What Is Spirituality? Can I Be Spiritual Without Religion? - Why is spirituality important ?

 Spirituality leads to "life and peace." (Romans 8:6) These gifts from God have valued beyond compare.

. Life: God promises to grant everlasting life to spiritual people. - JOHN 17:3; GALATIANS 6:8. 

. Peace: This is peace with God. Those who focus on their only on their physical needs are enemies of God. (Romans 8:7) Further, God rewards those who cultivate spirituality with "the peace of God that surpasses all understanding." (Philippians 4:6, 7) Such inner peace helps them to find happiness in life. - MATTHEW 5:3. 

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What Is Spirituality? Can I Be Spiritual Without Religion? -Where does spirituality come from?

 We have the capacity for spirituality because we are made in God's image. (Genesis 1:27) Thus, is it not surprising that most people have some appreciation and a yearning for things that are not material or physical. 

We have an inborn ability to display qualities of those of Jehovah God, such as peace, mercy, and impartiality. (James 3:17) Further, God strengthens the spirituality of those who strive to obey his commands.  - ACTS 5:32.

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What Is Spirituality? Can I Be Spiritual Without Religion/The Bible's answer

 As the term is used in the Bible, spirituality can be described as a deep desire and willingness to please God and adopt his way of thinking. A spiritual person strives to live his life in harmony with God's values and under the direction of His holy spirit. -ROMANS 8:5; EPHESIANS 5:1.

The Bible often uses contrast to explain spirituality. For example, unlike a spiritual person, "a physical man does not accept the things of the spirit of God," or God's teachings. (1 Corinthians 2:14-16) In contrast with spiritual people, fleshly people are prone to "jealousy and strife" rather than generosity and peace. (1 Corinthians 3:1-3) And those whose speech slanders and separate close friends are called" animalistic men, not having spirituality." - JUDE 19; PROVERBS 16:28.

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Satan's Way of Ruling Sure to Fail - Conclusion

 Why the World Is Sick

Satan's entire world system- a product of his way of governing-has repeatedly and consistently failed over the centuries. In 1991, the newspaper the European noted: "Is the world sick? Yes, indeed, but . . . not by an [act] of God-the world's illness was inflicted by its peoples." How true! Influenced by Satan, our first parents chose human rule over rule by Jehovah. They thereby set in motion a way of governing that was bound to fail. The pain and misery experienced by people worldwide are signs that human rule is afflicted by a dreadful illness. 

Satan's way governing appeals to selfishness. However, selfishness can never conquer love, which is the basis of Jehovah's way of governing. Satan's way of governing has failed to deliver happiness, or security. Jehovah's way of ruling stands vindicated! Do we have modern-day evidence of that? Yes. 

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 Patience and Long-Suffering. Jehovah's qualities of patience and long-suffering would scarcely have come so prominently to the fore had it not become necessary for him to deal with human imperfections, sins, and shortcomings. Jehovah's willingness to do so for thousands of years demonstrate that he possesses these marvelous qualities to a perfect degree, and for that we should be most grateful. The apostle Peter rightly stated that we should "consider the patience of our Lord as salvation." - 2 PETER 3:9, 15. 

Willingness to Forgive. We are all sinners, and we all stumble many times. (James 3:2; 1 John 1:8, 9) How grateful we should be that Jehovah is willing to forgive "in a very large way"! (Isaiah 55:7) Consider also this fact: Having been born as imperfect sinners, we are in a position to experience the profound joy we feel with God forgives us our errors. (Psalm51:5. 9, 17) Personally experiencing that heartwarming characteristic of Jehovah strengthens our love for him and encourages us to follow his example in our dealings with others. - COLOSSIANS 3:13. 

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Satan's Way of Ruling Sure to Fail - Continue

 Justice. Jehovah does not lie; neither does he act unjustly. (Deuteronomy 32:4; Titus 1:2) He always holds the highest standards of truth and of justice, even when doing so appears to be to his own disadvantage. (Romans 8:32) How painful it must have been for Jehovah to see his beloved Son die on a torture stake as if Jesus were an unfaithful blasphemer! Yet, out of love for imperfect humans, Jehovah was willing to permit this painful event to take place in order to uphold his own perfect standard of justice. (Read Romans 5:18-21.) A world full of injustice gave Jehovah the opportunity of demonstrating himself to be the pinnacle of justice.

Wisdom. Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, Jehovah revealed the way that he would undo all the bad effects caused by their rebellion. (Genesis 3:15) Such immediate action, as well as his progressively revealing details of this purpose to his servants, brought Jehovah's wisdom into sharp focus. (Romans 11:33) Nothing can impede God's ability to handle matters successfully. In a world marked by immorality, war, unreasonableness, disobedience, mercilessnness, partiality,  and hypocrisy, Jehovah has had ample opportunity to demonstrate to his creatures what real wisdom is. The disciple James said: The wisdom from above is first of all chaste, then peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, full of mercy and good fruits, not making partial distinctions, not hypocritical." - JAMES 3:17.

