The only way, you are not

 The one thing about legos besides being one of the coolest toys ever is that the instruction manual is non-negotiable. No matter who you are no matter your personality or IQ everybody needs and uses the instruction manual. We all put legos together by the same process. I know there will always be someone that believes argues differently but we recently got a 1,771

piece Yoda lego set and I can tell you that no one will be putting this set together without the instruction manual. 

This blog isn't about legos or lego sets, even know, like I mentioned earlier legos are the coolest toys on the block! This blog is about how we treat other things in life as if there is a universal step-by-step way to do it right. I have seen and experienced this type of false ideology of  "I've got the instruction manual" attitude as a Pastor in the church for over 20 years and now as a health coach in the health and fitness industry for the past 7 years.

Let me explain. When I was a young youth pastor, I loved attending training conferences. This was my opportunity to glean from others in my field. Some were from my peers that have been doing this longer and then there were the speakers that were brought in to teach (tell) us strategies that would help us be more effective at using our time wisely, being better at personal growth and all the other things that make us a better Christian. I would always leave encouraged with all kinds of new strategies, to only a few months later be totally discouraged because I failed to do what I learned to be the most effective way to grow my own spirituality and to help the students in our ministry grow in the way I was told was most effective. As I matured I realized that I was only failing at being like the speakers and my peers. I was growing my faith and I was becoming a better pastor, it just didn't look the same as others. It's not supposed to! Unlike legos, spirituality looks different and our growth in the Lord doesn't necessarily come the same as others, most of the time it won't. 

 I also noticed this same attitude with nutrition. Someone would go on a diet and do really well. Sometimes that diet was ridiculously restrictive but they did well, and it worked for them. Now, every time someone needs help they believe that they have the answer to everybody that is struggling with their weight. Everybody knows an MLM supplement recipient, you know the ones that purchase an MLM program. Some do really well others not so much. Most become a coach and some falsely promote their supplement as some sort of magic bullet for health, others go on to be great coaches helping people reclaim their health. Kudos to them, that's what a coach does. I'm not against MLM's and I know there are some good ones with good products, but they are not the answer to good health, and not everybody will do well on the program they offer. 

 The number one way to help someone in their journey whether it's a spiritual journey or a health journey or any other type of journey is to get to know them to walk with them and give them the ability to be themselves and when our way is beneficial to them use it and when it's not, help them find their way. We must never let our pride push them in a direction that makes us feel better about who we are, this is of no help to them.