We have reached the 26th Step on John’s spiritual development Ladder. It is DISCERNMENT and has several stages. The first being SELF-KNOWLEDGE.

To know oneself is the first level of discernment. When we begin spiritual life, enthusiasm must be tempered with knowledge and humility, or we will try to go too far too fast. At the same time, we must not allow our own weakness and reluctance to change our ways to dictate our spiritual life and thus cause us to remain content with our failure to reach the Christian ideal, confusing difficult with impossible. We are only called to do what we can, but many people interpret that as doing what we want or, unfortunately, what makes us comfortable. To live the gospel is not easy, but neither is it impossible. The commandments to love your enemy, to forsake all for the Gospel, to en-dure affliction and turn the other cheek are not for the select few, but for every one of us.

No one should plead inability to do what is asked of us in the gospels, since there are souls who have accomplished for more than is commanded.

Unfortunately, because God’s commandments are not easy to keep due to our own sins and weaknesses, we are apt to dismiss them as unrealistic and even idealistic. We also tend to think of them as negative burdens rather than as positive opportunities. Thus we make a mockery of God, who gave us these commandments. While some Christians like to take so many passages of Scripture literally and use such passages against oth-ers when it suits them, when it comes to the things they are not so keen on doing themselves, such as forgiving enemies, they come up with a list of excuses as long as your arm. It is therefore essential that we have the humility to acknowledge that we keep falling shot of God’s commandments, and that we need to repent and change our minds and hearts.

We must remember, when we are attempting to follow Christ, that we cannot do it on our own and that we need God’s help. It is essential that we ask Him to help us and to support us in our efforts.