~No Guidelines Required~

I have spent most of my adult life searching for guidelines, instructions, how-to articles, on everything from finding a career, relationships, and even reading the bible, to organizing my desk and finding the right-shaped sunglasses for my face. I have depended on these like life-jackets, not trusting to go out into the water without them. Before I try anything new, whether it be food or blogging, I have to read about how it's done or how someone else did it before I give it a try. Why is that? The strange thing is, I have not turned to the one place that has ALL the answers I really need - God's word. Sure I've gone to church, joined a choir, been part of bible study groups, memorized verses, journaled in my 'spiritual journal,' but have I deepened my spiritual practice by turning to His word? Whenever I'd see studies on a book in the bible in the weekly church pamphlets handed to us as we walk in, and heard the pastor encouraging us to study them over the next few weeks or months, I'd briefly glance at it but never gave it much thought or commitment. My mind always whispered, 'that's for the 'hard-core' Christians, not me.' Or 'it sounds boring/hard/long/etc.' As God was placing answers literally in my lap, I was too busy planning the week ahead.

Now that I think about it, whenever in my bible groups we came upon a 'study' of Luke, Romans, etc. or whenever I wanted to join a new group and it revolved around reading a book in the bible, I was always turned off by this and so turned away from joining or participating. How can I expect to get anywhere when I'm not willing to do the necessary, foundational work? Did I assume I could just skip that part, go to prayer, and receive blessing? What am I praying over when I do that? Clearly there is a gap between my desire to get closer to God and find His purpose for me, and finding it.

I cannot continue depending on guidelines from external sources that claim to know how to do something "right." They have just found a way that works for THEM. If I rely on others' instructions all the time, I will never leave room for another way to manifest. Perhaps I am meant to find another way, another route. Maybe God wants me to carve out a new path, with fresh new possibilities that I would never have known about had I followed someone else's footsteps. Didn't Robert Frost say: 

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by.
And that has made all the difference."

What difference does God want me to make? What difference does He want you to make? Let us not limit ourselves to guidelines. They are written merely for practical purposes, not spiritual. So long as we trust them more than trust God's ways, we will be in the dark. Sure we will find instructions on how to turn the light back on, but only God can turn on the light in our hearts and make it shine with an intense radiance that emanates through us. With God, there are no guidelines required, only a heart constantly and utterly in search for Him.


Stay blessed.


Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; Seek, and ye shall find; Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.