Photo by Spencer Selover
Incarnation, Ascension, transformation, and homecoming are four essential steps in the journey toward the ladder of consciousness. The goal is to reach the Father in Heaven, who is waiting for our return from the path of darkness we once were.
Everyone is a spiritual being, gifted with the potential to reach enlightenment. Embracing your spirituality is a path you must choose, lest you fall into the wrong hands. Such choices usually manifest in your life if you are alert and wise enough to listen to God’s voice.
Finding our authentic selves in a world where monotonous conformity is valued can be challenging. Not everyone likes to be under the shadows and will always try to make themselves shine. But understanding what spiritual growth means is a lifetime journey and would need constant reinvention.
Made to connect with God
According to Colossians 1:16, everything in this world was made for God’s glory. Our Creator made us for His enjoyment and is the only One with a greater understanding of who we are and where we belong. The Father in Heaven also has the sole authority to put us where we need to be.
Our bodies seek connection from nature and the people we hold dear in our hearts. Our souls seek fulfillment from the experiences we share with others. While our spirit aims to build a connection with a higher being, to which it can only find satisfaction and pure joy.
And everyone may be capable of finding all that in this life, but loving and doing good may not be enough. We all have uniqueness, distinct personalities, and strengths that we may see as weaknesses.
Spiritual awakening and its stages
The Christian understanding of spiritual growth ultimately leads to more excellent knowledge about ourselves and being authentic in facing it. To help you know more, here are the following stages that result in the spiritual awakening:
1 – God taking the initiative
Since the beginning of time, God has always been the one who orchestrates how everything goes. From creation to the rise of civilization and the rapid evolution of societies and cultures. We can’t awaken our spiritual selves alone. It has to come from God’s willpower and His revelations to us.
The discernment of what is beautiful, symmetrical, complex, and remarkable makes this initiative pure and true. God’s majesty, creativity, and power are innate in us – after all, we are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. We can only spend our whole lives trying to put it into words with the gift of language bestowed by God.
Despite the world’s denial of the opportunity to know God, He made it possible by writing the Scripture to help increase our spiritual hunger and thirst.
2 – How we respond to God’s calling
We are called on a journey to reach the ladder of consciousness with the help of the Almighty. The Abba Tradition by Michael Hattwick explains well how we can navigate through this spiritual journey in our lives and into a narrow road with seemingly no end.
However, it’s hard for some of us to hear God’s voice. There’s a struggle laced with discontentment and desperation. A clear sign of this is the feeling of not being satisfied with living life our way, eventually acknowledging the need for God.
Our strong desire to connect with Him is the driving force that helps us respond to His invitation to salvation. As a package deal, the said invitation comes with the gift of grace, eternal life with Him in Heaven, and forgiveness. All this was made possible through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
3 – Our deepened intimacy with God
Our walk with God in this spiritual journey doesn’t always come easy. Along with it comes pain, suffering, and ongoing trials and tribulations. We cannot control what comes to us in this life, but how we respond to them counts.
The choices we make for ourselves and others, how we process our emotions, and our coping mechanisms may result in joy amid sorrow. We can experience freedom, redemption, and a greater appreciation for life via God’s ongoing initiative.
Finding our true selves is not possible on our own. Building connections with others and being one with the Holy Spirit might help you process the things you experience along this journey until spiritual awakening is genuinely achieved.
