Questions About the Crises
I wonder if we can ever be happy since every level has a crisis. Can we avoid or overcome the crises?
Yes. A crisis is experienced if we are living for one of the lower levels of happiness as if that were our fullest meaning and purpose in life. It can also be experienced if you choose Level 4, but do not accept God’s unconditional love or forgiveness. Since human beings were made for God’s unconditional love, if we settle for anything less, it will eventually leave us empty and unsatisfied. But you can avoid or overcome the crises by keeping the higher levels as the main focus of the lower levels. This is explained throughout Chapter 9.1 as you read the end of each level, and the beginning of the next one.
Are all the crises equal?
In the sense that every crisis leaves us feeling unfulfilled and unsatisfied, yes, they are equal. But they act in different ways, and they feel different. They are also equal in that each crisis points to the higher level of happiness as the solution.
Is there a stage of happiness that does not have a crisis?
Yes. Level 4 does not have a crisis if we are living it fully, allowing God to come to us in love, and surrendering to His love. But the moment we begin to believe that God does not love us, or cannot forgive us, or does not want to be with us forever, we can end up in despair (which is a crisis of faith). Living fully in Level 4 takes a lot of work, practice, and patience with yourself. Many of us do not fully reach Level 4 until we are in heaven. But the point is to keep trying, and keep asking God to help you.