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Satan's Way of Ruling Sure to Fail - Continue

 Love. The Scriptures tell us that "God is love." (1 John 4:8) The creation of humans was, in the first place, an expression of God's love. Furthermore, the fear-inspiring and wonderful way in which we are made bears witness to God's love. Jehovah also lovingly provided humans with a beautiful home containing everything necessary for their happiness. (Genesis 1:29-31; 2:8, 9; Psalm 139:14-16) But once wickedness was introduced to the human family, Jehovah expressed his love in new ways. How? The apostle John quotes Jesus as saying: "God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that anyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) Could God have shown his love for mankind in a more remarkable way than by sending his only-begotten Son to earth in order to ransom sinners? (John 5:13) This great demonstration of love also served as a pattern for humans, giving them the opportunity to reflect God's self-sacrificing love in everyday life, even as Jesus did. -JOHN 17:25, 26. 

Power. Only "God, the Almighty," has the power to create life. (Revelation 11:17; Psalm 36:9) At birth, a human starts out like a blank sheet of paper, as it were. At death, he has filled that blank sheet with the decisions and actions, and experiences of a lifetime that shaped his individuality and personality. That information can filed away in Jehovah's memory. In due time, Jehovah can restore the individual to life again, complete with his unique life pattern. (John 5:28, 29) Thus, although not God's original purpose for humans, death has given Jehovah the opportunity to show that his power reaches even beyond the grave. Indeed, Jehovah is "God, the Almighty." 

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Satan's Way of Ruling Sure to Fail - Continue

 A Rebellion That Has Served to Glorify Jehovah

Allowing humans to be influenced by Satan and to rule themselves has in no way discredited Jehovah's way of governing. on the contrary! History proves that Jeremiah's statement, uttered under inspiration, about the inability of humans to govern themselves is correct. (Read Jeremiah 10:23.) In addition, Satan's rebellion has given Jehovah an opportunity to demonstrate His fine qualities in a more pronounced way. How so?

Against the backdrop of Satan's disastrous rule, Jehovah's perfect qualities are even more obvious than they otherwise might have been. In this way, he has been magnified in the eyes of those who love him. Yes, paradoxical as it may sound, Satan's way of governing has in reality served to glorify God. It has highlighted the superlative way in which Jehovah has dealt with this challenge to his sovereignty. To illustrate that truth, let us briefly consider some of Jehovah's qualities and see how Satan's wicked rule has moved Jehovah to show these qualities in additional ways. 

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 Why Permitted?

Some may wonder why Jehovah did not prevent humans from taking sides with Satan and from following an alternative plan for governing that was sure to fail. As God Almighty, he could sure have done so. (Exodus 6:3) Nevertheless, he held back. His wisdom dictated that temporarily refraining from interfering in man's rebellion would in the long run work out for the best. Eventually, Jehovah would be vindicated as being a righteous and loving Ruler, and faithful humans would benefit from God's decision.

What misery could have been spared the human family if humans had rejected Satan's advances and refused to strike out for independence from God's rule! Still, Jehovah's decision to allow humans to rule themselves for a time has had benefits. It has deeply impressed on righthearted individuals the wisdom of listening to God and of trusting him. Over the centuries, humans have experimented with numerous kinds of governments, but not one of them has to be ideal. That fact has served to strengthen worshippers of God in their conviction that Jehova's way of governing is indeed best. Granted, Jehovah's permission of Satan's wicked rulership has resulted in hardships for mankind, including for those who faithfully worship God. Still the temporary permission of wickedness has also resulted in benefits for these faithful worshippers.  

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Satan's Way of Ruling Sure to Fail - Continue

 A sensible person generally refrains from embarking on a new endeavor that is doomed to fail. If he insists on going ahead with his endeavor, he will be forced to recognize his error. History has proved many times over that it is useless to stand in opposition to the almighty Creator. (Read Proverbs 21:30.) Satan, however, blinded by feelings of self-importance and pride, turned his back on Jehovah. Thus the Devil plunged headlong onto a path that could only end in disaster.

Satan's presumptuous attitude was later reflected by a Babylonian ruler is recorded as boasting: "To the heavens I shall go up. Above the stars of God I shall lift up my throne, and I shall sit down upon the mountain of meeting, in the remotest parts of the north. I shall go up above the high places of the clouds; I shall make myself resemble the Most High." (Isaiah 14:13-15) That ruler's senseless undertaking has failed, and the Babylonian dynasty came to an inglorious end. Similarly, Satan and his world will soon go down in total defeat. 

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