Undoubtedly, religion guides us towards the right direction in our lives. It outlines what we should or should not do to grow. Even though some people tend to criticize religions, every person belongs to one. As long as a person has a set of beliefs, a world view, then they have a religion (Peck 197). This paper gives a reflection of growth and religion based on the works of Scott Peck’s The Road Less Travelled and J.P Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak. It will focus on discipline, love, and grace as described by Peck and dedication to the truth as discussed by Palmer as essential elements of growth.
According to Peck (197), religion encompasses the beliefs that a person has towards achieving better things in life. As such, a person is susceptible to suffering and pain as they strive to pursue spiritual growth. To achieve growth, he insists that a person must be guided by discipline (Peck 220). Discipline can only be made scientifically when a person has had enough experience about a particular phenomenon. I tend to agree with Peck that a lot of experience yields discipline. If a person is disciplined, rarely will they wander away from religious practices that can enforce growth. In my opinion, discipline is an integral part of growth. It helps me organize my duties well and meet personal targets.
Peck recognizes the importance of love for growth. However, being loved does not come easy; a person has to love themselves first. A person who does not have affection towards themselves will never be loved meaningfully by another person (Peck 232). This argument resonates well with my experience as a Christian. I have realized that people treat you the way you treat yourself. If you appear weak, you will be perceived as a weakling. Loving yourself immensely attracts people who will love you that much in life. Without any doubt, love is a religious act that helps a person to grow. Its absence acts as deterrence towards development. However, it is worse when a person loves people who can express similar feelings. The most important thing is to love oneself and identify the limitations of love towards others.
Grace is an essential component of human development (Peck 208). It can never be linked to science and can only come from God. The grace that God gives is described as amazing; it provides a person with courage; it acts as a guide towards being spiritual and promotes the safety of a person. I concur with Peck on his description of grace. The implementation of religious beliefs in life is challenging. This can be attributed to the varying views that people have towards various aspects of life. As such, a person requires courage to conquer to exercise their beliefs. As a Christian, I have experienced God’s grace in my life, and this has caused significant growth in my life.
Palmer discusses the true calling in a person’s life. According to him, lack of dedicating oneself to the truth can lead to depression. The lives of many people are dictated by the forces surrounding them (Palmer 10). This explains why many of them experience little to no growth since they have failed to recognize what they are supposed to do. The moral demands make life miserable for people because it hinders their ability to venture into something that can satisfy them. Palmer also compares vocation as a gift from God. He emphasizes that human beings were created in the image of God and thus should not be shaped to something different (Palmer 10). I concur entirely with Palmer. Each person is different and was born to accomplish specific tasks here, on Earth. However, the world does not create an environment for self-discovery. This is the reason many people today are depressed for choosing paths that they were not meant to pursue.
Discovering one’s vocation is not straightforward. It requires sacrifice and dedication to the truth. Continuous assessment of oneself is essential as it guides them towards finding what they should do with life. For this to take place, a person has a set of beliefs which they follow to achieve growth. They have to be disciplined and must seek God’s grace in their endeavors. Being a Christian, I have discovered that the process of finding oneself can be daunting especially when one does not exercise their beliefs. However, seeking God’s guidance helps one to courageously conquer the fears more so when conflicts with external forces arise. In my opinion, Palmer (15) is right when he says that every person has potential and limitations towards what they are meant to achieve.
Based on the reflection of Peck and Palmer’s works, it is clear that growth and religion go hand in hand. Without a set of beliefs, it can be challenging to make personal development. However, exercising religion can be difficult. As such it requires discipline, love, grace, and dedication to the truth.
Works Cited
Palmer, Parker J. Let your life speak: Listening for the voice of vocation. John Wiley " Sons, 1999.
Peck, M. Scott. The road less traveled: A new psychology of love, traditional values, and spiritual growth. Simon and Schuster, 2002.
