Elize About Faith

“People seek spirituality but without God, or they blend New Age practices with Christianity. It may feel enlightened, but it can lead us onto spiritually dangerous ground.” — Pastor Phillip Anthony Mitchell

This is something that has been on my heart for a while, and I share it with humility, not judgment.

Many people are searching for peace, healing, meaning, and spiritual connection. That desire itself isn’t wrong, it’s deeply human. But sometimes in that search, different spiritual ideas and practices begin to blend together in ways we may not fully think through.

I know people – including friends – who sincerely say they follow Christ, yet they also rely on practices that come from New Age or Eastern spiritual traditions.

Some turn to crystals for healing or energy balance. Some burn incense or candles to remove “negative energy.”

Others talk about manifesting prosperity rather than praying and trusting God to provide.

Some look for guidance from ‘spirit guides’ or deceased loved ones rather than seeking the Holy Spirit.

Others pursue spiritual experiences through methods such as meditation, sound baths or energy healing practices.

These things are often presented as harmless parts of “wellness” or “self-care.” In many environments, including the beauty and wellness industry where I spent over 20 years, they have become very normalized. For a long time, I didn’t think deeply about these things either. But over time I began to realize that not everything that feels peaceful, spiritual, or healing is necessarily aligned with biblical truth.

Scripture actually speaks quite directly about seeking spiritual guidance from sources outside of God.

“And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.” – Deuteronomy 18:9-12 (NLT)

Other passages echo similar warnings:

“Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord your God.” – Leviticus‬ ‭19‬:‭31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars.” – Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭19‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

These verses aren’t meant to create fear, but they do remind us that these practices lead people away from God. 

Self-directed spirituality can often look very spiritual on the surface. It can promise peace, healing, empowerment, or enlightenment. But the heart of Christian faith has always been different.

God’s way begins with surrender.

Self-directed spirituality often begins with personal preference.

God’s way asks,

“What does Scripture teach even when it challenges me?”

Self-directed spirituality often asks,

“What feels right to me?”

Christian faith invites us into humility, repentance, and trust in God’s wisdom even when it’s uncomfortable. It calls us to place Christ at the center of our lives rather than shaping spirituality around ourselves.

Throughout Christian history, believers have practiced spiritual disciplines that draw them closer to God, such as:

• Prayer

• Meditation on Scripture

• Silence and solitude

• Fasting

• Worship

• Confession

These practices aren’t about controlling spiritual outcomes or accessing hidden power. Instead, they are ways of opening our hearts to God and aligning ourselves with His will.

The challenge for Christians today is learning to discern the difference between practices that help us grow in faith and those that gradually shift our trust elsewhere.

In a culture where many people describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious,” it’s easy for beliefs and practices from many traditions to blend together. But Christianity has always taught something distinctive:

truth about God is revealed, it isn’t something we simply construct for ourselves.

So perhaps the most honest question we can ask ourselves is this: Is my spirituality shaped primarily by God’s Word, or by what feels meaningful or appealing to me?

Scripture encourages believers to stay rooted in Christ and to exercise spiritual discernment:

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” – Colossians 2:8

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” – 1 John 4:1

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5

These reminders aren’t meant to condemn anyone. They simply encourage us to remain grounded in Christ and attentive to the ways we seek spiritual guidance.

For all of us, the invitation remains the same:

To seek God first, to trust His Word, and to allow our faith to be shaped by Him rather than by the shifting ideas around us.

The real question isn’t whether something feels spiritual, peaceful, or empowering the question is whether it leads us closer to Christ or quietly draws our trust away from Him.

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” – Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬-‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

At the moment, my son is obsessed with a particular children’s film and its characters. He watches it almost daily and knows the name of every character and exactly what will happen next. For his birthday, we decided to buy him the figurines, and he was absolutely thrilled. He immediately began playing with them while the film played in the background.

Later that day, I sat down with him and said, “So tell me, what are all their names?”

I already knew every name. I knew what each character did in the film. I hear and see it all daily. Still, I wanted him to tell me. Still I patiently sat with him, while he named each caracter and told me about the story. – a story I know so well by now. For him it was important to tell me, to connect with me and to find comfort with me in that moment.

Afterward, it made me think about how God wants to hear from us.

Yes, He knows all the details.

Yes, He sees and hears everything, every day.

Yes, He already knows what we are going to say.

