Unfortunately, I have been spending a lot of time on Match.com lately. I cannot give you stats but it SEEMS that a lot women are using the label of  Spiritual But Not Religious. So much so that I have been telling myself, ‘Almost all women are that way so I should not take it too seriously’. But I admit it is a turn-off and I often “swipe-left”.

However, I realize that that could mean different things to different people.  After talking to a few women, I got an idea about what some  thought it meant. Some thought it meant believing in a Lord who was not involved in the world. Some thought it it implied that all religious expression was bad.  Most of the women interpreted the term to mean someone who believed in the universe or were spiritual in a very cosmic sense, like in Star Wars, the Force. Most of them had a very negative view of Jesus and/or God.  A few just did not like organized religion.

Before I got an idea of what it meant to them, I had an idea about what it meant to me!  As I have a guarded view of organized religion (see my devotional called, Organized Religion and Organized Crime), I wondered if it meant that the person indicating that she was Spiritual But Not Religious, respected others people’s religious ideas and beliefs and had deeply held, heart-centered views of the Lord. I was hoping she was “spiritual” in the most true sense of the word in that she followed the Lord wherever it led and that she had a temple in her heart to the Lord but it was not defined by being Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, or whatever. To me, that would be a keeper.  

Why do I consider that to be beautiful? It is beautiful to me because I know that the Lord I know has never let me be confined to one church or expression of faith and service to Him. He has always challenged me to see Him in different buildings and in all kinds of people. Just like Peter in the book of Acts, who the Lord called to go and baptize the member of the Italian Cohort (Acts 10) , I have not been allowed to have a narrow view of who He has for me to serve or the church or Temple He wants me to serve in!

You may define Spiritual But Not Religious differently.

Either way, I encourage you to ask yourself what it means as you may see that term used more often.  I encourage you that if you define yourself as, “religious” that you continue to build the temple in your heart as that is what the Lord wants from us, a relationship. If you call yourself, “non-religious” then realize you can greatly benefit from being in a religious setting and you can learn much from religious people about life and about life with God. Remember that the Lord calls us to relationship . However, He calls us to a relationship that is bigger and more fulfilling and deeper than any Sunday morning meeting.

Now, I am not saying that those who indicated that they were Spiritual But Not Religious are wrong or bad. If anything I am saying that I find it misleading. I hope that I can find a woman to whom the word “religious” does not mean something bad or negative or embarrassing. However, I am also looking for a woman who has that temple in her heart to the Lord and is open-minded and non-judgemental and whose life is full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness and self-control for everyone, like the Lord’s is.

Is that too much to ask?

Hebrews 12:14  Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

———————————————————-W.