"Not always a fairytale castle"

This our last journey into the "Virtuous Life", so we are finishing on Teresa of Avila's (1515-1582)Interior Castle. Her writing this followed a vision she had describing a journey from the outside of the castle through its many rooms to the centre. In the centre is the place where  we can completely unite with God. The journey is an allegory describing the trials and joys along the way. Much like John Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress.

Teresa describes how some of us struggle to overcome our sin to even in engage in the process while other remain content at the early stages. God is calling  us unceasingly to come further and further in towards him. Our reason can get in the way as Teresa describes our earthly pleasures can get in the way of our faith developing and taking over. we may seek refuge in comfort rather than the discomfort of moving from room to room. As we change rooms there is a stepping up required, a changing level of expectation.

Teresa describes how we are ruined by our vain habits and the work of the Devil to entice us to seek comfort of the flesh. According to her we should not complain but be resolute as we move forward, no matter how uncomfortable it gets. Doesn't very 21st Century Western World does it?

Blackaby's Experiencing God

So how does this work in the 21st century? Well the thing that came to mind for me was the work of Henry Blackaby in his Experiencing God. He describes hearing/experiencing God as a cycle which we move through. Like Teresa he says God is always talking, but we are not always listening. They also agree that the key to the castle is prayer even though Henry does not put it in those terms. They  also agree God speaks through his word, other people and prayer. Henry's comment is that after hearing God there is often a realignment necessary to be able to follow God.
This may cause a crisis of belief:
This seems very hard!
Did I really hear God?
Is this what he really wants me to do?

Henry suggests that we have to realign with God in this new phase of our spiritual walk to be we God would have us. This would seem to be much how I have experienced my spiritual journey and much how Teresa has described the travel between rooms. The realignment can actually take quite a while if there is a major adjustment needed to establish what God wants for us.

Prayer is the key to the journey but I also believe it is what is at stake in the journey. The enemy would like us to remain "prayer-less" . To God prayer is as important as our breathing.  Not matter where we sit today we can go forward. remember that feeling comfortable in the process is not necessarily an indicator that it is God. There are many occasions where we can feel very uncomfortable in bring obedient to God. The question really is, does that make it wrong? What do you think?

Next week the Spirit -Empowered Life!

Until Next time.