The Biggest
Challenge: Spiritual Growth
(Part I)
Armenian men state that the most important challenge for them is to consciously sense that they are spiritually growing closer to God. Armenian couples emphasize that they must be able to grow closer to God by praying together as a couple, and not just as two individuals. Armenian men and women looking for a soul mate state that they want a ‘Godly’ spiritual soul mate so they can sense more complete and closer to God with their future spouse. Why this emphasis on being and growing ‘closer to God’? Because it is part of our very nature! “Let us make man in our image, and in our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26) The ‘image’ of God in us is the rationality and free will that He has bestowed upon us. When we use our rationality and free will to consciously grow closer to God in heart, mind, and spirit, it is then that we are experiencing our full eternal potential. It is for this reason that Christ states: “We worship what we do know.” (St. John 4:22) God’s ‘likeness’ is the need and drive to grow progressively and consciously. It is this combination – of progressively and consciously growing towards God through the exercise of our free will and rationality that gives us the sense that “Life is worth living.” Therefore, when men and women, along with couples and even communities, say that the most important challenge and aspiration for them is to consciously and progressively grow closer to God, they are knowingly or unknowingly revealing the very essence, core, and even the ultimate meaning and purpose in life for which human beings and civilizations are created.
But what does this human spiritual growth and progress entail? The answer is given in the very first verses of the Bible: “And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day.” (Genesis 1:1-5) It is clear that God from the beginning set out to bring order and direction to the universe. He separated light from darkness, and ordered the progression of days. He moved the universe from disorder to order. Afterwards, when God sent Christ, He revealed through His only Son the path from Spiritual Disorder towards Spiritual Order to human beings and civilizations: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (St. John 14:6) Finally, when He established the Church through the Holy Spirit, the means of this progressive conscious growth towards God took a perpetual tangible form in this world. Therefore the relationship of God with humanity is to progressively move from Spiritual Disorder to Spiritual Order – as God did at the creation of the universe, as Christ did when he revealed the purpose of life to us, and as the Holy Spirit continues to guide and make known in our personal and communal life through the Church. When we experience this conscious progression from Spiritual Disorder to Spiritual Order, it is then that we grow closer to God and sense a spiritual growth and fulfillment. So how can we plan, appraise, and proceed in this journey of spiritual growth in life? By searching for and finding peace, joy, and progress in life. Let us discuss each separately.
(Part II - Attaining spiritual peace will be discussed next)
Spiritual Challenges of Armenian Professional Men
Responses to 'Spiritual Challenges of Armenian Professional Men'