.   But for a true definition of understanding, we need to look at the word from a spiritual perspective, at least that it be a part of the definition.  We need to remove people from the picture and see that the source of understanding is God. 

Too often we look to other people, the seminary professor, pastor, Sunday school teacher or youth leader to give us a clear view of the meaning of understanding.   We need to remove from our minds that people are the source of understanding.  The source is God.  To properly understand insights from the Bible, we need God’s understanding.  Because God’s word is true, accurate and everlasting, we need spiritual understanding and must ask God for it, in order to have the true insights.   

In order to experience everything that God has to offer, it is important for us to ask Him over and over.  Since it is a gift from God, when we try to use human understanding to grasp His Word in our own strength, we become proud, and soon others will be admiring us for our great wisdom and understanding. In time natural understanding will fail, and we fall flat of our face. That is why it is so important for us to cry out to God for understanding.  It cannot come from our inner selves.  It is the Holy Spirit that gives understanding. 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.  Psalm 111:10a.

Dock Caton 03/01/13