Ways to Spiritual Growth

We can be too soft on ourselves and make excuses for our wrongdoing and sins. But we can also be too hard on ourselves. We can expect too much of ourselves, especially regarding our spiritual growth and development. We somehow think that our spiritual growth should follow with our experience of other aspects of life. There we can see definite signs of progress that are clearly measurable. We complete courses, projects, work assignments. We are given more responsibility and receive greater remuneration. We can clearly track the development of our careers. But we cannot do quite the same with the spiritual life. One reason is that much of that life is hidden deeply within us. Some of it remains a mystery. Most of it cannot be quantified. And the rules are so very different from the way we experience things at work. For in the spiritual life, progress sometimes means going back. Maturity involves childlikeness. Having means letting go. We can safely say that the spiritual life operates on a different wisdom, and all the pushing and shoving that so characterizes our workaday world will hardly serve us in our spiritual growth. We cannot push our spiritual growth and make it happen with quick-fix methods. Instead, we need to begin to make gentle moves, moves born of a wisdom from above. In discovering that wisdom, we will learn with Nouwen that “I do not have to move faster than I can.” My spiritual development won’t result from driven behavior. It will only come from careful listening, quiet surrender, and active and purposeful engagement. It will come from what I do, but only from what is done in harmony with God’s wisdom. Most of all, it will come from what was given, not what was expected.”

—Charles Ringma, Dare to Journey with Henri Nouwen