The Spiritual Essentials

During some of the most intense public discussions of the COVID-19 ordeal, there was much controversy about what is essential. Who are essential workers? What jobs are essential? What businesses and services are essential? But let’s consider some spiritual essentials in our life?

The non-spiritual essentials are important and should not be minimized; consideration should be given to each topic. However,this article is to opine on what are the spiritual essentials in our life.

Everyone agrees there are several things in life which are essential. Food to eat and a place to sleep. A place to call home as well as a source of income. Interaction with family and friends, both in the community and in the church. Equally important are some criticalspiritual essentials.

During this period of time people have searched for ways to satisfy this essential aspect of life. They have set up online Bible studies andvideo chat discussions. Virtual religious services and “meeting places” were created to satisfy the need to worship and assembly with fellow believers.

God has not left mankind to guess what are the essential requirements for serving Him, obeying Him and pleasing Him. He told two different prophets, several centuries apart, to tell the children of Israel what He required or considered essentialspiritually.

When the children of Israel were on the east side of the Jordan, Moses told this mass of people, “… what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord’s commandment and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good” (Deuteronomy 10:12, 13). Warning Israel before they went into captivity, the prophet Micah (6:8) spoke to his generation God’s message. “And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Some essential requirements emerge when combining these two passages. God expects people to love Him, to fear (or respect) Him, to serve Him, to keep His commandments, to do justice and kindness to each other, and to walk humbly in all His ways. These essentials are necessary regardless of one’s circumstances in life, age or residence.

For our current generation, these spiritual essentials have not changed. They are as essential today as they were when Jesus walked on the earth. Jesus summarizes what God said through these two prophets, “Love God and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).  These spiritual essentials provide instructions to those who want to be living God’s way. 

Carlton G. McPeak

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