Mankind is on a normal spiritual developmental cycle.
We are now approaching the pinnacle of self actualization of the ego. We are full of ourselves. The upcoming mid-life crisis is necessary in order to get rid of the old to make room for the new seed to sprout within us. When we are full of ourselves we have no room for God.
Erik Erickson quoted Anna Freud in his 1958 book “Young Man Luther: A Study in Psychoanalysis and History” that “the period of Reformation was the beginning of the glorification of the ego of common man.” This is when the scriptures were translated into common man’s language and many more people could read and interpret the scriptures for themselves. This created self empowerment.
Our souls are seeds that are planted here on earth to grow, (read Jesus’s explanation of the parable of the weeds in Matthew 13)
In the mid-life crisis diminishing of the ego that is forthcoming, each individual has 4 options.
1. Circle back, have affairs, buy the sports car, seek validation of our ego self in new ways. This is the most common path that keeps people circling as a dog chasing their tail.
2. Give up and die. This life is too rough and I can’t do it. Let me die and leave this mess.
3. As we approach the dark night of the soul or empty self, fear becomes very great. The closer we get, the greater the fear becomes. People in this phase of development seek someone else to surrender their individual authority. This is what gives cults their power over people. This is how the anti-messiah will fool people into following him. This is happening now.
4. The 4th option is to go through the dark night of the soul by looking within self for the Light of God. When this first happens there is a period of euphoria and bliss that makes a person feel they are one with God and have ended their journey. They will write books and seek followers as they feel they have the answers for everyone. Actually they have just placed their toe on the threshold of the transcendent self and are God aware. They go through the euphoria and think they know it all just as a 16 year old does when they first develop a sense of self when the soul is growing through the teenage transition. It is a natural response to the stability of coming out of the turmoil of transition and into the stability of a new stage of soul development.
The Old Testament teaches us how to come out of dependency and self actuate. The New Testament teaches us how to diminish the ego of self actualization and transition to a self transcendent God aware or experiential stage of soul development.
When a child is born, their soul is pure and they can’t survive unless they surrender to someone else, hopefully their parents. They are empty and have no identity except through their parents.
When a person goes through a severe mid life crisis, the same emptiness happens. This is why their are no atheists in foxholes. The person feels helpless to survive on their own.
Just as a child surrenders to their parents, we must surrender to God in order to move to the next level of development and move through the dark night of the soul.
Actually this problem goes way, way back. Back to the Garden of Eden. It was pride that caused Eve and Adam to succumb to the temptation of being as wise as God.
4The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Genesis 3:4-7 NASB
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The Reformation put the Scriptures into the hands of the average person who could read and understand His Word and how to have a saving faith in Christ.
Okay,,,
I’m somewhere
Between #2 and #4.
“NeverForget to laugh”
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GyG@PlanetWTF?/WNW!
SemperTRUMP.45!
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I did 1 then moved to 4. Only stayed at 1 long enough to think “this ain’t gonna last”. :)
I did 1 then moved to 4. Only stayed at 1 long enough to think “this ain’t gonna last”. :)