Paths to Contemplation - 34

The beginning of spiritual growth

If we believe with St. Augustine that all human hearts were made by God for God, then we should believe as well that God is constantly reaching out to everyone to open their hearts to him.  For some, this invitation will be drowned out by the distractions of the world.  Some will hear this invitation, but will misinterpret its meaning and will direct their inner passions toward  false gods.  Others will hear it and be afraid to accept it, recognizing that accepting it will make demands on them that they may be unwilling to fulfill.   Others will hear the invitation and accept it and thus begin the process of growing into the life of God..

The manner and environment within which someone accepts God’s invitation are important factors in how he or she will develop spirituality, just as the circumstances into which someone is born will heavily influence how he or she will develop physically and intellectually.  Someone, for example, who is instructed in a denomination that teaches that God is a stern judge will develop differently from someone who is taught early on about God’s mercy and love.

Though I have no statistical data to back it up, I would conjecture that most people develop a relationship with God through Christ because they either want to go to heaven, or they do not want to go to hell, and they have heard that the only way to gain heaven and avoid hell is through an association in faith with Jesus Christ.  In other words, God is looked on as someone who will either reward or punish, and any reasonable person would rather be rewarded than punished.

At this early stage of spiritual development, a person probably looks at life as a test to be passed rather than a school to learn what God wants us to know.  Often, a person wants to do the least possible to get a passing grade.  Sin is generally viewed as an offense against God that will make God angry and may lead to a failing grade, and, hence, hell, if the sin is sufficiently serious and not forgiven by the time of death.

A stage of spiritual growth is characterized in large part by three factors: the motivation for acting as one does, one’s attitude toward God, and the way one prays.   An individual in this initial stage of spiritual development has made a commitment to God, but it is a self-interested commitment.  He is more motivated by what he will get out of the commitment than by anything else.  He considers God remote, high above all, looking down to note whether the individual is acting rightly or wrongfully.  God is a judge and the individual is judged; thus, the individual must act appropriately lest he incur a negative judgment.

Because life is a test passed by acting rightly before God, a person in this stage of spiritual growth will often resort to rules to determine what in fact is right action.  Often, the emphasis is on obedience to the Ten Commandments as being the essence of Christian living, despite the obvious fact that the Ten Commandments are found in the Old Testament.  Nevertheless, a person feels more secure in following rules she feels give clear guidance – not that the Ten Commandments are that clear – than living in ambiguity and taking responsibility for deciding for herself what God might want done in a particular situation.  Following a well-worn path exposes her to less risk than the road less traveled.

Thus, a person in this stage feels more secure in “knowing” that if he does thus and so, he will not offend God, or, that by making a particular statement of faith or adhering to a certain creedal formula, he will be assured that God will look favorably on him.

Prayer in this stage is often according to some set formula or using standard prayers that have been memorized, or which are read from an approved compilation, such as a denominational prayer book.  The reason is that the pray-er still considers God to be remote and intimidating.  To pray “correctly,” so the pray-er is more likely to be heard by God and to avoid gaffes that might offend God, the pray-er prefers the tried and true to the experimental or using prayers of one’s own composition.  A set formula does not necessarily does not necessarily imply a written prayer.  The pray-er may use a litany of stock points to be covered and stock phrases that must be included because that is the way prayer is done.  

In no way do I intend any disrespect for this form of prayer.  The pray-er has already made a decision for God and is reaching out to God sincerely and in the way that seems most appropriate to him or her.  Though this form of prayer does not enjoy the spontaneity or intimacy that more advanced prayer has, it is a legitimate form of prayer, and, by the grace of God, will lead to spiritual growth if the pray-er is open to that growth.

Furthermore, even persons further along in their spiritual development may often return to standard denominational prayers, particularly in public worship, or may use “formulas” in communicating with God.  As we saw with regard to Centering Prayer, as well as the “Jesus Prayer,” a word or phrase can be repeated over and over again, but, in these cases, the repeated phrase is intended not so much as a petition to God as it is a way of establishing a special type pf relationship with God.