Learning from Our Current Experiences
Be Strong, Be Well — Wednesday, May 6
It has not been my intention to harp or dwell on the woes of our circumstances, but who can deny what we’re learning from our current experiences?
I came across an old poem recently. It’s called Along the Road written by Robert Browning Hamilton.
I walked a mile with Pleasure; She chattered all the way, But left me none the wiser For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow And ne’er a word said she; But oh, the things I learned from her When Sorrow walked with me!
There’s nothing wrong with pleasure and happiness within the confines of righteous living. God wants us to experience good days. “For ‘He who would love life and see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit’” (1 Peter 3:10). This is part of a quote from Psalm 34:12-16, which tells us God has always wanted His people to experience joy, peace, and happiness.
However, the point is this; when we go through difficult, challenging situations, we learn so much more about life. We learn about ourselves and what we’re made of. We’re able to identify our strengths and weaknesses, allowing us to see areas that need attention. We see more clearly how adversity helps to keep our priorities in the right order.
We have touched upon so many of these things in our daily lessons; patience, empathy, tolerance, forgiveness, compassion, humility, inner strength, perseverance, and endurance. We see the importance of family, friends, and fellow Christians. We’re much more appreciative of the small, everyday things. Yet, at the same time, we see how many of the little things in life don’t really matter much at all.
Two important lessons we are learning are, how fragile life is and how much more meaningful time should be to us. Many are dying and the sad stories are being told. People are losing their loved ones and friends. How did they live? How did those around them influence their lives for good?
All these things bring us back to the big picture. In view of eternity, am I living the best I can? When I step across death’s doorstep, what will my life say about me? What will my Creator say about me? Did I take advantage of the circumstances of this world, good or bad, with the Scriptures in hand, and let them shape and mold me into a faithful child of God—ready to meet Jesus when He comes? —Chris