During my time with a ministry that taught rigid *conformity, I was taught MANY rules. A major one was the concept of "letting go". In other words, we were to quit emotionally "holding on" to the things that meant the most to us.
The thing this ministry failed to effectively communicate was that following a principle just because "it was the right thing to do" was basically ineffective.
You see, the truth is that it's not only about outwardly doing the right thing. It's more about an inner change... a change in our hearts. For each of us that is an individual process which produces a beauty "that is core to who we truly are."
It is a beauty that has little to do with how we look on the outside, but is a glorious reflection of the inner essence of who we are..... Whether you're spiritual or not, it's a beauty that only time and experience can cultivate in you.
So often, following principles, whether it be from a book or religious teachings, just to achieve a desired result can be useless. Yes, it can be a start but you must recognize that it can't end there.
Look deeper and recognize that transformation comes from within. If not, one can become a phony, a hollowed out husk focused on the outer shell, instead of a grace filled woman who blesses others with the glow of her inner light.
Why can some people adopt a principle and immediately see amazing results? Who knows.... Could it be that their hearts are sincerely able to embrace the ability to do "the right thing" in blind faith, believing the outcome is "meant to be"? What about those of us who can't seem to do that?
This verse comes to mind "These people make a big show of saying the right thing but their heart isn’t in it." Matthew 15:8
I believe that we can follow principles and rules all day long, but if we do it just for a desired result it's all lip service. I believe it must come out of simply trusting God with any outcome that happens, I think it is there where I have had some confusion.... I have manipulated principles, whether from scripture or how to books, to achieve the results I wanted without letting them do an inner transformation.
Does this make me a heathen pharisee, as some religious teachers imply? People who clean up on the outside yet remain filthy on the inside? I truly, truly do not believe so. It makes me improperly instructed, and, at times, totally clueless as to what the truth is. Am I blaming others for this? A bit, I guess, though I now know a huge portion of responsibility rests with me. I should have trusted my conscience and my inner instincts more.
Hosea 4:6 says "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge..."
Like me, you can take this verse fearfully to heart. You can religiously began to acquire knowledge like I did. I spent hundreds of hours listening to countless speakers, read many Christian motivational books, and read the Bible extensively.
I put into effect the many truths and principles that I was taught only to find myself more confused, more anxiety ridden, and more fearful. I experienced more heartache and felt further from God than I ever did, before I gained all of this instruction and direction.
In my experience, following all the rules others create has turned my life upside down. Yes, it is good to gain knowledge. It is good to read those how to manuals. However, it is even more crucial, more glorious, to gain knowledge about who you are, and to embrace yourself, imperfections and all.
For those who are Christians, it is even more about gaining personal knowledge of our Lord.... of who He is.... His nature..... His love..... For us, that is the key piece of knowledge that everything else hinges on. That is the foundation.
Corinthians 13 in the Message is one of my absolute favorite passages in the Bible. It talks about love and what it looks like... no... not looks like, but what it is.... It ends with this verse, "But for right now... until that completeness... we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love...."
See.... without love all else is worthless. Without first establishing a foundation of love with God, maybe it's our minds and not our hearts that are engaged.
Some of the most perfect displays of love I see come from the most imperfect people. They simply love God and others purely and unconditionally.
Maybe a million other things are not right in their lives, according to our rules. However, with love as the foundation, I've seen rough areas of their life start to smooth out simply as an unconscious, heartfelt response to God's love.
Again, this isn't some principle that you can slap on like a cheap suit and mark it "done" on your check list. As a matter of fact, this isn't something that you can "make work" at all. It's a simple relaxing into a relationship with Him....
RELAX! Ask HIM to make His love real in your heart. Ask HIM each day to simply show you His love and to enable you to believe it. You can't manufacture it, so quit trying so hard. HE has to be the one to make it real in you.
Don't get worried, frustrated or impatient that it may take you too long to "get it". Try to stop doubting that you will.... After all, it's not you but HIM that will make the "knowledge" or "awareness" of Him unfold in you. He delights in spending a lifetime showing you His never ending love.
Sit back and enjoy the journey. You are in for the ride of a life time.....
