Have you ever felt like you weren’t making any progress? Maybe you’re still in conflict with a family member, always behind on paying the bills or struggling with illness.
If suffering for a long time, it might feel like you’re never going to find relief. You might feel stuck, hopeless and even helpless. But this is not true! There is an underlying current of spiritual force that is moving you in a progressive direction and is unstoppable. It’s inevitable that everyone, one way or the other, discover their unity with eternal harmony.
God’s plan of Life for you is not one of suffering and pain, but of health and freedom. And whatever causes temporal suffering is destined to give way to God’s plan.
Like the earth turning in its orbit. One might run in the other direction on its surface in an attempt to reverse its direction, but he will fail. The momentum of the earth is far greater than anyone trekking on its surface. The same rule applies to God’s law of progress. It’s unstoppable, and it will accomplish its purpose for your life. Progress is inevitable!
Looking back on my life to times that were trying, I can see now that I was learning a valuable spiritual lesson in every instance. A spiritual purpose was being worked out.
When I ran out of cash in college, I learned to express more wisdom and discipline to prevent it from happening again. When I couldn’t find a job I liked, I learned to be grateful for the opportunities I had and to make the most of them. When I felt locked into a job I did not like, even hated, I realized later God was cultivating qualities of patience, love and gratitude in me that were needed for my dream-job which came later. When I couldn’t walk because of extreme pain in my back, I learned to trust God’s power more and see that no evil could hold me down. The pain vanished. And on and on with other instances, I could go.
Troubles are not obstacles to progress. They are stepping stones to more progress. They are calls upon our practice of Truth to break out of limited material perspective, gain more expansive views of God, and grow in spiritual understanding.
Everyone is destined to make progress. Even people who pass on from an illness make progress. They quickly learn that disease did not kill them and that their fears on earth were unfounded.
The key on earth is to realize that we do not have to pass on to learn important spiritual lessons. We can learn them now!
As pride, ego, self-absorption, fears, false beliefs and any other pressing sin is dissolved and displaced with Truth and Love, obstacles to healing disappear and progress is made.
We’re all destined to find eternal Life in Spirit. It’s our unity with God that is never broken. And the sooner we understand it the better.
With every trial, look for the blessing. Progress is inevitable.
This fits so well with the Christian Science Bible Lesson this week. When reading the lesson I was struck by this statement from Science and Health, page 66:
Spiritual development germinates not from seed sown in the soil of material hopes,
but when these decay, Love propagates anew the higher joys of Spirit, which have no taint of earth.
While it may be difficult at times, the breaking down of “material hopes” is often necessary before we can appreciate the “higher joys of Spirit” and realize the unique plan that God, Love, has for each of us. The story of Joseph illustrates this.
Thanks, Evan; this is a keeper!
“Troubles are not obstacles to progress. They are stepping stones to more progress.”
What a great thought and I love how you then say that these problems are actually STEPPING STONES to progress!
Sometimes its easy to think our lives are in limbo and each successive problem is yet ANOTHER hold up but it all comes down to whether we see an obstacle as just that or a learning experience. God’s life progress itself so how can ours be otherwise?
Thank you again Evan 😉
How can perfection progress?
I find this very comforting Evan. Thank You!
Thank you Evan for the excellent reminder that progress is inevitable. Reading this blog is causing me to go back and remember the progress and growth I have made while overcoming challenges that try to gain a foothold. How wonderful it is to get self, ego, pride, human outlining behind us as God’s plan moves us forward and upward. Thanks again.
I find that troubles are Jacob’s ladder to progress. Each step climbed is a step towards progress and eventually spiritual bliss where discord and strife become non-existent.
Without troubles to overcome progress would be impossible since all things work together for good to them who love God. To love God is requisite to climb Jacob’s ladder and thereby prove the inevitable progress that God demands.
Love the lesson and love the picture!
What a wonderful time to receive this message as I have been struggling with an issue.
I read somewhere , perhaps MBE, that each problem presents itself for our edification. Instead of problems, chronic or otherwise, as an impediment to freedom, they might be considered ‘serving themselves up in consciousness to return to their native nothingness’ thus making room for the good filing our consciousness.
So very helpful, thank you!
Trials are really proofs of God’s care.
Because they send us to God, and there we find God’s care.
Thanks for this! I agree it works well with this week’s lesson.
Yesterday I engaged in much physical activity to help someone. Before I did, I prayed, and used the S&H passage from the lesson about never being harmed by doing good.
I have been working for some years on chronic pain issues. When I woke up this morning and seemed sore, I remembered previous progress when I felt that way but although I didn’t seem able to feel physically better from prayer, I had been able to stop being afraid, and stop viewing the sore feeling negatively – remembering times when I’d participated in karate camps and felt worse, but hadn’t been afraid about it. At that time, that was progress. This time I spent a long time studying my lesson, recognizing material sense testimony as false! The pain went away. I am so grateful for this progress! But I first had to be grateful for my previous progress, and honor that. Step by step! As MBE says, “Progress is the law of God” (forget where… it’s late, not going to look it up).
Thank you Evan. Needed that encouragement. (=
I just re read this and really love the part about how we cannot by running in the opposite direction turn back the progress of the Earth anymore than God’s law of progress! What a powerful idea!
THANKYOU! 😉