Spiritual Instinct
Do you ever wonder why others don’t see what you see in a sunset or hear what you hear in a melody? Or why some people always give hugs while you would rather greet with a “hello”? Do you ever question why some individuals have enough energy to be involved in every voluntary opportunity in the church, in addition to working a 40-hour week?
Everyone is wired differently, and has different strengths, opinions, and instincts. At Training Camp for The World Race, our speaker for the week, Dr. Ron Walborn, Dean of Alliance Theological Seminary, spoke to us about Spiritual Instinct. Spiritual Instinct can be defined as the deeply rooted way in which we connect with and feel the presence of God. Spiritual Instincts help to explain why you were drawn to the church that you attend or to the ministry you serve in. Also they help to explain why you may hear more personally from God during a musical worship setting, rather than from a sermon. Spiritual instincts help explain why you connect with the Lord during an intimate community group setting, more so than in a pew on Sunday mornings.
The idea of Spiritual Instinct allows me to better understand how others connect with God in ways that are different from my own and why I don’t connect with God in ways that others do. If you are trying to connect with God in a way that is different from how you are wired, you can become frustrated or confused. You may even begin to blame the church or others for not providing more opportunities for you to relate with God through your Spiritual Instinct. I will admit that I have wrongly blamed churches and groups in the past for not providing enough avenues for me to connect with God, because the core values of those groups did not align with my Spiritual Instincts.
As our speaker at The World Race described, there are seven different types of Spiritual Instincts. No instinct is better than the other. I realize now that God speaks to and connects with each of us in very different and personal ways. As you read the following list, you may know without hesitation which type of spiritual instinct best describes you. Most people find themselves relating with two or three categories more than the others. Additionally, these categories are not meant to brand Christians, but are rather used as a tool to better understand the way in which we connect with our Heavenly Father.
7 Spiritual Instincts
- Aesthetic Instinct (Majesty)
- Worship in beauty and order
- Love tradition, art, and architecture – i.e.: ageless churches
- Enjoy singing hymns and reciting readings
- Experience God through the senses: sight, smell, sound; atmosphere
- Biblical example – David and Solomon
Cons – past orientation or preferences can rob you of present experiences and opportunities
- Experiential Worship Instinct (Joy – an Encounter)
- Loves to feel God’s presence
- The here and now
- Enjoys musical worship experiences
- Loves intimacy – i.e.: closed eyes, swaying
- Biblical example – Peter and David
Cons – can become emotional/experience driven, can feel like you have to top past experiences
- Activist Instinct (Achievement)
- Loves serving
- Passionate about evangelism, social justice, and change
- Experiences God through out reach
- Biblical example – Moses, Nehemiah, and Paul
Cons – can become too busy working for the Lord that you forget The Lord
- Contemplative Instinct (Listening)
- Needs time alone to meet with God
- Finds strength and restoration from being alone
- Loves prayer as listening and being with God
- Would rather listen than talk
- Biblical example – Mary and John the Baptist
Cons – may not have enough community accountability, may not be comfortable in larger group settings
- Student Instinct (Truth)
- Enjoys studying the Bible
- Doctrine minded
- Appreciates literature and discussions
- Biblical example – Paul
Cons – can cause impatience or intolerance of different beliefs, can become arrogant or Pharisee-like
- Relational Instinct (Love)
- Wants to be in groups
- Encounters God through the sense of touch
- Enjoy hugging and providing empathic touch
- Despises solitude and is refueled by being with others
- Biblical example – Barnabas and John
Cons – may try to get from community what should be received from God
- Naturalist Instinct (Creation – Psalms 8)
- Nature = beauty
- Everything in nature (trees, rivers, oceans) reflects God
- Loves to preserve nature
- Biblical example – David
Cons – can worship the creation instead of the Creator, can idolize nature
For me, hearing this message provided an ‘ah-ha moment’ of, “so THAT is why I enjoy being outdoors!” I am now more able to understand how and why I hear and view God the way that I do. I relate with the Experiential, Contemplative, and Naturalist Instincts. I feel God’s love when I hear a song at the exact moment that I need it the most. I am refueled and refreshed by spending time alone listening and waiting on the Lord. I see the hand of God in every golden sunbeam and every blade of green grass. My ideal setting to connect with and hear from God would be alone on a mountainside, strumming my guitar; and when I say strumming, I cling to Ps. 98:4!
This is not to say that I can’t or don’t connect with the Lord through the other four Spiritual Instincts. For example, sitting in someone’s home learning about the scriptures with a community group excites me to no end. Biblical lessons learned round the kitchen table of Mrs. Molly, EQUIP small group leader at Northside Baptist Church, are more valuable to me than my degree. Currently, I am so encouraged and blessed by the relationships that I have made in my Community Group at Piedmont Church. In my opinion, it is to the church’s and our own benefit to step outside of the comfort zone of our Spiritual Instinct and try to experience God in new ways.
So what is your Spiritual Instinct? How do you connect with and experience God? Please feel free to share any comments and insight from this blog in the comment section below! Be blessed.
