Many people these days have a great yearning for spirituality in their lives. Yet many find it hard to define what they mean by spirituality. When you know you need something but you're not sure what it is you're looking for, the search can be confusing, and even depressing.
The New English Bible translates the first beatitude in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, "How blest are those who know their need of God; the kingdom of Heaven is theirs." Matt. 5:3. The King James Version reads, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This is a good way to start thinking about spirituality—knowing that God is real and that we are utterly dependent upon Him for goodness, for purpose, for life itself. Spirituality enables us to feel the presence and power of God. According to Christian Science, spirituality isn't some foreign thing "out there" that we have to acquire. Rather it is innate in man's genuine being. It's spiritual sense that assures us there's more to life than what the material world presents. It often takes earnest striving to feel this spirituality on a regular basis, but simply knowing that it is inherent in our true identity reassures us that it's possible.
How do we begin to experience spirituality? The first step is to really want to live closer to God. In fact, we may need honestly to examine the whole range of desires that confront us, and then consciously decide that being close to God is of first importance. Spirituality involves persistent effort and often struggle, and we must not lose sight of how much we truly want it. The commitment required is summed up well in a statement in Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy. She writes, "Simply asking that we may love God will never make us love Him; but the longing to be better and holier, expressed in daily watchfulness and in striving to assimilate more of the divine character, will mould and fashion us anew, until we awake in His likeness." Science and Health, p. 4
