Removing Your Spiritual Training Wheels

I've had some incredible experiences today. Many times over the last few weeks, I have seen beautiful gems of the Spirit shared in private groups or blogs. It seems to be happening more often than usual and the experiences more profound. The spirit of these messages are always positive, encouraging, comforting, and hopeful. Many group members comment and share similar experiences and people begin to realize they are not so alone in their learning.

On the other side of it, there have also been people who join the conversation with a spirit of fear and contention. They accuse others of being deceived or misled. They tear apart the beauty of the message with condescending words and use scriptures and quotes to support their accusations. What was meant to be special is shredded and trampled on. This is the wisdom behind why we are counseled not to cast our pearls.

I am reminded of the wheat and the tares. Truly I see it happening today within the Church. There are many who are having beautiful supernatural experiences and profound personal revelation while developing new spiritual gifts and trying to understand them, and it's bringing them closer to the Lord. And then there are many that are fearful of this and consider these gifts, experiences, and personal revelations false. The accusers have a logical thinking process, seeking facts and evidence from scripture, apostles, and prophets. The ones having the beautiful experiences are being taught by and receiving their validation through the Spirit. Because it adds to what they already know and doesn't take away from the gospel - they cherish it. Their light has been increased. The other group believes if a prophet didn't teach it - it can't be truth. They have put God in a box.

I've been the recipient of such accusations, many times for what I share on my blog. The comments are very unkind and usually anonymous. The commenter will usually begin by telling me they have an authoritative position in the church, or that they are an expert in a particular field, or teach at a local university and that I am way off base. Often times the comments will have curse words in them and vulgar language, mixed with very unkind judgement, name calling, and accusations about my own salvation. Its difficult for me to believe this would come from a member of my own church especially someone of authority. Because I have seen it happening to others - I do know that often times unfortunately it is from members of the church who believe they are on the straight and narrow but truly they are serving the adversary with their unkind words and accusations.They bring with them a spirit of contention, doubt, fear, and division.

The Spirit has always told me to never respond to these comments and to delete them. They sabotage the true Spirit of the message. My posts are written from a place of love and light. This blog is no place for dark words and contention. As I have deleted these comments and not responded, they eventually go away. I have learned that people respond with anger when they have fear. If a shared truth exposes a hidden fear from within, they attack. Satan knows our weaknesses and our fears and he plays on those for his own purposes.

Having said that, after pondering on this today, the Spirit led me to two links that I am so happy to share, and was not even searching for. Often times before I even get the chance to ask in prayer, the Spirit knows my heart and will bring the answers to me shortly after having the thought. The Spirit told me to go to my saved folder in facebook and told me there was a link I had saved last week that I needed to finally read. I couldn't even remember what it was, but did as prompted. Here is the link, and I was blown away when I read the article. I felt the Spirit so strong from head to toe.

Scott R. Braithwaite

In the article, Scott R. Braithwaite, an associate psychology professor at Brigham Young University, discussed the psychological component to crises of faith in a BYU Education Week presentation on Monday, August 21. He expounded the stages of faith described by James Fowler, who was a Methodist minister and theology professor at Emory University.

“These stages of faith I think are helpful because they help us to realize that there’s not just one way to have faith,” Braithwaite said.

Most people, according to Braithwaite, remain throughout their lives in Fowler’s stage three faith, which is a synthetic-conventional faith characterized by conformity to authority, a strong cultural element to religious life, an “us versus the world” perspective, and ignoring any conflicts with one’s beliefs due to the fear of threat from inconsistencies.

“Stage three faith I think opens you up to being the most vulnerable to a faith crisis because it establishes a set of expectations that are impossible to achieve,” Braithwaite said. “They live in a world that’s binary: it’s black and white, where the Church is all good and couldn’t possibly do anything not good, and the world is wicked and bad.”

Here is a diagram of James Fowler's model.

After reading this article, a few minutes later while doing the dishes, the Spirit told me to listen to a video or podcast to help pass the time. I was led to a podcast link and heard the Spirit say, "There is a podcast on here just for you. Click on the one that feels right."

I scrolled down and found one that mentioned two missionaries who served in Ireland. My brother served in Ireland and so I had an interest. I clicked on the podcast and began to do the dishes. Right away the man in the podcast interview began to talk about everything I had been pondering this morning. I could not believe it! Again I felt such strong validation from the Spirit from head to toe. It was beautiful! He used an analogy of spiritual training wheels vs. a mountain bike. Until we take off our training wheels we can't go places that are just for mountain bikes. He mentioned how many rely on being spoon fed the gospel. They only know Jesus through the testimonies of prophets and apostles. Then there are those who come to know Jesus through a very personal and real relationship. They go places only their mountain bike can take them. They are never the same again.

Here is that podcast if you'd like to listen.

                                  The Spirit then told me to reach out to someone today who would have further words to share with me. I wanted to call my sister, but the Spirit told me that instead I needed to contact this other person who I only know through facebook. I messaged this friend and her words were,

"If one chooses to limit themselves they can only grow as far as that limit. One can't mountain bike easily with training wheels."

I felt the Spirit from head to toe again and I laughed. I shared with her the link to the podcast that the Spirit had shared with me about the same analogy of training wheels and mountain bikes and she said,

" Love how the Spirit speaks in witnesses of two or more...I honestly have never heard this phrase or said it before today - wow! I guess this was something you needed to hear."

I believe that the Lord is trying to get all of us to release our training wheels and trust Him that we will not fall off the bike by doing so - but instead ride to incredible places that free our soul! He is trying to prepare His people for their roles in these last days, and it's difficult to do for those who are stuck in a box. We put limits on ourselves, on the gospel, and on God. By doing so, we limit our spiritual progress and we limit opportunities He has for us to grow. I believe we will see these experiences among members continue to increase. Spiritual gifts will increase and magnify, as will dreams, visions, and personal revelation. The Lord is preparing us for our roles in building up His Kingdom. When we're ready - He will use us!