Wondering where you might be on your spiritual journey?
This might help.
It's a cool tool I recently stumbled on - The 4 Stages of Spiritual Development- outlined by Michael Bernard Beckwith, the founder of the Agape Ministry in Los Angeles. He is also a prolific writer, speaker and profound spiritual thinker.
Here are his 4 stages:
Stage 1- Victim Consciousness
In stage 1, life happens to you, where you have no control or agency. It is common at this stage to feel like bad things happen to you, you are being punished, or suffer.
You also experience God as being outside of you.
In order to evolve from victim consciousness, the invitation is to release blame, shame and guilt. When you do, you are able to move to:
Stage 2- Manifestor Consciousness
As you release beliefs of blame, shame and guilt, you open yourself to experience God as within you.
At this stage, you use your will, and harness your thoughts to create your life. As you begin to access universal laws, you feel increasingly powerful and in charge. You are able to create what you want and affect change.
You might use tools such as visualization techniques and affirmations as you imagine and speak your world into existence. Here you manifest what you wish for, yippee!
In stage 2, life happens by you.
God is your guide.
If you want to continue to evolve, the invitation is to relinquish control. When you are willing, you move to:
Stage 3- Instrument Consciousness
Once you arrive at this stage, you've already experienced much success in creating and living a life you want. You are a powerful manifestor!
But now you are being asked to let go and let God. In other words, to relinquish control, recognizing that there is even more to life.
Life happens through you. And God acts through you.
Here, the invitation is to relax into receiving and allow Spirit to move through you.
As stated in the Prayer of St. Francis, “Lord make me an instrument of your peace.”
If you feel ready to keep going, level four is achieved when you let go of the idea of separation and recognize that you are God.
Stage 4- One Consciousness
At this phase, you relinquish any concepts of being a separate self and allow yourself to wholly merge with God.
You acknowledge that you are ONE.
Life happens as you.
You embody the truth, not just perceive it.
Now, you are united with the God-self and able to experience non-duality!
If all of this feels like TOO much, here’s the reminder:
You are always moving back and forth among these stages.
So don’t judge.
Instead, use this tool to see what stage you are in, and where you would like to be.
Think of the spiritual journey as a spiral. We are always dancing along that continuum, coming to new spaces, new opportunities for growth and healing. So be honest with yourself, and see how you can use this tool to help you evolve and grow.
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