Focus on the ‘process’, not on the ‘progress.’

This is the last of six blogs intended to help you to allow yourself to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Press this link if you wish to start reading from the first blog.

Here it is beneficial to describe the difference between process and progress in spiritual life. According to Ruiz, “‘Progress’ means advancement, moving ahead in the physical or spiritual order; ‘process’ indicates the organic transformations in the living things or in matter.” Moreover, he continues to explain that “It is risky to speak directly of spiritual growth or progress. In a technical analysis, an explicit reflection on the ‘progress’ is typical. This is not the same when it becomes the centre of attention and desire: progress, triumph, showing up, etc. These are terms that belong to the psychological spiritual language, fulfilled with anthropocentrism, if not of egoism” (Federico Ruiz, Le vie dello Spirito, EDB, Bologna 2004, p. 408, translated by the author).

Thus, in authentic discernment, the effort to renew one’s mind does not intend to monitor the progress or regress. It only monitors and stimulates the never-ending process of conversion.  A process that is born in God’s Call for Union and lived in the Church with an attitude of faith, hope, and love. 

Thus, during any discernment intended to discover and live God’s dream, any mentality that pigeonholes people as ‘beginners’ or ‘advanced’ it’s not healthy to be used. God encounters every person in their actual life situation.