4 Levels to Spiritually Awaken
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.
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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Discover the 4 Stages of Spiritual Development
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:
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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