How to get in Spiritual Alignment with God for Better Quality of Life

Out of Spiritual Alignment

Have you ever felt like every area of your life just seems to be going wrong? Are you constantly feeling drained, depleted and defeated? I understand the feeling because I have been there. I thought that by attaining and accomplishing things, I was improving my quality of life. Husband, check. Two kids, a boy and a girl, check. Master’s degree, check. Career, check. More money, check. I was doing what I thought I was suppose to do. On the outside looking in, I was abundantly blessed; and I was. However, I was miserable, exhausted and not present for my family on a daily basis. I realized I had to make some adjustments. I was feeling all of those things because I was out of Spiritual Alignment with God.

What is Spiritual Alignment?

I will never forget the time when I was praying, seeking God to try to understand what would be the right fit for me. He said, “You have been living your life using context clues. You are always in the general area but never in the exact right place for you.” This was some years ago. I believe that ever since he has been steering me closer to the exact right place. The right place; spiritually, relationally, emotionally and professionally. This is called spiritual alignment; all areas of your being in sync with God’s will for your life. If I put together the definitions of spiritual and alignment I get, a position of agreement and alliance relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul opposed to material or physical things. To get into a position of agreement and alliance to God requires, trust, surrender, discipline, and a whole lot of patience. In my opinion, the following is some ideas to ponder on how to get into spiritual alignment with God for a better quality of life.

Spiritual Alignment:

Allows you to be in the right position, in the right place, at the right time
Requires a mindshift about your identity
Is more than a career move, it’s a life shift
Happens when you seek to devour daily bread from the Father

1. Right position, place and time for spiritual alignment with God

Re-alignment for healing

I was recently in a car accident where I broke my wrist. At the time of impact, I felt no pain from my injury as long as I didn’t move it. While my wrist was out of alignment, I was limited in my movement. Once I got to the hospital, I was in excruciating pain because I had to move my wrist for x-rays and then the doctor had to realign my wrist to be in the proper placement so that it could begin the healing process.

Familiar Discomfort: for you or against you?

When we are out of spiritual alignment with God, it is often painful getting into alignment. When my wrist was out of alignment, it was uncomfortable but not exactly painful. However, if I left my wrist the way it was, it would of healed in an improper position, bone out of place and it would then be the wrong time to try to correct it. I would not be able to use my wrist the way God intended, limiting myself and creating a disadvantage. Thus, lowering my quality of life.

If we allow ourselves to, we can get comfortable in discomfort, whether it is spiritually, relationally, emotionally or professionally. This type of discomfort is working against you. The discomfort can be more appealing than aligning or realigning, because often times aligning requires starting over, doing something you’ve never done before, or stretching yourself to believe in more than you think you are capable of at the moment. That is scary! We sometimes live with the discomfort that is working against us because it is familiar.

Become familiar with the discomfort of Spiritual Alignment with God, because in the end your quality of life will be better for it. This type of discomfort is for you! It won’t feel good all of the time, it may be very painful but the benefit is your growth and alignment to what God has for you. You will be properly healed, in the right position, in the right place and at the right time according to God’s will for your life.

2. Requires a mindshift about your identity

Who is really winning?

This work about spiritual alignment is tough! We are so accustomed to the world’s standards that God’s standards seem impossible at times or downright unfair. Often, we are exposed to all kinds of worldly ideas about what it means to be winning, and how to get what you want despite who it may hurt. We believe what other people say about us, we internalize not being good enough based on how others treat us and compare ourselves to others and what they have. What??!!

We have to reprogram what it looks like to be winning. We have to be sure of who we are in God through Christ Jesus. When we believe who we are based on what the Word says, we are shifting our beliefs, attitudes, and mindset about who we are. “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.” (1 John 3:1 NLT)

Daniel and his Identity

Daniel seems like the kind of guy who knew exactly who he was. I’ve heard a lot about the Daniel Fast over recent years, however Daniel’s character is more than just the food he ate. He stood by his principles regardless of the king’s orders or decrees, “But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king.” (Daniel 1:8 NLT) Daniel asked if he and his three friends could be tested (captives from Judah in Babylon) for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water and compare them to the other men who were eating the king’s food. All of these men were in training to enter the royal service. After the ten days Daniel and the three others looked healthier, and better nourished so the guard agreed to feed them only vegetables instead of the king’s food.

Daniel’s character

God gave all Daniel “…an unusual aptitude for understanding [emphasis added] every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.” (Daniel 1:17 NLT) [emphasis added] Daniel was known as being “…more capable than all the other administrators…”(Daniel 6:3 NLT) and “faithful, always responsible and completely trustworthy.” (Daniel 6:4 NLT) [emphasis added] Daniel knew he needed God and didn’t try to perform out of his own strength. He was committed to God in difficult situations. “But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.”(Daniel 6:10 NLT)

Mindshift in Identity

What am I saying? When you become a believer, your identity is found in God. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT) It doesn’t matter what you did before, how you behaved, who you thought you were, the lies you believed, a new life awaits. If we hold on to past hurts, old habits, old ways of thinking we are again lowering our quality of life. Allow your character to reflect your new identity. You are a child of the Most High King, so act like it! God rescues and blesses those who are committed to him. Daniel is constantly recommended and promoted because of his character. He lived a disciplined life closely aligned to God. He was in spiritual alignment with God.

3. Is more than a career move, it’s a life shift

A painful realignment

I left my job two years ago because it was time for me to move to something different. That was a very challenging decision that I struggled with for 2 years before actually leaving. Before that I was compartmentalizing my professional ambitions and my spiritual life. In fact, every area of my life was compartmentalized. I was struggling to balance everything because I had God over in one section, separate from my “real life”. My job was over in the career section. I had my kids in the responsibility section. My husband in the, “don’t you see all the things I’m dealing with” section. My desires, wants and needs, in another; neglected. There was no room for happiness.

Spiritual alignment involves your entire life

I decided to go to God with everything! I pulled all my sections together and asked God to take over. The spiritual alignment I was seeking was more than just finding a new career. I encountered a total shift in how I viewed my life, how I wanted to spend my life and what I prioritized. When I stopped thinking about my spiritual life as a separate entity, things became much clearer and I was feeling much better overall. For career and business advice, I go to God. Relationship advice, I go to God. Parenting, God. Fresh ideas and insight for anything, God. Disappointment, feeling anxious or overwhelmed, sweet and salty snacks, then God, then repentance for all the snacks and eating them before going to God… I’m a work in progress, don’t judge me.

better quality of life with spiritual alignment

4. Happens when you seek to devour daily bread from the Father

The word devour is a strong word. I was hesitant about using it, but that is how I received it. It suggests a hunger or desperateness to consume. When you look at your prayer time or devotion time as something that you need to survive, it changes your perspective. I feel that Daniel seeked to devour daily bread from the Father. Every day, three times a day he devoted to prayer. That demonstrates a hunger and a need. I make sure to eat three times a day. Am I also making sure to pray three times a day? Is prayer time a priority to the point that I hunger for it? To be in and stay in spiritual alignment, you must have a hunger to connect with him on a daily basis.

Better quality of life

In closing, spiritual alignment involves giving access to God. Allowing Him to take control of every aspect of your life. When you allow God to be in charge, you will end up in the right position, in the right place, at the right time. Even though it may be painful getting there, it is so rewarding once you get there. When you know who you are, your character reflects your identity which is a child of the Most High. When you show commitment, discipline, and good character; God will promote you to the position just right for you. Opportunities will find you! Influence will find you! Staying in alignment means developing a daily hunger for God. Seeking him first in all matters for a better quality of life.