What is a Christian Observational and How is it Different from a Devotional?
For years I’ve been writing Christian Devotionals with a twist.
I never could put my finger on it so last year I spent months in reflection about the type of writing I do and what to call it.
I decided the appropriate term was Christian Observationals.
Christian Observationsl vs Christian Devotionals
Christian Observationals and Devotionals are both instrumental tools for exploring faith and enhancing one's relationship with God, but they approach spiritual growth in different ways.
Devotionals, traditionally, are more introspective and designed for personal spiritual growth. They often contain scripture passages, reflections, and prayers, aimed at inspiring and encouraging readers to contemplate their personal relationship with God. A typical devotional encourages self-reflection, self-improvement, and deep contemplation on scriptures or spiritual themes.
It often focuses on nurturing the reader's individual relationship with God through private prayer, scripture study, and introspection.
My "God is Like" Christian Observationals, on the other hand, take a more external approach to understanding God.
Rather than looking inward, they encourage believers to see God's fingerprints in everything around them, be it nature, science, or daily life activities. Rooted in the idea of God as the Creator of everything, these observationals encourage believers to see God's character and nature revealed in the world He has created. They seek to find spiritual insights within seemingly mundane or secular experiences and promote a holistic understanding of God by making connections between the divine and the ordinary.
This approach broadens the believer's perspective of God beyond the church and individual spirituality, fostering a more comprehensive and relatable understanding of the divine.
In essence, while devotionals focus on personal spiritual growth through introspection, Christian Observationals seek to expand our understanding of God through an exploration of His creation and finding the divine in everyday experiences.
I can’t wait to share with you what I’ve been writing for the past 5+ years through my 8 God is Like series and now this Substack.
'I’ve written about how I observe God in,
Geysers
Rocket Launches
Politics
Viruses
Minecraft
Video Games
Coloring Crayons
Marketing
and more…
Subscribe if you are excited to learn about God through the world around you.