Although we are Clearview Girls Academy consider spirituality to be a core component of our program – specifically, the teachings of Jesus Christ – we allow for a great deal of individuality in how our students define spirituality.
We believe that there are basic tenets of Christianity that all of us need to live by to be happy and healthy. These include treating others as we’d like to be treated. It also means being selfless at times for the greater good of society and helping others whenever we can.
Promoting Peace and Love
In short, promoting peace and love is a central idea that all spiritual traditions promote, and we promote that here at our facility. This often takes the form of Christian teachings, but it can be applicable to other faiths and even considered baseline rules for functioning in the world.
In the Bible, John 14:27, Jesus Christ tells his disciples “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Most people would agree with those ideas. They could be taken as universal morals or social norms. Yet, when these ideas are presented in a biblical or religious context, they become separated into the realm of spirituality. At this point, some people who don’t consider themselves Christians start to balk.
Here at Clearview Girls Academy, our goal is to get past this spiritual hurdle and impart a spiritual way of life to our students – in whatever form they find suitable. However, we are sure that all of our students can agree on certain shared values and ideals.
Spirituality at Clearview Girls Academy
We will never shy away from our reliance on the teachings of Jesus Christ. We use his teachings daily to bolster our personal spirituality. However, that does not mean we require our students to be Christians or to become Christians once they join us at our recovery center.
We are in the business of recovery, not in the business of religious indoctrination. However, we feel strongly about the adoption of a spiritual life to attain, maintain, and bolster recovery. In fact, it is one of the three pillars of our mission here at Clearview Girls Academy. Those pillars are academic achievement, behavioral reconciliation, and spiritual growth.
Our Spiritual Life May Differ From Yours
As we alluded to earlier, we don’t believe that spiritual principles differ that much from basic decency principles. We all want to live in a world of peace and love that’s free from fear. We have found that adopting a spiritual life is an effective way of ensuring those principles.
The truth is that many of our students come to us lacking any form of spiritual life. Some have fallen off of their spiritual path through no fault of their own, but rather through issues of mental health or life-controlling issues. In other cases, they have not yet investigated what a spiritual life may mean for them.
We Hold No Monopoly Over Spirituality
Here at Clearview Girls Academy, we believe that individual spirituality is a beautiful thing. Whether this means directly adopting the words of Jesus Christ or applying his principles, we know that connecting with something greater than themselves will help our students go far in life. This is especially when they face trying times after they finish their stay here in Montana.
In Mathew 5:44, Jesus tells us to “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” You can be a Christian to appreciate these sentiments, but you certainly don’t have to be. Forgiveness is universally known to be good for one’s health and well-being.
Just as we hold no monopoly over spirituality and/or religious affiliation, no form of spirituality holds a monopoly over the ability to give and receive love. That is what matters to us here at Clearview Girls Academy, not what book the message is derived from.
The Benefits of Spirituality for Long-Term Recovery
As we said before our primary purpose here is recovery. But we also know that attaining spirituality can play a big role in reaching that recovery. So we offer it in unison with our other treatment options, which are always customized to each student.
Here at Clearview Girls Academy, we are well aware that our work here can be for naught if we do not set our students up for life after their stay. Yes, our primary purpose is recovery. To be more specific, our primary purpose is long-term recovery. We feel that one of the best ways to help our students feel less alone after they leave is to show them that with a foundation of spirituality, they will never be alone.
The Buddha says “Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” Here the Buddha’s beliefs bolster our own basis of spirituality. Our goal is to light your daughter’s path to recovery, and one of the ways we do that is with the candle of spirituality.
People often misinterpret religion as spirituality. However, they are not always the same. While religion undoubtedly has a spiritual component, the two can certainly also be experienced separately. Here at Clearview Girls Academy, we do not shy away from our faith in the teachings of Jesus Christ. However, that does not mean we insist that our students convert to Christianity. We also believe that incorporating a spiritual practice into treatment at our recovery center can be a critical determining factor in the ongoing success of that recovery. Our goal is to help our students find a higher power of their understanding that works for their recovery journey. For more information, contact Clearview Girls Academy at (888) 796-5484.
