Lesson 4: Not Advancing Is Going Back
“In the way of God, not to advance is to go back.”
1. The Necessity of Continual Progress
Doctrine: In the spiritual life, remaining stagnant is impossible—one either advances or declines.
Key Idea:
Standing still spiritually results in regression because the soul must always move forward or backward.
Supporting Scriptures:
-
Luke 9:62 — “He that looketh back is not fit…”
-
James 1:17 — Only God remains unchanging
Theological Principle:
The spiritual life is dynamic, requiring constant growth because human nature is subject to change and movement.
2. The Danger of Spiritual Stagnation
Doctrine: Failure to pursue growth leads to gradual spiritual decline and increased vulnerability to sin.
Key Idea:
Spiritual neglect may not appear harmful immediately, but it inevitably weakens the soul.
Supporting Scriptures:
-
Ecclesiasticus 19:1 — Small neglect leads to greater falls
-
Galatians 5:7 — “You were running well—who hindered you?”
Theological Principle:
Neglect in virtue produces loss, since grace requires cooperation and continual effort.
3. The Need for Spiritual Effort Against Inclination
Doctrine: The spiritual life requires effort and perseverance against natural tendencies and passions.
Key Idea:
Without effort, the soul is carried “downstream” by its weaknesses.
Supporting Scriptures:
-
Matthew 11:12 — “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence”
-
Genesis 28:12 — Ladder of ascent (no standing still)
Theological Principle:
Human nature tends downward after sin, so progress in holiness demands active resistance and discipline.
4. Failure to Grow Is Failure of Vocation
Doctrine: To neglect growth in virtue is to fail in one’s purpose and calling.
Key Idea:
Not doing good when it is required is itself a form of spiritual failure.
Supporting Scriptures:
-
Luke 13:7 (implied principle) — Unfruitful tree condemned
-
1 Corinthians 4:8 — Warning against false complacency
Theological Principle:
Vocation implies obligation—grace given demands growth, and failure to respond leads to loss.
Applicable Reflections
Self-Examination Questionnaire:
-
Am I actively growing in virtue, or maintaining a habit of spiritual complacency?
-
Have I become comfortable with my current spiritual level?
-
Do I resist effort when growth requires sacrifice?
-
Am I aware of areas where I am quietly declining?
-
Spiritual Application:
-
Do a weekly progress review — honestly evaluate specific growth or decline in virtues.
-
Identify one area of stagnation — take deliberate steps to improve where you feel stuck.
-
Create accountability — share your spiritual goals with a mentor or guide.
-
Increase resistance to comfort — intentionally choose one act that challenges complacency.
What does Rodriguez have to say?
"The blessed St. Augustine says: “We don’t go back so far as we make efforts to go forward; once we begin to stop, back we roll. Thus, if we wish not to go back, we must ever push on and endeavor to go forward”... The same is said, almost in the same words, by St. Gregory, St. Chrysostom, Pope St. Leo, and many other saints, and they repeat it many times. St. Bernard pursues this theme at considerable length in two of his letters (254 and 341). He there addresses a lax and lazy religious who is satisfied with a common life and does not care to go further in his improvement, and argues with him in this manner: “You do not want to go forward? No. Then you want to turn back? Not that either. What, then, do you want? I want to stay as I am, neither better nor worse. Then you want what is impossible. For in this world there is nothing that can stay as it is; that is the attribute of God alone, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of vicissitude” (James i. 17)."
Alphonsus Rodriguez, The Practice of Perfection and Christian Virtues, trans. Joseph Rickaby, Vol. I (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1929), p. 27-28.