Success And Failure In the Christian Life

 People often wonder why those with "everything" in this worldly life--money, success, recognition--would end their lives, or fall into depression or loneliness, or turn to drugs or alcohol. These are sometimes seen as "first world problems" by those who struggle with things like putting enough food on the table, or political instability, or violence. 

For the Christian, this should be obvious--we were not made for this world, and as St. Augustine famously said, "our hearts are restless, until they rest in you" (ie, the "God-shaped hole"). It's why I am deeply suspicious of and find offensive the "health and wealth" prosperity gospel, as well as, to a degree, Christian Nationalism. "God alone" should be our anthem, and all else secondary and subject to the first clause. 

Erik Erikson is the oft-quoted psychologist who laid out our human needs in eight fundamental stages (Theory of Psycho-Social Development). Interestingly, each stage of human development is judged in terms of "success" and "failure," and advancement to subsequent stages is predicated upon "success" in each stage. If an infant "fails" to develop trust in the early years of development, this will thwart their ability to be move on and be "successful" in the next stage (Autonomy/Shame) and harbor fear and axiety in the present stage of psycho-social retardation. 

In the Christian life, this development is somewhat inverted. When we put God first, and turn ourselves over completely to His divine will (loving God with our whole heart, mind, strength, and soul), our human needs for affirmation, bodily fulfillment, and industry are subjugated. We find ourselves able to not only endure loneliness, hunger, and poverty, but thrive and find joy despite these earthly misfortunes. We do not find God by setting ourselves up in comfort and security, having all our needs met at which point we can seek Him. We are essentially working backwards by putting "first things first," first of which is God. 

Of course, this first "stage" of abandonment can only take place by the virtue of humility (which comes by way of unmerited grace), the bedrock and cornerstone for all other virtues to build upon. What does humility entail? Admitting that we have "failed" to be masters of our own destiny; failed to find happiness in this life; failed to overcome concupisence and be "good" on our own.

Of course complete abandonment to the Divine Will (the Unitive) does not happen in the initial stages of Christian spiritual development. It is hardly achieved by even the most ardent Christians here on earth in this life, even after years of prayer and mortification of the senses. As long as we live, we will be continually falling and failing. We may have momentary periods of virtue or fortitude, but we are quickly snapped back like a rubberband into lives of selfishness and egotism. We can get stuck in this "purgative" stage, for years even, when we know what we ought to do, but find our will weak and unformed. 

For those who do learn self-mastery, the "illumantive" stage that follows is one marked by trial and testing, demanding continual growth and eschewing resting on one's laurels. Detachment, prayer, mortification...these are not easy things to maintain. It is called the "exercise" of the will for a reason, and this period of testing of one's intentions and motivations to move closer to God is not always uniform. We are aided along the way by grace, via consolations, but may also experience great desolations as a means of testing before advancement to the final stage, that of the "unitive" stage.

We sometimes neglect to realize that prayer, and the practice of virtue, are really habits. The more one habituates to discomfort, to prayer, to solitude and contemplation, to charity, the more it becomes second-nature. The unitive stage is marked by this "habit" which was developed in the Illumanative stage, and results in a continuous union in which one is not pre-occupied with their suffering, but transformed by it in light of the Divine Presence. This is not easily achieved, and is the mark of saints.

We have to ask ourselves "why?" though. Why do so few achieve this state, the most natural state of being for creatures created by God. The Lord certainly gives freely to all who ask for the grace to live totally for him, who knock in order to find Him (Mt 7:8). He bestows on us aid through the Sacraments, and arms us with sacramentals to fight against our selfish-nature and transcend our mortal senses and deficiencies. Grace is transformative, but it does depend on the co-operation of the will, and faith. This is why Christ could not work many miracles in Nazareth, because of the people's unbelief (Mt 13:58). If we do not become saints, we must be honest--it is because we did not wish to bad enough, or we lacked the faith that God could make it possible for us.

This is why the Cross is the ultimate sign of contradiction to the world. Christian perfection demands it, that we take up our own cross in order to follow him (Mt 16:24). It is also why the crucifixion is the ultimate "failure" in the lower order, the world--it failed to achieve the immediate restoration of Israel; it failed to spare Christ from bodily death; it failed to ensure that his followers would be spared from suffering and death themselves. 

Even today, the Cross does not promise "health and wealth." It does not promise to make sure all of our worldly needs are met. In fact, it often ensures that they are not, for if they were, we "may have too much and disown you and say, `Who is the LORD?'" (Prov 30:9). The Cross is truly "foolishness to those who are perishing." But to those who are being saved, it is the power of God (1 Cor 1:18).

This is why only those who persevere to the end will be saved (Mt 24:13). It does not mean we will not fall, not fail, as we make our way on the road carrying our tree. The weeds grow with the wheat, and a rolling stone gathers no moss, as the saying goes. But if the Enemy convinces us that we are only the sum total of our failures, he ceases our steps, and we do not advance but become stagnant and complacent, seeking fleeting bodily comfort, security, and the assurance of others. And then he wins. 

 It is not easy getting up time and time again after failures and setbacks in the spiritual life. It is hard, and often tiring. But isn't that the point? If sainthood was easy, everyone would achieve it. But the way to life is narrow, and few find it (Mt 7:14). As St Paul says, "to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil 1:12). 

Our development as Christians is not about satisfying our own human needs or on achieving external milestones, but continually dying to self and living for Christ so that he might live in us. It does not depend completely on our own self-determination, but works in co-operation with grace, a grace freely given when asked for. The Lord did not, and will not, leave us orphans. Our failures in the world should always be seen in the light of Christ, and in the shadow cast by the cross. The fools who live for Christ will be the ones laughing in Heaven when this world has come to pass.