Essential Guidance

By Marilyn McGrath

Quotes taken from The Soul's Slow Ripening by Christine Valters Paintner

Celtic monks saw things in threes. It seems to have been a special number for them. St. Columcille of Iona was committed to virginity, wisdom and pilgrimage; St. Ita of Kileedy to faith, simplicity and generosity. When asked what three things pleased God most and what displeased him, her answer was that “what pleased God were ‘true faith in God with a pure heart, a simple life with a grateful spirit, and generosity inspired by charity.’ What was most displeasing were a ‘mouth that hates people, a heart harboring resentments, and confidence in wealth.’”

For these saints, their three essentials seem to have remained constant throughout their lives. I love the guidance and encouragement I receive from the stories of the desert fathers and their Celtic counterparts; however, I am not nearly as consistent. I find that essential guidance in my life changes as I mature spiritually. Just as the focus of life with God for the Israelites shifted from obeying the ten commandments and placing the scriptures from Deuteronomy (Deu. 6:4-9; 11:13-21) in the Mezuzah on their doorposts...

...to a New Testament focus on love for God and your neighbors (Luke 10:27 and 1 Cor. 13:13), I am making the same shift from obeyance to love and thanking my Lord daily for his guidance.

There are two scriptures that guide my life:

“Seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt 6:33)

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good: and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

I meditate on these two scriptures to absorb a deeper and more complete understanding of their meaning and the guidance they have for my life today. I do not know if my essential guidance will change in the coming months or years. There is plenty of wisdom and truth in these verses to carry me through my life, yet I remain open to changes the Lord may have in store for me.

Paintner, in writing about the Celtic monks, says this about “essential things one must do in life… None of the monks say the same three things. Does this mean that one is right, and the others are wrong? Or does it open us up to the possibility that the ground can shift beneath us during our lives and what feels essential during one season becomes of less importance in another? Each monk speaks from his or her own experience, each offers the wisdom earned from years of practice. Their stories point to the need to stay committed to one’s own truth in this moment with the guidance of wise elders,” spiritual directors, or a spiritual friend.

What has remained constant for me in my spiritual walk is that my life is richer and fuller. Nature and landscapes are thrillingly filled with God’s presence. I am happy to be alive and look forward to moving on into the future, both here and in heaven.

May your walk with Jesus be engrossing, vibrant and filled with love.