About The "Running Fight" in Our Work and Our Spiritual Life

We're settling into the Easter Season now. But perhaps our efforts during Lent Lent didn't provide the spiritual result hoped for. This phenomenon, may be expressed as a feeling, or even some objective analysis that yields a conclusion.

Today we have some words from a solid spiritual director. He explains how and why we are always engaged in what he calls a "running fight" in our spiritual life.

We might read these words and consider how to apply them to our daily work. For example, let's say we have given ourselves some meaty goal to improve our knowledge and/or skills in whatever work we do, and have - or continue to - work hard at accomplishing it. Time passes. We would have expected to be "done" by now. Question: Are we ever really done in improving ourselves in any way. Isn't there always room for improvement? Sure, it's a kind of cliche, but isn't it true?

Or let's say we've completed a project, something that will add - and indeed has added - value to either: our standing as an employee; a product for our customers; our relationship with our clients, etc., etc. We were determined to do this and it seems accomplished. But as time goes on, we see this or that that could our should be better. We're not done after all. There's more to do.

With this in mind, here are Father's initial thoughts:

“‘I shall break my neck to get rid of self by Easter,’ was the unwitting remark at Ash Wednesday-tide of one whose self was so firmly entrenched that is was quite a safe wager that the neck would be adequately broken in half-a-hundred places before self ever were gotten rid of. It was a good desire, the attainment of which would have brought much peace within and around, but it was a futile desire. To curb a few manifestations of self ‘by Easter,’ to be a little less self-centered ‘by Easter,’ to be a little, a wee little, less self-willed ‘by Easter,’ would have been a consummation devoutly to be wished for, and a most laudable and most practical attempt. But ‘to get rid of self by Easter,’ that was a task that would need a veritable miracle of grace, a re-fashioning from on high – and, while putting no limits to God’s grace or to His goodness, there was small reason for expecting such a re-vamping of an entire life. How remarkably foolish we are at times in our resolves! We note, disgustedly, some defect we thought we had corrected long ago, or some fault we never dreamed that we had. Then in the noontide of our wrath against self and in the full grip of our humiliation at the consciousness of our faultiness, we swear a mighty oath that never, no, never, never again will we ever, in any way, at any time, be guilty of such baseness. We will be done with it all at once and definitely and decisively. That resolve is good; but, if we expect that such a resolve has definitely settled the matter, we are doomed to bitter disappointment. With the deep-seated faults of temperament and character we must be resigned to what is called ‘a running fight.’ That is the way God has seen fit to have us win our way to Him, unless, of course, a rich avalanche of grace sweeps us immediately into sanctity." - Fr. Francis LeBuffe, S.J.

I don't know about you, but I've had this "break my neck" intention many times. And every time the result is the same, both in my spiritual life and in my work.

No matter, we don't give up. The not giving up seems to fit right into the idea of a "running fight."

At times, this running fight may seem daunting. We may become vexed, even anxious. When will it ever end?

In our spiritual life, we might wonder whether we'll ever become holy - even a saint - if that is our intention (as it should be).

In our work, we may be frustrated at never quite getting "there" - a place where we've flipped a switch and work flows with hardly any need for much attention, never mind exertion on our part. 

For example, if you've ever read business tomes, there's a strain that purports to instruct forms of organization and efficiency that result in a kind of flip-the-switch business. It's used a lot in franchise operations. Buy the franchise, flip the switch, watch the bucks roll in. A bit of an exaggeration perhaps, but not far from the actual claim in some instances. Hmmm.

We'll continue with our "running fight" next time....

Happy Easter!