Underhill on Planning the Spiritual Life

A few more thoughts from Evelyn Underhill's The Spiritual Life:

Many people seem to think that the spiritual life necessarily requires a definite and exacting plan of study. It does not. But it does require a definite plan of life, and courage in sticking to the plan....New mental and emotional habits must be formed, all our interests re-arranged in new proportion round a new centre. This is something which cannot be hurried; but, unless, we take it seriously, can be infinitely delayed.

Notice what Underhill advocates as steps toward the spiritual life you long for: (1) a definite plan; (2) sticking to it; and (3) taking it seriously to avoid delay. Why? Because there are two natures at war within us. We are trying to cultivate one and kill of the other. We have to pay continued attention to the care and feeding of the one that we want to thrive.