• Going my way

    Being Christian Every Day

God in everyday life – What does it mean for me to be a Christian?

What does it mean to be a Christian – in the midst of everyday life, between mountains of laundry, work, obligations to others, encounters and flights of fancy?
I, Esther Sühling, have often pondered this question. And because I believe it concerns many of us, this website, among others, was created: "God in Everyday Life". 

Some people say: It doesn't matter what you believe. Others are convinced that only a certain kind of faith leads to salvation. We think: Neither of these is true. For me, it's about something else. Something healing.

This thought leads me to further questions:

– What is healing faith – for me, for others?
– What helps me to stay connected – with myself, with others, with God?
– What keeps my spirituality alive – even when I don’t have time?

And I sense: Jesus shows us what spirituality can look like in everyday life. How love becomes concrete—not just in the glamorous moments, but in the spaces in between.

Love as a guideline

In the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 22, 37-40), Jesus answers the question about the greatest commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

These words have become my inner compass. They help me examine:
Does my action serve love – for God, for others and for myself?

Many people are deeply committed to charity, social work, volunteering, caring for relatives, or raising children with love. Some forget about self-care and self-love, or label them as selfishness. The soul becomes drained and tired.
How can I ensure that my soul remains and becomes whole?

Other people pay close attention to self-care and set clear boundaries. However, sometimes they lose sight of the common ground that constitutes an important part of a functioning relationship: "Love your neighbor as yourself," and describe helping others as helper syndrome.
How can I ensure that I am there for others – without losing myself?

Spirituality isn't just something for an hour of worship or time off. It surrounds us and permeates every area of our being. Even if we forget about it, it's still there.

Christusikone mit Bibel

Freedom belongs to love

This inner space between me and the divine mystery is something that no other person has any say in. I can seek advice and guidance, but no one can force anything on me with threats.see page “spiritual abuse"). If someone tells me what I should believe must, what is right and wrong, I hear inside: 
“Test everything—hold fast what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
I may check – should check.

Faith isn't compulsory. It requires freedom—freedom of heart.
“Christ has set us free for freedom! Stand firm therefore, and do not submit to the yoke of slavery again.” (Paul's letter to the Galatians 5:1)
This sentence stays with me. Because love that rushes is not love at all.
Faith that causes fear is not healing faith.

A personal, healing path

There are many paths to discover yourself and the divine mystery.
Many ways to develop in this life, to live in peace with one another.
Many possibilities to shape love as a guideline, as a basis for one's own life.

Because I have Christian roots – and my own experience of God’s presence is shaped for me within the Christian framework – Christianity is my path.

And I ask you:
What is your path?
What does it mean to you to be a Christian – where your everyday life takes place?

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