LESSONS

Life is full of moments intended to help us learn. Whether we accept such experiences as lessons is dependent, I think, upon our attitude.

With the usual variety or practical wisdom, there is often a commonality of benefit to appeal to our wisdom. We know for example that if we don’t check the oil in our car’s engine regularly we run the risk of it ruining motor. It doesn’t take any special magic to help us appreciate that kind of instruction.

And thus it is with some many elements of instruction that apply to this life. They do so often carry with them consequences that help to reinforce the wisdom of acting on the knowledge.

Sometimes though, we prefer to ignore the consequence for a variety of reasons. Oh we may lie to ourselves and decide we are the exception and won’t get caught or harmed in the process, but it doesn’t mean we will necessarily avoid such realities.

Thus it is so often that something related to desires fueled frequently by our sin nature that drives us to satisfy what we feel is a need even if there is a risk. And no matter how stupid it might seem in retrospect it doesn’t keep us from acting when we want something so bad nothing will scare us away from claiming it even if it might be harmful to us in the long run.

That is the nature of what all of us faces in life. And so often it seems to me that the consequences of often do come crashing down on our heads, bringing results that we regret. It doesn’t keep us from making the same mistake again at times no matter how much we wish it did.

On a spiritual level, however, lessons take on a different dimension. That is because they are related to faith. In this life you can ignore one type of lesson and still face a different one. But with the Lord, often if we don’t learn from our mistakes as he intends he would take us o a new level of challenge or faith.

For some they can sadly spend their entire lives facing the same lesson and never learn what is intended. There is a lot of discussion at times about the meaning of faith. It is to trust, which most of us understand. I’ve heard it said that it is also mainly about the courage to trust instead of quitting. I can’t say I necessarily feel that is completely accurate.

But what I do appreciate is how so often trust in God and his promises is related to the issue of surrender of self to God’s will. To accept his sovereignty over our own desires. That is a struggle so many find difficult to embrace at times. And it is the reason I think the Lord said he prefers obedience to sacrifice. So often I’ve seen people who said the had faith, but in reality when God reached into their hearts and tested them into what they valued most, they chose their own way. By that I mean they couldn’t stand to risk their reputations or personal security or whatever else was their own God when it came to learning the lesson that faith means putting the Lord before EVERYTHING else. That is a lesson I’ve seen many fail to learn. And you see the depletion of their spirituality in the process. Eventually they just become another pew sitter who never “gets it.” I pray we do the homework God gives us and find the truth as only he can teach.