Beyond the Surface: Seeking Truth Through a Spiritual Lens

Beyond the Surface: Seeking Truth Through a Spiritual Lens
by Rachel Travis

In a world where information is at our fingertips, it's easy to accept what we are taught without question. From a young age, we are handed traditions, beliefs, and interpretations that shape our understanding of God, Jesus, and the Bible. But what if this information—while well-intended—is merely a foundation, a tool meant to guide us toward a deeper truth that only personal experience and spiritual seeking can reveal?

To me, spirituality isn't about blindly accepting what we’re told. It’s about seeking, questioning, and ultimately experiencing God through our own journey. I believe that everything we are taught—the scriptures, the teachings of Jesus, the lessons we encounter in life—is like furniture in the room of our soul. Each piece has a purpose, a place, but it is up to us to arrange it in a way that leads us toward the ultimate Truth.

The Bible: A Living, Breathing Guide

Many people read the Bible and take its words literally, limiting its depths to a single interpretation. But it as a living, breathing document—meant to evolve with us, guide us through our experiences, and illuminate new perspectives as we grow.

The teachings of Jesus, for example, are profound not just for the literal words but for the deeper meaning behind them. He spoke in parables and metaphors, hinting that the truth isn’t just what’s on the surface. When He says, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21), it suggests that the journey to truth is inward. The answers aren’t always external; they are revealed as we grow in spiritual maturity.

The Spiritual Classroom

Every life experience is a lesson in this grand classroom of existence. Joy, pain, hardship, and triumph—these are the tools that shape our understanding of God. Each experience chisels away at the surface understanding, revealing something deeper within us.

Through my own experiences—especially the hardships I’ve faced—I've realized that life isn’t just happening to me. It’s happening for me, furnishing tools for my spiritual journey. Whether it's cancer, loss, or personal struggle, these are the moments that force us to question, to seek, and to uncover our own understanding of what God truly is.

The Danger of Surface-Level Faith

Far too often, people are content with surface-level faith. They accept what they’ve been taught without questioning, without seeking to understand for themselves. But faith, like anything worthwhile, requires work. It requires us to ask, to seek, and to knock—only then will the door be opened.

Jesus didn’t come to give us all the answers in neat little packages; He came to show us the way. He pointed us toward the truth, but it is up to us to do the digging, to confront our own misconceptions, and to peel back the layers of conditioned thinking.

The truth is never just handed to us on a silver platter—it’s unearthed through struggle, inquiry, and a personal relationship with the Divine.

The Role of God in Our Personal Truth

I believe strongly in God and Jesus as guides in my own spiritual awakening. They are the anchor points, the truth that remains as everything else in life shifts and changes. But even my understanding of God has evolved over time.

We are taught about God from others’ perspectives, from their life experiences. And while their insights can be valuable, they are not the ultimate truth for us. Each of us is called to seek God in our own way, to experience Him through our own lens. The more we seek, the more we realize that God isn’t confined to the pages of a book or the walls of a church—He is living, moving, and revealing Himself in the everyday moments of our lives.

Embrace the Mystery

The pursuit of truth requires humility, openness, and the willingness to admit that we don’t have all the answers. But that’s the beauty of it. Faith isn’t about certainty—it’s about trust. Trusting that as we ask questions, as we seek deeper meaning, as we allow ourselves to experience life fully, God is revealing more of Himself to us.

We are not here to remain static in our faith, confined by what we’ve been taught. We are here to evolve, to expand, and to experience God in new ways. So let’s embrace the mystery, the questions, and the seeking. The journey toward truth is ongoing, but with God guiding us, we can trust that we are being led exactly where we need to be.