One of the most important things to realize about the spiritual journey is that encountering temptations and trials is a necessary condition for making progress. . . Through MANY tribulations we MUST enter the kingdom of God. #acts1422 . . If we respond in the right way, they can lead us into the deep peace of holiness #Hebrews1211 . . Not understanding how to identify and deal with them, however, can cause much confusion and lead to unwise decisions. The saints mention 3 temptations of the early stage of our journey: Immature Zeal, Misplaced Priorities, and Questioning God’s Fairness. . . Progress in the spiritual life means being progressively freed from being subject to these influences and becoming more and more subject to the Spirit of God. Understanding what’s happening to us in each stage of the spiritual journey greatly helps in becoming free. #TheTruthWillSetYouFree . . Many saints recommend seeking spiritual guidance from a priest or spiritual director for this reason, to help navigate the common pitfalls many do not see so that they do not grow weary in doing good, but endure in persevering faith and patience and above all JOY. #saintbernard #saintteresaofavila #meditationswithsaints #zeal #lent #livinglent #pursuingholiness #bissisterhood #livinglent #meditationswithsaints #growinholiness #madeformore #lent #catholic #wisdom #saintwisdom #coffeewithsaints #wakingeve https://www.instagram.com/wakingeve/p/Bv9LJ1AA9mz/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=189kva99qi1wv