Yes, He hears the same thing repeatedly.

And yet, Jesus comes and sits beside us and says,

“Talk to Me. Tell Me. I am listening.”

“My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.””

Psalms 27:8 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.27.8.NLT

If we think about it, communication is key in everyday relationships. Communication is something many of us find hard, yet it is such a fundamental part of a relationship, especially at times when we have to be vulnerable and honest. But without it, relationships don’t work.

And this is no different in our relationship with God and how we communicate with Him. The primary way we can hear God speak to us is through the Bible and we respond to His word in prayer.

Now, I don’t think I have ever spoken to anyone that said prayer is easy.

That’s where the Psalms come in.

The Psalms are God’s way of helping us pray. They show us how to speak to Him when we’re joyful, angry, fearful, grateful, confused, or broken. God, our guide and counsellor, gives us words to use when we don’t have our own. Through them, we learn that we can come to Him in every season of life and with every emotion we carry.

God already knows our hearts—but He still invites us to speak. And when we do, He listens, He comforts and He guides us.

Recently, I intentionally started spending more time in the Old Testament to better understand God’s commandments and His Word. What I wasn’t prepared for was the brokenness – fear, violence, idolatry, manipulation, impatience – moments especially throughout Genesis and Exodus. These stories are not softened or sanitised – they are very real and true. They reveal a world and a human condition already fractured by sin, a condition that still remains unchanged to this day.

Genesis and Exodus are not pretty. People lie, abuse power, fear God one moment and reject Him the next (Exodus 32:1–9). What’s most revealing isn’t just that these things happened but that God continued to still work through these people. Scripture certainly does not clean up humanity, it still tells us the truth about who and what we are. Truths that many believers choose to ignore.

Many may ask why God still allows this brokenness to remain on the pages of Scripture? Because if the Bible only presented polished heroes and pleasant stories, it would be useless to us now, many generations later. Instead, it shows us that God works through imperfect people to accomplish His perfect will (Judges 2:18; Psalm 103:8–10). If Scripture only showed us polished obedience and instant faith, it would quietly suggest that God only works with people who have it all together. But the real story says the opposite: God works through fear, failure, doubt, and even outright rebellion. Not because those things are good but because His grace is greater.

The Old Testament still serves us today. It tells the truth about the human condition, one that has not changed with time. It shows the consequences of sin (Deuteronomy 28). But more importantly, through every failure and fracture, it reveals and reminds us of God’s faithfulness, patience, and desire to walk with His children (Exodus 34:6–7).

God’s Patience in the Midst of Rebellion

In the Old Testament, God’s patience is clearly revealed in His relationship with Israel. Time and again, the people complain, doubt, and disobey. They witness miracles, receive deliverance, and enter into covenant with God, only to turn away when fear or discomfort arises. Their faith is inconsistent and often shallow, yet God does not abandon them.

Instead of responding with immediate judgment, God responds with mercy. He disciplines, yes, but He also forgives, restores, and continues to lead. God remains committed to His people even when they are committed to their own rebellion. He teaches them, corrects them, and calls them back to Himself, over and over again.

Moses himself is a powerful example of this patience. He killed an Egyptian in anger (Exodus 2:11–12), fled in fear, and later doubted his own ability to speak for God. Yet God did not discard him. Instead, He redeemed Moses’ past and entrusted him with leading Israel out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land (Exodus 3:10).

Brokenness is never the point. Redemption and walking with God is. The Old Testament boldly reminds us that this has always been the story – humanity fails, and God remains God. God’s patience turns failure into preparation.He consistently transforms brokeness and failure into opportunities for redemption.

In a broken world, “pretty” stories in the Bible would be dishonest and unhelpful. God’s Word is painfully honest, and through that honesty we are guided, corrected, and shaped. This is why it continues to speak so powerfully today. Scripture often holds up a mirror to our own brokenness and shows us how God can use it for a greater purpose (Romans 8:28).

Perhaps you are walking through a dark or difficult season yourself, wondering why certain things are happening in your life. If Scripture teaches us anything, it is that brokenness is not the end of the story. It is the start of something greater – God is still at work in you. And He is always faithful (Lamentations 3:31–33; Philippians 1:6).

If you are a woman and even more so, a mother, there is a good chance you have been approached by, or even pulled into, the MLM world. You are told that you can be an entrepreneur, a businesswoman, someone who builds her own empire. For many women, the appeal is strong. Some try it briefly and walk away. Others stay longer, believing deeply in the promise being offered.

