Article February 1, 1993 Issue

Setbacks or spiritual progress?

Through prayer we can recognize progress even when it may seem nothing is happening.

Lucia Johnson Leith

Steady progress is a cherished hope. But can we experience it? Reversals and hard knocks insist otherwise. Yet don't we also see hints of clear-cut progress? Heightened environmental awareness, for instance. Diplomatic breakthroughs. An insight that helps unravel a knotty problem at home or work.

Sometimes this insight comes after we've stepped back for a different perspective. Similarly, progress becomes more evident when we step back from daily ups and downs for a broader view of what we're doing. Admittedly, it can seem difficult to gain this broader view when struggles threaten to overwhelm us. At such times we may say, "To see progress in my life, I'd have to stand so far back I'd be off the map!"

Actually, though, there is a way to see progress, even in the face of setbacks. This way is much more than mere optimism. It's found through a spiritual view of existence grounded in Biblical truth. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God," Paul told the Romans.

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