There’s a story that may be true or is just an illustration. Either way, it is helpful for us. It goes like this:

There was a woman who asked God for guidance before making any decisions. Any decisions. She prayed to the Holy Spirit about what to wear, what to eat and what to do with her day. In her prayers, sometimes she would wear mixed clothing, like different socks and shoes or sweaters on a hot day. She’d eat strange meals and do strange things. When people would ask why, she’d say it was because God told her to because she prayed for guidance before every decision.

Okay. It’s not our place to determine God’s will and whether He really wanted this person to dress and act strangely for His purposes, but it’s hard for us to accept, right? This seems like the kind of behavior that drives people away from finding faith instead of desiring it. Whether she asked God these things in earnest and actually received an answer, or she just went along with whatever thought popped in her mind and called it “God,” we can’t say. But we can take a lesson to heart.

Yeah, it might be possible to ask God too much

God made us creatures of free will. He made us in His image, gave us sharp minds capable of complex thought, and commanded us to take dominion over all the plants and animals in the world. 

We are capable of making decisions.

It’s especially beautiful when we make good decisions because of what God has taught us. We must imagine it makes Him proud. 

So, does this mean we should not ask God anything? Of course not! Talking to God, asking Him questions, seeking guidance, seeking comfort … This is all good! However, we may simply need to learn that as creatures with the Holy Spirit living within us, we are capable of doing many things without using God as a crutch for the responsibility of every single one of our actions. 

We must learn to discern what is guidance from God and what is a random thought in our minds. We must choose paths and actions that reflect the life and teachings of Jesus and not lunacy that we attribute to being a follower of God. We must do things to love and help others, so that they may experience God’s glory in their own lives, not be driven away from it by erratic behavior. 

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