Week Five: The Path. The Obstacle

A few years ago, a friend gave me the book “The Obstacle is the Way ” which changed my perspective on how I look at difficulty in my life. I’ve always had the tendency to want to live in the comfort of a stress-free life free of problems, the world I created as a child to survive. Unfortunately, this is not a real world this side of heaven. But we are hardwired for truth, beauty and goodness and to live a life of virtue. As I think about virtue, it’s easy to be attracted to its beauty and excellence, but we rarely think about the difficulty it takes to attain it.

In practicing the virtue of prudence as I align myself with God, there have been many obstacles. These obstacles are a gift and my path to spiritual growth. It is usually an opportunity for me to invite the Holy Spirit inside me to increase so my humanness can decrease. Just like my physical pain needs attention and time to heal, so does the emotional and spiritual pain. In the spiritual war, I’ve learned that the greater courage, compassion, and kindness I show in conquering myself and defeating my enemies (like pride and self-will), the sooner my difficulties diminish and gradually vanish.

Now there’s no one who approaches God with a true and upright heart who isn’t tested by hardships and temptations. So, in all these temptations seek to it that even if you feel them, you don’t consent to them. Instead, bear them patiently and calmly with humility and long-suffering.

St Albert the great, Manual for Spiritual Warfare, p.164

Lord, thank you for the obstacles which are the path that bring me closer to goodness.