Growing Through Experience

There is no substitute for experience. Knowledge of a given subject is crucial, however, having in-depth experience in a given area is indispensable.

This weekend we are at one of the premier sportsman drag racing events held in the US. The cars come from all major US manufacturers and are equipped with a variety of power plants. Each car is as individual as it’s owner. They have there own personalities and require different tune ups for maximum performance. It takes an experienced tuner to gain all the power from their motors coupled with the right transmission ratios and suspension setups to be the fastest in their class. These are not skills that can be taught, but must be learned over months and years of hands on experience.

The path the Lord has chosen for your life is no different. As we grown and learn we have numerous experiences that teach us valuable lessons about people and life. As we grow, each step prepares us for His ultimate purpose for our life.

Over the last 14 years, our Lord has grown my technical abilities in computers and coupled that with a deepening relationship with Him to prepare me for where we find ourselves today, operating a growing business that has the ability to touch lives in a way I never imagined possible.

Do not become frustrated with how the Lord works in your life. Grow your relationship with Him daily, accomplish the tasks at hand and wait for His perfect timing. You will not regret it.

Blessings

Growing Through Experience
TGIF Today God Is First NextGen
by Charis Hillman Brown

“So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.” -1 Samuel 16:13

We live in a very microwave culture. If we want something, we want it now! But, even though we can go through a drive-thru to get fast food immediately, this microwave mentality often does not apply to our calling and life with God.

We tend to think of David in the Bible as the great shepherd king, the worshipper after God’s own heart. But I wonder when we think of him, if we truly consider all the processing David endured after he was anointed to be king? Yes he won the fight against Goliath; but after he was anointed, he went back to tending sheep! He spent many years running from Saul. It was only after he was tested and he did not kill his enemy Saul that God allowed David to be king. This was years after Samuel had anointed the little shepherd boy in the field before his brothers.

Often we can be impatient with God’s processing. We may want God’s promises – all right now! But God has His reasons for timing that may not make sense to us in the moment. We may not be ready. We may not be able to handle what He wants to give us until He puts us in a place of character building. We have to learn to trust God when we have not yet seen the manifestation of the dream that is on the inside of our hearts. This is how God knows we can be trusted with it. This is how we grow to be able to have the capacity to carry God-sized dreams. We grow through experience.

Are you letting God grow you through experience? Even if you feel the place you are at right now is not your ultimate destination, decide to treat it with respect. It will often provide the training ground we’ll need to be able to withstand God’s promises in our lives and our ultimate calling.