“An idle mind is a tool of the devil” was one of the greatest misconceptions of my childhood. I’m pondering this morning on the subject of guilt, particularly on the subject of religious guilt. It was such a part of my childhood that it was the driving force behind my low-self esteem.
Even as a child my mind wondered into spiritual concepts and understanding what could not be explained by my parents religious dogma. They believed that their religion held every answer to every conceivable question, that it left “no stone unturned and no question left unanswered,” and therefore, any concept outside of their particular religion was a misconception from the devil attempting to tempt me and lead me astray.
I felt guilty for not having a testimony of our religion being the only true religion. I felt guilty for not getting up in church and telling people I believed the church to be true. I felt guilty for not believing everything I heard at church and in our religious teachings at school. I felt guilty for doubting God’s only truth. l felt guilty for allowing myself to have an idle mind that tempted me with other spiritual awareness. I felt guilty for my gifts of understanding concepts that were not taught to me by my leaders. I could not explain how I knew what I knew and felt guilty for knowing, because thinking for myself was seen as temptation. I felt so guilty for having spiritual gifts that I shut them down and tried to believe in, “the only right way.” But I never really bought into it and felt guilty for not following God’s pre-approved plan. Guilt in essence broke my heart and shut down my gifts of inspiration, all because I quieted my mind instead of keeping it busy with school and approved religious studies.
What I came to recognize a few years ago is that an idle mind is a tool for inspiration. It opens us up to higher concepts, allows the imagination to spur creation and forwards our individual and collective evolution. It is simply a matter of what we choose to tap into and focus on. I let go of guilt a long time ago and came to fully embrace the gifts of understanding that are a part of having an idle mind.
An idle mind is your greatest tool for inspiration. Quiet the chatter in your mind, allow yourself to question everything and listen for your truth to reveal itself to you.
The Polygamist's Daughter 