What is the Goal of Spirituality?

Summary

Do you ever feel like you are going through the religious motions—checking off the prayer and scripture boxes—but still feel buried by the weight of the world? If you treat your spiritual habits like chores, you might be missing the point entirely. In this deep and moving episode of the Arise, Women of God podcast, host Tamara K. Anderson and advisory board member Amy Johnson ask the fundamental question: What is the goal of spirituality?

We strip away the checklist to reveal the "why" behind the worship. Amy shares a raw, honest perspective on how spiritual connection is her survival mechanism against the mountains of depression and emotional exhaustion. We explore the "Pendulum Principle," explaining why deep sorrow is actually a prerequisite for deep joy, and how to find God in the "still, small voice" amidst a noisy life. Amy also shares a tender personal story of how a moment of silence during a sunrise drive allowed her to hear a prompting that changed the end of her father's life. If you are ready to move from religious exhaustion to a life-giving relationship with God, this episode will help you find the silence you need to hear Him.

Episode Takeaways

1. The Ultimate Goal: According to John 17:3, the goal of spirituality isn't just to be "good"; it is to know God and Jesus Christ. As we know them, we naturally want to become like them.
2. Moving Mountains of Depression: Amy shares that her "what's in it for me" is survival. Spirituality is the tool she uses to protect herself from being "buried emotionally" by the world. It provides the power to move the mountains of mental health struggles.
3. The Pendulum Principle: Your capacity for sorrow digs the well for your capacity for joy. If you are swinging deep into grief or hardship, remember that the pendulum will swing back just as far into joy.
4. The Power of Stillness: We live in a noisy world. Amy’s story of turning off the radio to watch a sunrise proves that silence is often the only way to hear the critical promptings that guide us to where we need to be (like making it home for her father’s passing).

FREE Resource

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Reflection Questions

1. Be honest: Is your current spiritual life a checklist or a lifeline? How does viewing it as "survival" against the world change your motivation?
2. Think of a time you experienced deep sorrow. Did you eventually experience a "swing" back to deep joy (The Pendulum Principle)?
3. When was the last time you drove your car in total silence? What might God be trying to say to you in the stillness?
4. Read John 17:3. Do you feel like you know God, or do you just...