HUMAN INSTINCTS are part of God’s plan. It is a vital part of man’s psychological makeup which consciously or unconsciously influences his daily lives more than he can imagine. Indeed, instincts can come in different ways – what a blessing! Human instinct is not only symbolic, it is also the universal language through which God communicate to us. The instinct is very powerful that it reveals hidden treasures of life to man’s intellect; for example, good and bad, truth and false, loves and hate and so on. I call instincts “a gift of God’s love.”

Beloved, we cannot talk of instinct without the will. The ‘will’ is the strongest drive in human nature. It is also a gift willed by God for man’s expression. When God speaks to us through the instinct, we either accept or reject his message using the will.

Unfortunately, the situation in our world today is such that there is a deliberate neglect and laissez-faire attitude towards instincts. It is noteworthy that our job is simply to obey God’s word through the instincts and then watch Him work out His will in our lives. In our Christian ‘Call’ and ‘Vocations’, God does not reveal the entire path, but with each step, He strengthens our faith using the instincts.

Hence, when we obey our instincts, we consolidate our hope in God and say to Him- “I will go Lord since You are leading me.” God is our friend, and we are free to ask Him questions regarding our instincts, but this should be done in the spirit of prayer, which I define as the “yearning for the union of the wills.”

However, following our instincts increases the longevity, productivity and efficiency of one’s life. In the journey of life, successful life experience often depends on an individual following the detailed instructions of his or her instincts. Ignoring instincts inevitably leads to some very frustrating moments. Some road users have merited accident, even death for not following their instincts. Others have fallen into the hands of kidnappers, rapists, arm robbers and ritualists due to this. Some business men and women have jumped into the hands of fraudsters, in not following their instinct. Some workers have also lost their job due to this.

Indeed, one cannot obey his or her instinct without receiving blessings. The writer of Proverbs was right in stating that ‘whoever gives heed to instruction prospers (cf. Prov.10:8). For in obeying our instinct, we demonstrate our faith and confidence in an all-good and knowing God, who can neither deceive nor be deceived. In our world where obedience is regarded as weakness and a lack of self-assertiveness, the example of Our Blessed Mother provides a necessary corrective. She is the beautiful model of obedience (Luke 1:38). Hence, following our instinct makes us successful, delivers us from evil paths, and relationships that might endanger or even end our lives prematurely.

Dear reader, our lives will be enjoyable, lively and peaceful when we live in accordance with our instincts. This entails doing what God says, when He says it, how He says it, and for whatever reason He says it. Therefore, even when you cannot figure out God’s intentions, or His delays, just remembering that He knows every aspect of our ‘being’ should bring us endurance.

Beloved, let us always remember that, ‘silence is the interior air that the spirit of man needs in order to grow, not only spiritually, intellectually and psychologically, but also instinctively.’ A noisy, prayer-less and sinful soul lacks intimacy with God and his instincts. The instinct therefore is something golden, pure and holy. Use it wisely.