Let us reflect on whether or not God wants mankind spiritually trained while on this Earth. But first, some questions:
Knowing what you know of human nature, which errors do you suppose more likely for natural man?—
- To overestimate the quality and amount of spiritual maturity God has equipped him to attain—or to underestimate it?
- To overestimate the quality and amount of spiritual maturity that God wants him to attain—or to underestimate it?
- To overestimate his own achievement so far—or to underestimate it?
Man, particularly living where God himself does not live, will tend to underestimate God, God’s wisdom, and God’s intent for the high spiritual achievement of man. And not living face to face with God, the man will tend to overestimate his own spiritual achievements.
If he becomes properly mindful of God, he will not achieve that attitude because God is constantly in his face, being an ever-present reminder of what is good, and warning against the bad. No, he will achieve it because he himself volunteers to seek out God from what may be learned about him—from the evidence and information God has put within in man’s reach for that purpose.
It is the one who seeks God out who discovers the truth of how high God has set the barres of possibility and of expectation, and how far short of them he falls. And it is this one who embraces the fuller view of the grace of God than can the man who does not seek after these things.
A great many institutions are designed and built for those who do not seek, but who take pride in merely being told that they are in fact seekers, just for having come to the meeting. It should not surprise us, therefore, to see that the institutions follow the members in the three questions above—that they underestimate their faculties and Gods expectations, and overestimate their achievements.
Indeed, so very many of them set the barre as low as the threshold of the front door, and congratulate everyone who crosses it.