I share this because I, too, believed I could build something of my own.

Although I did not remain in the MLM world itself for long, I spent nearly ten years chasing a business dream I was never able to reach. I believed I could grow a successful business, and I pursued that belief tirelessly even when reality consistently told me otherwise.

The truth I eventually had to face was that I did not have the skills nor the mindset required to be a business owner. I am not business-minded, and I am not an entrepreneur. The heart of my work was service delivery, which I am genuinely good at. But I was a poor businesswoman. I made impulsive decisions, mismanaged finances, and ultimately accumulated a significant amount of debt.

Letting go of the identity of “businesswoman” was painful. It felt like admitting failure. But in time, I realized something deeper: I was never meant to be one.

This realization extends far beyond business. It speaks to how God has designed each of our lives.

Every one of us has distinct talents, strengths, and limitations. Just as I will never thrive as an entrepreneur, those who excel in entrepreneurship may not naturally walk in empathy, compassion, or deep relational care in the way others do. And that is not a flaw – it is intentional design.

As Christians, we are not meant to be “all-can-do” disciples. We are not designed to cover every role or fulfill every calling. God, in His wisdom, gives each of us specific gifts for specific purposes.

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us…”

Romans 12:6–8 (NIV)

In 1 Corinthians 12:1–11, the Apostle Paul beautifully explains that these gifts come from the Holy Spirit, who distributes them as He determines – not as we strive to manufacture for ourselves.

Yet many of us spend years striving toward dreams that were never meant for us. We exhaust ourselves trying to make something work, wondering why it feels so heavy and fruitless. Often, the reason is simple: the pursuit is not aligned with the gifts God has given us.

When I reflect on this now, I see that God was not calling me to build an empire, He was calling me to walk with Him.

And this calling is one we all share. If there is one gift given freely to every believer, it is the gift of salvation. It does not require refining, hustling, or proving ourselves. Walking with Jesus is not complicated or exclusive, it is accessible, fitting, and life-giving.

What if, instead of exhausting ourselves trying to become something we were never meant to be, we poured our energy into following Jesus?

All that is required is love, trust, and belief – gifts we already carry because of the blood of Christ.

For around a month, every evening, my son wanted to read the same Bible story: Jonah and the big fish. For a child, this is of course a fantastical story – a man swallowed by a huge fish, staying in its belly for three days, and then burped out onto a beach.

Children often focus on the wonder of the story. But as adults, we gradually discover the deeper struggle inside Jonah – a struggle many of us still deal with ourselves.

The story is really about the human heart. It confronts our reluctance to extend mercy to those we dislike or distrust, and it reminds us that God’s compassion is wider than our own.

Jonah resented the people of Nineveh. They were enemies of Israel. His struggle was never really about the journey – it was about the possibility that God might forgive them.

When Jonah finally went to Nineveh and did as God commanded, the people repented and God showed them mercy. But instead of rejoicing, Jonah became angry. He wanted justice for his enemies, while God showed compassion even to those who had done wrong. Jonah’s heart was too hardened to see that they too were God’s children.

Perhaps that is why pairing Jonah’s story with the teachings of Jesus is so powerful. Jonah reveals the human resistance to loving our enemies, while Jesus calls us to overcome it.

For believers throughout history, this has been one of the hardest commandments to live out. Loving our friends and family comes naturally. Loving our enemies does not. It requires something deeper – the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ teaching pushes his followers beyond cultural loyalties, beyond revenge, and beyond the instinct to divide the world into “us” and “them.” Instead, he calls us toward a deeper compassion – one that reflects the boundless mercy of God.

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say: love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back.

Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid.

Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.

You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭27‬-‭36‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This passage from Luke 6:27–36 is one of the most radical teachings of Jesus Christ. It appears during what is often called the Sermon on the Plain, where Jesus explains how His followers should live differently from the world – to love, do good, bless, and pray for people who harm them. The command goes beyond normal human behavior. Most people love those who love them, but Jesus calls for love toward opponents and enemies. This kind of love reflects God’s character. “He is kind to the unthankful and wicked.”

As followers of God we are called to mirror His nature which is compassion, mercy, and generosity. It’s one of the clearest descriptions of the ethic of the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached. 

Love your enemies even if they don’t love you because the rewards in heaven are great.