Spiritual Breathing
When we look at nature we can see many spiritual truths reflected in it. God created man from the dust of the earth, which is an inanimate substance. The form of man was dead until God breathed life into him. The breath of God kick-started the breathing process, which sustains life in man. Man breathes in oxygen and then exhales carbon dioxide, in this way he continues to live. God is the giver of life, (first breath), but then its continuance is up to man. The heart pumps the blood throughout the body, but if the breathing stops the heart stops as well.
Breathing is the giving and receiving, the sowing and reaping and the loving and being loved. Just as it is necessary in the sustaining of natural life, it is also necessary for spiritual life. As the Bible says: “we have gone from death to life, because we love the brethren; he who does not love the brethren is still dead,” (I John 3.14). We receive the love of God, which generates spiritual life in us, but we must love others for that life to continue. Breath in and breath out.
This natural and spiritual principal is also seen in the phenomena of the Dead Sea. The Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea. It is fresh water in which there is life. As it reaches the Dead Sea it becomes salty and unable to sustain life, because there is no exit for the water. Fresh water is maintained through the receiving and giving; the flowing in of fresh water and the flowing out of fresh water. Our spiritual life is never about just “me”. It is about “us”. It is a relationship. If our approach to God is about what we can get from Him, we will soon become frustrated and our spiritual life will dry up. It is a two-way street. A breathing in and a breathing out.
Love, which is the center of our relationship with God, is also like breathing. We love God, because He first loved us. (I John 4.19) We receive His love, then we love Him back. Love, in human relationships, is sustained in the same manner. It must be reciprocal. I had a young man come to me for counsel and requested prayer about his desire to get married. When I questioned him about his desire to marry, he answered by saying that he was lonely, that he had been struggling with lust and that he needed a partner to share with the expenses of the house. I looked at him intently and told him that he should remain single the rest of his life. I told him that marriage was not for him! Relationships turn abusive when it serves only to meet a person’s need. Because of his self-centeredness, his young man would quickly destroy any girl he would marry. I think I shocked some sense into him that day.
I believe this is a very simple principle and easy to understand. Give – receive – give again. Love – be loved – love again. Forgive – be forgiven – forgive again… and life goes on. Have you ever seen someone so frustrated that they forget to breathe? They talk a mile a minute, exasperated with their life. Their face turns red and it looks like they will explode, until someone takes control and says: “Stop, breathe deeply…calmly…breathe in…now out…”. Don’t be just a taker. You’ll get all plugged up. Be a giver too. That’s right; breathe in and breathe out!
Scriptures to meditate on:
John 3.16; I John 2.9-10; 3.10-14; 4.7-8, 19; Lucas 6.3