For those of you who have been exploring spirituality for a long time, it might seem unnecessary to emphasize the importance of reverence.
A beginner once wrote in her spiritual diary….
“I’m sitting in silence in my sacred space. The house is quiet. I’ve cleansed and prepared the energy that surrounds me. The candle flickers on my altar. I do my deep breathing. I feel more relaxed. Ok, now my heart meditation. My mind is quiet for a lovely spell. Then my thoughts begin. I do well in noticing them! Now I turn my attention to my heart. That’s the next step, I understand. Focus on and merge with my heart. Just be with it. I tune into the thumping beat. My mind drifts off on a journey into a web of thoughts related to the heart. It’s a muscle. It’s electrical. It pumps blood. What about that chakra thing? Ugh! I lost my focus!”
This is what it can be like when you are first growing the heart energy of reverence. The mind can sweep you away into the realm of thought, distracting you completely from your original destination—the destination that I call the Divine Within.
What is Reverence?
For those of you who have been exploring spirituality for a long time, it might seem unnecessary to emphasize the importance of reverence. You know that developed awareness of one’s inner nature eventually leads to an intimate relationship with the Divine Within.
Consider, though, that not everyone begins their spiritual walk with the same tools in their “medicine bag”. Each of us grew up in different cultures, values, and family environments. Some people were raised in a complete absence of a spiritual belief system. Some may have rejected what they were taught or just have forgotten their Divine nature.
- Dictionary.com defines reverence as “deep respect for someone or something; a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration.”
- Merriam Webster defines it as “honor or respect felt or shown, especially a profound adoring or awed respect.”
Western culture tends to abound with irreverence. While some irreverence is healthy because it allows us to laugh at ourselves, a complete lack of reverence makes fallow soil for your spiritual growth. So, think back…when in your life have you felt reverence? Who have you felt reverence for? How have you felt when you witnessed powerful moments, like birth, death, sex, nature, truth, justice or love? Did they lead you to feel reverence for the Divine Within you?
Reverence is an Energy
Reverence is a form of heart energy. When this energy is present and healthy, it creates an energetic field around you. This energy field can facilitate an exceptionally high form of communion with your Divine Self. This field aids you in everything that happens in your sacred space, especially in quieting the mind.
Particular emotions arise when your relationship with your Divine Self is nurtured—such as respect, awe, and adoration. There is a love, a devotion, and a fondness. You don’t surrender your power in this adoration, but rather, you merge with the power. When you reach “up” to connect with your Divine Self, it reaches “down” to you. This is full communion.
Developing Reverence
You may be surprised to learn that you develop reverence not only when you do your spiritual practices, but also when you work on yourself. This is what that ancient phrase “Know Thyself” refers to.
- Do you know your strengths and weaknesses?
- Do you appreciate your unique gifts?
- What is your life purpose?
- How familiar are you with that “delightful” realm of your frustrating blocks?
- Are you learning ways to move through them?
This inner work to raise your consciousness shows your Divine Self that you are serious about connecting with It.
Another place to practice reverence is in your relationships with others. When you improve your communication skills and your capacity for love, you are practicing respect for all of life. It deepens your understanding of the human experience. Every individual is a creation of God and is a perfect opportunity to practice reverence.
The Payoff of Reverence
The deeper your reverence is for your Divine Self; the easier life can be. This is largely due to the fact that we get back what we put out.
“What you seek is seeking you.” Rumi
What would your life be like if you behaved as though you are living each moment with your perfect invisible partner—aka your Divine Self? Life could be marvelous!
You Are Not Alone
How can you nurture the spark of the Divine Within your heart this week? How can you, as a spiritual practice, show more reverence to your community? I would love to hear about your experiences, and of course, I am here to support you in your exploration of it.
Ready, Set, Action!
As always, I invite you to explore these topics in your own unique way, by yourself or with others. Share with me about how it is going and what blocks you are running into. You can use the comment section below, or for more privacy, email me at Info@TreeofLifeSanctuary.org.
Written by Laura Abernathy