My journal on the Spiritual Self lesson, Essays (university) of English Language

Download My journal on the Spiritual Self lesson and more Essays (university) English Language in PDF only on Docsity! RELIGIOUS Being spiritual or religious is often treated as the same concept. In my formative years, I also thought they had the same meaning, but they do not. Being spiritual is more of an individual practice and having a sense of peace and purpose. In the heart of spiritual individuals, they believe that there is a being who is above all. On the other hand, being religious is about abiding by a specific set of beliefs and practices that are usually shared by a group or community. Sometimes, religious individuals tend to think that their religion is better than others. They tend to persuade others to have faith in their religion. As I examine myself and remember my formative years as a church member, I realize that I am a religious person. But I don’t think that my religion is better than others', and I think that we should respect others' beliefs. My religion is the Assembly of God. I was born and raised in this religion. Every Sunday, my family and I go to church to listen to the word of God. I remember when I was five and above years old, I would join Sunday school, where our pastor’s wife would teach us to memorize bible verses. As a child, I believed that the Almighty God was the creator of all. As I grew older, I joined youth camps because I was encouraged by my fellow youths and I saw how it strengthened their faith in God. I attend church service every Sunday and offer praise and worship to the Lord. Just like the teachings of our religion, I accepted God in my heart, I believed in His words, and I confessed my sins to Him. Every day, I pray to God and thank Him for everything He has given to my family and to my life. Our religion teaches us to always follow God's ten commandments and to put Him first in everything we do. We were taught to spread his word. Before the pandemic, I attended prayer meetings and youth gatherings. Right now, since it’s pandemic, our church organized a "SimBalay", which means "Simba sa Balay." Every week, church leaders and volunteers would visit the homes of church members to preach there. Aside from the Sunday service, my family and I also joined dawn and evening prayer meetings in the church. Every year, in our church, we celebrate Family Day and Thanksgiving Day to honor God for every blessing that he has given to the members. This year, we will have a three-day celebration next month. Our church also prohibited us from eating certain foods, such as "dinuguan". When it comes to clothing, women and men are encouraged to wear decent clothes when going to church. Women are taught to wear below-the-knee dresses and are prohibited from wearing revealing clothes. Every first Sunday of the month, members opt to wear white clothes as a symbol of cleanliness and peace. As I put this into writing, I realized that my religion has many beliefs. I realized that all my life I have been living and practicing these beliefs. For me, I don’t see anything wrong with my religion. I agree with their teachings, and I am glad to be part of this church. They taught me to take care of my soul and fed it with the words of God. They encouraged me to be grateful and be contented with what was given to me. Aside from that, being part of this group also helps my mental health and well-being. With all the chaos brought by the world, people who don’t believe that God exists are easily tempted to do bad things. Other teenagers and young adults who were not taught the word of God had difficult lives and became the worst versions of themselves. Whenever I have bad days, I instantly pray to God, trusting Him with all my problems and asking for guidance in every decision I make. Whenever I break down and don’t have someone to share my problems with, I shared them all to him. Above all, whether we are spiritual or religious, I think the most important thing is to live a good and meaningful life. Do not follow a certain belief just because you think it’s right, but because it is what your heart wants to do. Just like me, I chose to be religious and abide by the beliefs of my church because it’s what my heart wanted, and since then I have been living a good and meaningful life.