When Acceptance is Not a Spiritual Attribute

I have heard all of my life that one of the most important steps toward spiritual enlightenment is acceptance. I think a lot of people don’t really understand what this means.

In my humble opinion, this sort of spiritual acceptance is accepting an understanding that nothing that occurs in the physical world can be devoid of God. This does not mean that we condone evil, nor “accept” the devil (evil intention behind evil actions) but it means that we know God outshines whatever ugliness that we are experiencing. I would not go so far as to say that God creates everything we see, good and evil (although many do believe this) but I would say that God, or good (love), appears “behind” anything and everything we experience that seems to be the opposite of good.

From this spiritual perspective, acceptance is a profound principle that invites individuals to embrace life as it unfolds, recognizing that peace arises not from resisting or controlling circumstances, but from aligning oneself with the reality of the present moment. The key here is the recognition of peace without resisting or controlling. Again, in my humble opinion, it is only the recognition of peace regardless of the nature of the physical reality one is facing. This is what demands the absence of an attempt to control—changing the reality we see with the sole intention to make it “good.” This does not mean that we give up any effort to “control” or “change” the physical thing we are “accepting”—not to “make” it “better”—because we should be at peace even without changing the material reality. We might want to still change it for other reasons.

Another way to look at this is to say, if we have this mindset, that evil things we experience have a silver lining, that they may (or always do) lead to something good and beautiful in the world. This could be an appropriate stance for many, but for others it would be very difficult to comprehend—losing a child comes to mind, or an event such as the holocaust that took place under the Nazi regime in the 1930s and 40s. Where is the good in these events? Considering that everything that happens on earth in a material form eventually will lead to “the great integration”—a greater expression of love—then we could say it “all” leads to good. But that is a difficult idea for many to embrace.

So, we hear all of the time that the path to inner peace is “acceptance”—the acceptance of ugliness that we see in the world such as hate, corruption, destruction, war, etc. But I believe there is a misunderstanding regarding this. As I am saying here, I do not believe that spiritual acceptance means turning your attention away from ugliness, ignoring it, or not believing it is “real.” (This requires a definition of the word “real”—which I will avoid going into!) Spiritual acceptance means that these evil and ugly manifestations do not bring fear and despair, but simply are calls to action. If evil causes destitution, enough destitution that it compels the observer to ignore its existence, then the devil (evil) has surely won.

Another point to make here is that acceptance is not about passivity but is about transformation. By embracing the present moment fully, individuals often find clarity and strength to take meaningful action or grow spiritually.

When I was a licensed practitioner for the Church of Religious Science, I remember many clients would ask how to deal with an ugliness they were facing in their present life—such as a disease or other health challenge, a financial challenge, or emotional upheaval due to conflict between family members or their children. Invariably I would suggest that they continue to face these challenges with intelligence and emotional maturity, put their trust in God (through mindfulness and prayer) and then “do” what they need to do to resolve the situation to the best of their ability. Often, they would ask, “If I accept all of this and see it as good, will it then go away?” “No,” I would respond, “If you already see it as a negative it is too late to ‘think it away.’ You can change the outcome if you work on relinquishing the fear, but what you are facing now is already manifest in your experience.”

The turmoil the world is in now has already materially manifested in our experience. We cannot make it disappear by ignoring it, turning our attention away from it, and filling our minds with good thoughts, unicorns, and rainbows. What comes to be as time moves on is definitely influenced by how we face the challenge. If you “accept it” without fear, and in peace, then the manifestation that follows will align with the truth you recognize.

Can you change the current situation in the present time? Actually, you can, but you won’t know it if you accomplish this. This fact becomes very complicated in explanation (the explanation involves the concept of time as a human construct and in reality an illusion). Suffice it to say, if you align with peace—fearlessly—and do not ignore what you are experiencing, you can indeed change the present moment. However, the history of the current situation will also change, therefore you will not be aware of the “change.”

You can take action toward “changing” the reality you wish to change (to effectuate change in the future) or you can just hold peace in your heart (ceaseless prayer) but always keeping your gaze on the illusion of evil. Your choice between either of these “actions” is dependent on your “calling”—what you feel in your heart to be the action you are destined to follow.

The acceptance I am referring to here is acceptance without ignoring or pushing away. The type of acceptance I am saying is counterproductive is the type that accepts evil by ignoring it or believing it does not exist because it is not of God.

Please be aware these are my personal thoughts on a very complex topic. I am not preaching to you, but only expressing something that may be useful. If you have thoughts on these ideas, please share them in the comments. I certainly have the room to change my mind about any of this, and without question, I can benefit from further insight. Please share!