My dad is what I’d like to call a free spirit. He isn’t tied to a religion yet he still manages to have a very large range of spiritual beliefs. On one hand he claims that Jesus is not God but rather a man who has reached the highest level of spirituality, similar to Buddha. Yet, he still prays to Jesus and considers himself a Christian. I truly believe that he’s clinging to Jesus out of tradition because personally, it doesn’t make sense to pray to a man. Nevertheless, my dad has given me some awesome spiritual advice and has taught me some awesome lessons.
1. You always have a choice

When I told him that I was not going to church anymore so that I can choose to go to church he said,
“But Esther, I thought you always had a choice.”

That statement is really profound, because it’s really true. We are not bound to our situations; there is always an alternative or an opportunity. We just have to realize it and decide to use it.

2. Research
My dad did advise me to research before I jump to conclusions about a religion or religion in general.

He’s right. Most people judge out of ignorance and pride. It’s important to take an unbiased approach to learning in order to make a good decision.

3. Be true to myself so that I may be true to God

When explaining spiritual relationships, he said, “Our relationship is directly with God so we have to be truthful with ourselves.”
This means that we need to be raw and real with ourselves in order to be raw and real with God.

4. Give people space

When I told my father about my new journey, I could still sense some hesitation. That’s understandable. Nobody takes change easily and in his case, my father is witnessing a change in his daughter (me) and it isn’t something that he is used to. However, he understood that I needed space so he’s giving me that.

We all need to find that balance of constant support with necessary space. People need both.

What have you learned from your father?