At the beginning of the pandemic, I shared the 4 Stages of Spiritual Development that Michael Beckwith, the Minister of the mega church, Agape, in Los Angeles developed. If you aren’t familiar with his work, he’s a profound spiritual presence and a phenomenal speaker.
In a nut shell, these are his stages:
Stage 1- Victim Consciousness: Life is Happening to Me
In the victim place, we often wonder why things are happening to us, why we are being punished, or are experiencing suffering.
Here is where we fundamentally lack a sense of will, or even the belief that we can affect change. We feel helpless to control our life circumstances, believing that we are alone and apart from everyone including God/Universal Consciousness.
If you are ready to evolve from being in victim mode, the invitation is to release feelings of blame, shame and guilt. In other words, take control of life.
When you do, you move into:
Stage 2- Manifestor Consciousness: Life is Happening for Me
Here you open to the recognition that God (source/love/consciousness) is within. This allows you to remember that the world is an effect. In other words, you are creating your life. So manifest whatever you desire!
At this stage, you tap into your will and activate the doing (male) aspect of life, because you are in control of your thoughts which are creating your life.
Employ visualization techniques and affirmations to imagine and speak your dreams and desires into existence. Have fun with this!
If you’re keen to continue the evolution process, the next step is to relinquish control and the illusion of power.
I know, it sounds scary, and when you’re ready, you’ll move into being:
Stage 3- Vessel for God: Life is Happening through Me
When we get to this stage, we’ve already built a solid foundation, recognizing that we have authority over our lives, and that we can create change.
But now we’re ready to relinquish control, and let God/source be in charge because we know there’s even more to life!!!
Here, we tap into the feminine aspect of receiving. This calls for faith AND the willingness to relax, as we allow God (source/love/consciousness) to move through us. As St Francis says in his prayer, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”
At this stage, we invite the ego to step aside, allowing spirit to work through us. When this occurs, we move into grace, living in the space of non-duality. We allow love to love through us.
This is the state when you become a vehicle through which God’s love can grace every person, every encounter, every situation you find yourself in.
The final stage is when we are ready to relinquish the belief in separation altogether. In other words, when we remember that we are not a separate body, that we are and always have been part of God (source/love/consciousness).
When we realize this, we move into:
Stage 4- One-Ness: Life is Happening as Me
Here is where we release the sense of having a separate self and unite fully with God (source/love/consciousness), recognizing that we are one.
We have moved from knowing the truth to being the truth, achieving unity with the divine, mystical mind. The non-dual state.
If you’re interested in being in that space, and hearing the voice for God, meditation #76 Access the Voice of Truth, on my podcast, Love’s Refuge, is for you!
Listen Here
If all of this feels like too much, don’t fret! The truth is, all of us are constantly moving back and forth along this continuum.
Use these stages as a way to check in, to see where you are at any given moment. Don’t punish or berate yourself, but rather see this as a tool. A tool you can use as a gentle reminder to return to the truth and awareness of who you really are - love and unity.
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