The ABC of Spiritual Growth
The learning curve.
The French have a saying – c’est facile comme bonjour. This is loosely translated to mean – as easy as hello. The English have theirs too – as easy as ABC. Both languages are saying the same thing – emphasis on how easy something can be. This is how simple spirituality can be. You can move from zero to the infinite knowledge of spirituality.
Understanding the invisible operations in the spiritual realm will make you a master of the physical realm. Everything that happens in the physical begins from the spiritual. Those who have mastered their spirituality (and get it right) wield a lot of power and influence over many others who have no clue about it.
A spiritual master is like a driver of a trailer or those big cars we see on the road. They do not use much energy to drive. They only swerve the steering wheel to the right or left and the car, no matter how big, obeys. Drivers can take the car wherever they want to without breaking a sweat. In spirituality matters, it is your growth that will make your physical life move smoothly. Other people will admire how you managed to succeed where others failed.
To attain mastery, there are various stages in spiritual growth. They include:
Infancy stage.
The age of an infant is between one day and at least two years. They are very beautiful babies who know nothing about the world they have just been brought into. An infant does not know how to communicate, walk, feed, or do anything for himself. They entirely depend on the help of the parent or guardian. The only means of communication for an infant is crying. The caregiver will have to figure out what is wrong with the young one.
Similarly, there is an infancy stage in spirituality. This is when you do not know anything and entirely depend on your spiritual authority for almost everything. Spiritual infants need to accept the guidance of mature people for them to be nurtured and become responsible people.
Are you a spiritual infant? If you are, accept spiritual guidance from more mature people and your infancy period will be an easy one.
Early childhood.
This stage is mostly between the ages of 2 and 5 years. This child has started knowing about his environment and identifying his parent(s) or guardian. At this stage, the child is encouraged to stand up alone. The parent can help him stand up and guide him through walking a few steps then leave him to walk alone. This training helps the child finally learn how to stand up and walk alone without any help.
The spiritual early childhood phase is the same as the growth of a child at this stage. Your spiritual authority helps you to stand on your feet alone and walk with minimal supervision. All this while, he will be at a safe distance to come to your rescue if you fall. You are yet to fully explore your spirituality but you at least know your identity.
In this stage of early childhood, be encouraged to stand on your two feet alone. This is significant in expressing the new spiritual identity that you have just discovered.
Junior childhood.
This is the stage where the child can begin formal education. He can now walk alone and say his name when he is asked to. He can say when he is hungry or thirsty and he has outgrown his crying acts during infancy. The brain of this child can accommodate new skills taught at school.
Spiritual junior childhood is significant because you can now learn principles on how to sustain your spiritual life in ways that will directly affect your physical one.
In this stage of junior childhood, do not be afraid to learn all new things you can about spirituality from your spiritual authority.
Pre-teenage.
Pre-teenage is an age of curiosity. The child is thrilled by everything around him and he wants to find out. It is a continuation of the learning stage in junior childhood. A child in pre-teen wants to try out every new thing without supervision. You should be extra vigilant.
Spiritual pre-teenage is filled with curiosity and in some, rebellion. At this spiritual age, you tend to want to do things your way without the supervision of your spiritual authority. While it is good to be independent, it is likewise dangerous to rebel because bad karma will catch up with you and make you pay dearly.
Spiritual pre-teenage is a delicate phase. Be obedient to your spiritual authority as you prepare to usher the teenage stage.
Teenage.
Almost everyone remembers their teenage years. The fact that you are neither a child nor an adult brings more confusion. It is a make-or-break phase. It shapes your adulthood in many ways. Teenagers should be handled very carefully to nurture them into responsible adulthood.
Spiritual teenagers are very spontaneous. They are mostly irrational. It is difficult to predict spiritual teenagers. One minute you may be talking to an adult and the next you are dealing with a child, or far worse, an infant.
Does this stage currently describe your spiritual growth stage? You are in the making of a very responsible adult. Avoid anything that will make you emotional and act out of it. Seek the counsel of a spiritual adult to guide you in making major decisions.
Youth.
The youth are now young adults. Their reasoning has now developed further beyond that of teenagers. They have some degree of maturity and can live independent lives free of close supervision. They are said to be the leaders of tomorrow for which they are.
Spiritual youth are more reasonable compared to the previous stages. They now understand the spiritual hierarchy and can make independent decisions. They are more outgoing and their greatest undoing is the wrong company of friends. They are a very important group in every society because of their vigor and energy.
Are you a spiritual youth? You have come a long way and are more knowledgeable than you were previously. You will notice that you are now a strong believer. Do not look back.
Adulthood.
Adults are mature people who have seen it all. They are lucky to have a wealth of experience in matters of spirituality and have a lot to share on the same. An adult is a responsible person and many younger people (even adults) look up to him for guidance.
Spiritual adulthood is an age of resilience. Your faith is not shaken by anything that others would run away from. You know your identity and are bold about the universe’s rescue plans for you. In terms of decision-making, a spiritual adult is very calculative and very rational.
Do you recognize yourself as a spiritual adult? Voilà! You are now at the peak of spirituality. Use your expertise to be resourceful to many people and the universe shall repay you a hundredfold.
Sidebar: Although we have compared spiritual growth with the different physical growth stages, it is important to note that spiritual maturity is not pegged on the age factor. You can be an adult physically but a spiritual teenager. Likewise, you can be a youth physically but a spiritual adult.
The decision to invest in your spirituality is one of the best decisions you have ever made. Your spiritual growth expands your horizon infinitely.