Enlightenment and Awakening Easier Than We Think

After decades of seeking enlightenment and awakening, I now understand that these things; these ideas, these concepts, have been so over complicated and made to seem as if they are a state unattainable to most. It is made to seem that that they are only to be achieved by the great masters. Though nothing is black and white, on the one hand, there may be degrees; but on the other hand can you be only partially awake? Partially enlightened? Either you are or you are not.

As long as I was seeking to be, I was not, for seeking kept me so busy that I could not settle within myself long enough to wake up. And both terms are as simple as that: waking up, allowing the light of God to illuminate our spiritual sight. There are no fireworks, it is not some un-achievable level (like some religions and philosophies would have us believe). It is a simple matter of waking up. All that is required is to allow God to move into your “house” and let the light shine. This begins with asking Him to come in. That’s it. It really is that simple. We all have this ability to receive the light of God, all we have to do is ask and allow. There are no special techniques other than prayer.

Taking a deeper look at both of the words enlighten and awake, their meaning and their Greek roots shows that it is a simple matter of allowing in the light and of waking up. Seeking after some elusive level of “enlightenment” is simply not what we have thought that it is. We awaken and we allow the light to shine in all areas of our life; we are enlightened. Sure we can grow and mature further in degrees in allowing more but we are either awake or we are asleep. We will always continue to grow spiritually (that is after all the point) but once we awaken, we are awake and we are enlightened. The doorway is within us, the doorway is right in front of our nose for anyone to immediately step through. All we need is to ask and to allow.

Ephesians 1:17-18 says that the eyes of our mind/understanding will be enlightened as we are given the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.

Look over the following definitions, roots and usage of these two most profound words which though they seem unattainable are really such simple concepts. Just as the morning sun rises and the light comes in, we awaken from our sleep. It is really that simple. Let the light in and you will awaken. Otherwise, check to see what is blocking the light from coming in and then you can remove these blocks with a simple prayer request.

Enighten

enlighten verb

en·​light·​en | \in-ˈlī-tᵊn,  en-\

enlightened; enlightening\ in-​ˈlīt-​niŋ ,  -​ˈlī-​tᵊn-​iŋ, en-​ \

Definition of enlighten

transitive verb

1 archaic : ILLUMINATE

2a : to furnish knowledge to : INSTRUCT

enlightened us about the problem

b : to give spiritual insight to

Webster

First recorded in 1350–1400, enlighten is from the Middle English word enli(g)htenen.

Dictionary.com

Enlightenment

Strong's #5461: photizo (pronounced fo-tid'-zo)

from 5457; to shed rays, i.e. to shine or (transitively) to brighten up (literally or figuratively):--enlighten, illuminate, (bring to, give) light, make to see.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon:

phōtizō

1) to give light, to shine

2) to enlighten, light up, illumine

3) to bring to light, render evident

3a) to cause something to exist and thus come to light and become clear to all

4) to enlighten, spiritually, imbue with saving knowledge

4a) to instruct, to inform, teach

4b) to give understanding to

Awake

verb (used with or without object), a·woke or a·waked, a·woke or a·waked or a·wo·ken, a·wak·ing.

to wake up; rouse from sleep:

I awoke at six with a feeling of dread.

to rouse to action; become active:

His flagging interest awoke.

to come or bring to an awareness; become cognizant

Origin of awake

before 1000; Middle English awaken, Old English awacen, past participle of awæcnan; see a1, waken

dictionary.com

Awaken from Greek - Egeiro

The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon

Strong's Number: 1453          

Original Word Word Origin

egeiro  probably akin to the base of agora (through the idea of collecting one's faculties)

eg-i'-ro             Verb

Definition

to arouse, cause to rise

to arouse from sleep, to awake

to arouse from the sleep of death, to recall the dead to life

to cause to rise from a seat or bed etc.

to raise up, produce, cause to appear

to cause to appear, bring before the public

to raise up, stir up, against one

to raise up i.e. cause to be born

of buildings, to raise up, construct, erect

References:

dictionary.com

Strong’s

Thayer’s

NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon

About Cheryl Yale-Bruedigam

Cheryl Yale-Bruedigam has been writing spiritually for thirty years. With undergraduate studies in English and women's studies, she devoted over a decade of research and writing to women’s studies and spirituality.

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