The Balance Between the Spiritual and the Natural
We live in two worlds at the same time, the spiritual and the natural.
When people lean only toward the spiritual and ignore the natural, life becomes unstable.
When people lean only toward the natural and ignore the spiritual, (God, Faith, Consciousness, Love, Humility, and Alignment.) Life becomes empty.
These conversations matter because Scripture tells us there is nothing new under the sun. Every generation wrestles with the same imbalance, it simply shows up with different language and distractions.
Ecclesiastes 1:9
That which has been is what will be, and that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
God never intended us to choose one realm over the other. He designed us to steward both.
Early Zeal Without Balance
In my early stages of seeking God, I attended Bible college. It was a great experience. I was exposed to prayer warriors, evangelists, preachers, prophets, and people genuinely on fire for God. It felt like a physical version of social media, constant exposure to passion, gifting, voices, and movement.
My spiritual passion was real, but it was not solid. It was not mature.
I was a child mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Galatians 4:1
As long as an heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.
I had access, but not understanding.
Inheritance, but not stewardship.
Calling, but not capacity.
At the same time, my father, who was also my mentor, was dealing with mental health challenges. Our home carried pressure and instability. My mother was trying to balance church, raising children, and caring for a husband who was sick physically and mentally.
I became consumed with business, making poor decisions, and trying to figure life out without emotional tools or practical wisdom. In that environment, zeal without structure produced confusion.
Proverbs 19:2
Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste misses his way.
"Growth Must Be Intentional"
Your thoughts, ideas, and actions are the gateway that give permission into your life. What you consistently think shapes what you believe, what you believe influences the ideas you entertain, and those ideas eventually move your actions. Nothing enters your experience without first passing through this gate. When your thoughts are aligned, your ideas become clear, and your actions become intentional, you create space for growth, maturity, and purpose rather than confusion or delay.
Why Passion Alone Is Not Enough
Loving God does not automatically produce maturity.
Spiritual language does not equal emotional health.
Activity does not equal readiness.
Hebrews 5:12
By this time you ought to be teachers, yet you need someone to teach you again the basic principles.
Immaturity, no matter how spiritual it sounds, always limits freedom.
A Needed Perspective Shift
Later, after meeting my mentor Jim Hockaday, I began to understand something clearly. We live in two realms, the spiritual and the natural. If either realm is ignored, fulfillment will always be incomplete.
Faith shapes who we are becoming.
Responsibility shapes how that faith is lived out.
James 2:17
Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
The Other Extreme
There was a man who devoted his entire life to the natural realm. He was disciplined, successful, and focused on his career. When he was not working, his obsession was golf. Golf became his escape, his identity, and the place where he felt most alive.
God was not part of his daily life. Not because he rejected God, but because he always planned to address spiritual things later.
Later in life, this man found himself on his deathbed with kidney failure. His body was shutting down and the doctors had done all they could. For the first time in his life, he prayed. It was not a religious prayer or a rehearsed prayer. It was an honest cry to God.
Something remarkable happened. His symptoms began to disappear. The medical team noticed changes they could not explain. When they examined his kidneys, they were stunned. The kidneys appeared to be functioning as if they were brand new.
The man was overwhelmed with gratitude. He sold everything he owned, traveled the world, and told everyone he met about what God had done for him.
The Deeper Lesson
The miracle was powerful, but the lesson is deeper.
He did not have to wait until his body failed to connect with God.
God was always available.
Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Crisis did not create God’s power.
It created awareness.
Why the Natural Realm Matters
God cares deeply about responsibility, discipline, and stewardship.
2 Thessalonians 3:10
If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
Luke 16:10
He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much.
Proverbs 6:6
Go to the ant, consider her ways and be wise.
Ignoring responsibility can feel spiritual because it removes pressure, but avoidance is not faith.
A Generational Reality
Many young people today are not rebellious. They are underdeveloped. They love God but lack structure. They have passion but no consistency.
1 Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, understood as a child, and thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Faith without responsibility creates frustration.
Responsibility without faith creates burnout.
The Invitation
Prayer is not an emergency tool.
Faith is not a last resort.
Matthew 6:33
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Cultivating a relationship with God now brings clarity before crisis, wisdom before consequences, and peace before pressure.
Closing Truth
Touching two worlds is not about choosing one over the other.
It is about living aligned in both.
The spiritual gives life meaning.
The natural gives life structure.
When both are cultivated together, we do not just survive crisis, we live fulfilled lives that glorify God long before crisis ever comes.