Personal Experiences: Realizations of Spiritual Truths
I have learned, early in life, of the teachings in the Bible through children’s stories told about the creation of man, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the great flood, as well as the life of Jesus Christ. I have recognized the fallible nature of man and how, in the Old Testament, God had been hurt by sinners. The narrative events that catapulted to the creation of the Ten Commandments documented the need for laws and rules to follow to enable men to be guided towards the right path of life. Despite these commandments, there are times when people are still tempted and prodded to commit mistakes that defy the purpose and will of God. The current discourse aims to present personal experiences that helped learn spiritual truths through the concept of nepsis, “a greek word which means to be watchful, alert, vigilant and to basically keep a look” .
I remembered an experience while I was still in my high school years when it was deemed cool to engage in activities that violate the normal behavior. The first activity, thought to be fun by my peers, was to cut-classes and go out on a shopping mall to window shop. There was one store with knick knacks and a wide assortment of fad items. Since we were a group, the sales person could hardly monitor what all of us were looking at. We all agreed to shoplift an item or two that fits our fancy. I took out a couple of colored pens with the coolest design of bracelets and rings. I thought it was really awesome. At the back of my mind, I knew stealing was wrong – a sin; yet, for the sake of fun, camaraderie and being pegged as rebellious, I shoplifted.
When I reached home, I felt this incessant emotion of guilt. There seemed to be an inner dialogue reminding the righteous me of the sin that I intentionally committed and the rebellious me stating that it was not a big deal as long as I looked cool to my peers. The feeling of uneasiness persisted. That night, I could not sleep. I thought of a plan which would correct my mistake.
The next day, I asked my mother to accompany me to the shopping mall just to look around. I intentionally led her to the shop where I stole those knick knacks. When nobody was looking, I took the items I stole from my bag and returned them immediately. It was only then that I felt complete peace. From then on, I pledged never to shoplift again in my entire life for whatever purpose it might serve. The feeling of anxiety and guilt could not replace any perceived benefits that the act initially aimed to attain. That was a realization of spiritual truths: the need to abide by God’s commandments (not to steal) and to be vigilant in identifying temptations and dangers that could lead me to sin.
Overall, I eventually acknowledged later in life that there are temptations the prod me to veer away from the right path. These temptations are sometimes disguised in the form of negative thoughts, invitations to rebel or misbehave, or to put selfish interests over the well-being of others. As learned, people should discern between living according to men’s selfish desires and those that abide by the Spirit . Living according to the laws and commandments in the scriptures leads us to a peaceful and productive life.
References
Nepsis. (2008, February 17). Retrieved October 19, 2014, from redbooks.wordpress.com: http://redbooks.wordpress.com/2008/02/17/nepsis/
Romans 8:4-6 (New International Version). (2014). Retrieved October 20, 2014, from biblestudytools.com: http://www.biblestudytools.com/romans/passage.aspx?q=romans+8:4-6
