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One Way - Helpful for regulating traffic, not always when given as an implicit command.
A traffic sign that indicates the only direction for travel is not at all arbitrary and there can be legal enforcement as well as possible injurious consequences for failure to comply. When people say that there is only one way to think or act, legal consequences are rarely an issue, though we might be subject to some unpleasant reactions when we do not accept or follow through with what we were told. We can distinguish between a reasonable law that stands above the preferences of some, and the sometimes forceful or even coercive “one way” pronouncements of people about which we must choose whether or to what extent we will accept them for ourselves.
In being told, or by reading, that there is only one way to go about some process, we might experience resistance to the idea, and rather than react negatively, we could take the time and effort to consciously decide on what seems to be a suitable response. Most of us do not like being implicitly commanded, although we accept that for some specific tasks or situations there are no alternatives. For example, assembling a kit for a bookshelf or appliance is not the best time to exercise our creativity.
We might even carry within us some “one way” thinking that specific thoughts are personally obligatory, like traffic rules. Such a possibility is worth considering, since most of us do not want to be told what to think or how to act. If we reflect on the words we use in our inner thoughts, we can discover their negative or positive impact by noticing the “tone of voice” and the feelings that accompany any specific inner word or phrase that tells us that this is the only way to do something or the only way to think about a subject. Often, these words are perceived as pushy, commanding, and irritating, as if spoken by someone unfriendly to us. Once we observe this spontaneous and honest movement within, we might well decide that there could be an alternative, and likely a better one. At the very least, we can recognize that we are free to choose, not obliged or commanded.
The inner sayings that resonate peacefully within us, likely have at least the authority of our previous free acceptance, even if there might be a better way to act or think. When the words sound as if spoken by someone who cares for us, they could be the voice of experience, or they might be one of the ways that God communicates with us. Either way, we have affirmation for our thoughts. Sometimes the insight we receive is so gracefully powerful that we know it is God, revealing a truth that is uniquely suited to us.
God’s words to us are always good, but rarely if ever in the nature of “one way” only.
Last Updated 11/7/2026