“They”

This was supposed to be a reply to rule mongers in a writing group, but since I don’t think “they” will get it anyway, I decided to turn the specific lesson into a general one for any time I come face-to-face with “they.” I will tell you from experience that “they” will do everything in their power to assert their power over yours.They will tell you that whatever you are doing can’t be done if you aren’t doing it their way. They will shoot you down with words. They will make you believe that they wield the power to keep you from reaching your dream if you don’t listen to them and their rules.

This pattern started in the Garden of Eden. There were two trees-the Tree of Life, that was the one where by eating from it, you simply rested in God and let Him take care of everything; and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, that was the tree of rules, the one whereby you said, “I can do it on my own just show me what I have to do.”

Throughout the Bible over and over again this story is recounted in different ways. Israel is enslaved by Egypt. God tells Moses, “Do what I say, and I will get you out of there.” Do what I say to do-not rules but follow the steps I tell you to take. And He opens the Red Sea and He sends manna from Heaven to feed them.

Then as if on cue, the people get restless with God helping them because they don’t see where this is leading. So they demand that Moses ask God for a way for them to do it themselves. The result is the Ten Commandments. By the time Moses comes down that mountain, they are already “doing it themselves.” They’ve made a golden calf and are worshiping it. They have already replaced God with something they could make on their own.

You would think we would learn, but then a few hundred years later when Jesus arrives on the scene, here we are again with the Pharisees. They know all the rules. In fact, they have like 700 rules that people must follow if they want to come worship at the Temple. They are “ruling” people to death. An example is the adulteress. She broke a rule, so now she must be stoned.

Then Jesus shows up. He writes in the sand. He tells the rule mongers, “If you’ve never broken a rule, then you can cast a stone at her.” No one does. He doesn’t come at this woman with rules, He handles her with love and compassion and forgiveness.

But still the rule mongers don’t get it. They think the rules will make them better. They use the rules to bash and batter others in the name of “helping them.” They are just like Eve handing that apple to Adam. “Here, this will help. If you eat it, you will know as much as I do, then you will be able to get your own dream without worrying about God’s plan and what He wants for you.”

I will tell you this, however, from my research, “they” don’t know much. Over and over with people who have really made it-especially in the creative realm-you will hear: “They said I had to do it their way, but that wasn’t me so I did it the way my heart said to, and it worked out.” Those who really break out tune out “they” and listen instead to their heart, to God whispering softly inside them.

By following God these brave souls defy the common logic. They choose to take sustenance from God rather than eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (the rules, the you have to’s and the you can’ts). They’ve stopped listening to the “theys” of the world.

It’s that example I want to follow.