Reflections
He guides-not overrides
Apart from the three prerequisites to guidance (prayer meditation listening) there are other aspects to this fascinating subject. We ask ourselves: Just how does God go about the task of guiding His children into the best paths?
There can be no doubt that if God had a plan for every single detail of our lives, such as what shoe we should put on first thing in the morning, then our personalities would be dwarfed and our moral nature cramped. If all that was necessary was just to obey His dictated orders through the day, then there would be no development of our personalities or growth in the areas of our inner being. Exercise in freedom is essential to growth and development, and so God is concerned, when guiding us, that at the same time He does not override us, This does not mean of course, that God does not at times condescend to guide us concerning certain details, but generally His main concern is to develop within us mature attitudes so that we can handle those details in a mature way.
Every father concerned about the true development of his child gives that child a wide scope for the exercise of judgement and decision. But he is also swift to break in at times with words of guidance and instruction which his love and longer experience qualify him to give. Guidance is therefore guidance into the highest development of our characters so that we respond to life with deep insight, clear judgement and rich understanding.
He guides-not overrides
Apart from the three prerequisites to guidance (prayer meditation listening) there are other aspects to this fascinating subject. We ask ourselves: Just how does God go about the task of guiding His children into the best paths?
There can be no doubt that if God had a plan for every single detail of our lives, such as what shoe we should put on first thing in the morning, then our personalities would be dwarfed and our moral nature cramped. If all that was necessary was just to obey His dictated orders through the day, then there would be no development of our personalities or growth in the areas of our inner being. Exercise in freedom is essential to growth and development, and so God is concerned, when guiding us, that at the same time He does not override us, This does not mean of course, that God does not at times condescend to guide us concerning certain details, but generally His main concern is to develop within us mature attitudes so that we can handle those details in a mature way.
Every father concerned about the true development of his child gives that child a wide scope for the exercise of judgement and decision. But he is also swift to break in at times with words of guidance and instruction which his love and longer experience qualify him to give. Guidance is therefore guidance into the highest development of our characters so that we respond to life with deep insight, clear judgement and rich understanding.
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