The Wall: Stages of Faith
- Life-Changing awareness of God - I am aware of God’s mercy for me and begin my relationship with Him
- Discipleship - Learning about God and what it means to follow Christ. Become rooted in disciplines of faith
- The Active Life - The “doing” stage. Serving God and His people
- The Wall and Journey Inward - Reflecting and facing ourselves. Crisis of faith.
- Journey Outward - Begin again to “do”.
- Transformed into Love
[God] is determined to complete the work he began in us, whether we like it or not!
What is the wall I face now? I started reading this book during a new year’s fast. Now I continue to read it through my first big relationship trial ask I navigate my relationship, my shortcomings/flaws, and God’s future for myself and this relationship.
Stuck at the Wall — The Dark Night of the Soul
There’s a difference between paying attention to our feelings and worshiping the — even with our feelings of or about God.
Characteristics of Life on the Other Side
God moves us through the Wall — we cannot do it on our own power. But we need to make the correct choices.
1. A Greater Level of Brokenness
The humility and greater understanding that occurs from being broken frees us of pride and judging others. The more offended I can be, the less broken I am.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner Adapted from Luke 18:9-14
2. A Greater Appreciation for Holy Unknowing (Mystery)
I like control. I like to know where God is going, exactly what he is doing, the exact route of how we are getting there, and exactly when we will arrive
Remember who we are dealing with here: God is so immanent (so close) and yet so transcendent (so utterly above and far from us)
If you understand, it is not God you understand Saint Augustine
3. A Deeper Ability to Wait for God
hmmm maybe I should stop finishing people’s sentences 🙂
Waiting is so hard for me. I want to know where I’m going. I always want to be calculating how I can improve my situation and will take the next soonest opportunity to do so. Obeying to stay in my circumstances is one of my greatest struggles.
4. A Greater Detachment
One thing that has not been present in my mind as I have grown up is to be detached from the world. It’s easy to think that when you’re younger, maybe even through college too, that you’re detached. But when it comes down to my comforts, my hard work through the education system, and now my career, I realize how attached I’ve become to these things.
These things, as I’ve learned the past few weeks, come to fail. Life is hard. Relationships are hard. And I need not be so affected (but not in a stoic kind of way).