During the Winter season that innately causes a slow down in a lot of activities, I usually turn to one of my favorite hobbies. Cooking. I am sure that I belong to the “Foodie ” tribe because I love to try to cook a variety of things and love the challenge of trying something new. Because I have a fair amount of cooking experience, have taken a few chef classes, etc there are many things I have learned by experience that are helpful in the kitchen. However, when trying something new, I can get cocky in a recipe by employing more of past experience than following the step-by-step instructions. Therefore, I have found myself disappointed when my dish didn’t look like the picture, and the taste wasn’t what I thought it would be. Usually, the recipes I attempt are written by a cook who has executed this dish multiple times over. But when I get impatient or ahead of myself, I skip on down the recipe and throw in more than a dash of past experience. I have found that while experience is a great help, it can hinder me if I lean into it more than proper instruction.
While experience is a great teacher, as a Christian with what I previously described as having a velcro mind, I often let the past experience get too tight of a grip on me. Often, depending on it more than the leadership of God in my life Sure, there are redemptive things from learning from the past, and we all have been taught that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. However, there is a spiritual balance for the followers of Christ that needs to be pursued for us to have victory in fulfilling our purposes in life. The scriptures are full of instructions about who and what we should be led by. Proverbs 9:10 tells us to”Respect and obey the Lord! This is the beginning of wisdom. to have understanding, you must know the Holy God”. (CEV). James tells us if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask God who generously gives it out(James 1:5)
Consider Moses, a great servant of God. Called and equipped for the purpose of leading God’s people through the Exodus. Moses’ relationship with God was so intimate that the scriptures make reference that “the Lord would speak to Moses’ face to face, as a man speaks with his friend”(EX.33:11) So Moses gained a lot of experience by walking and talking with God on the adventure. However, at some point, Moses chose to be led by experience instead of instruction by the Lord. God commanded Moses to provide water to the people in Ex. 17 by striking the rock and water came out of the rock. An awesome experience for sure, right? But a few chapters later, when thirst among the people came around, God told Moses to speak to the rock for the water to come forth. Instead, going by history, Moses struck the rock, letting past experience in the driver’s seat. The consequence was that Moses missed out on entering Canaan, the land of Milk and Honey! This doesn’t mean God abandoned Moses or that He didn’t get into heaven. But it does teach us that if we let other sources like cultural truth or past experience dictate our decision making instead of relying on God for direction, we could miss out on big blessings.
The Bible is full of accounts of how our Great God worked among people. Christ healed different people in different ways. Sometimes with spit and sometimes by spirit But it is crucial for me to grasp, the plan is always God’s. His plans always lead me to what is best for me. The best opportunities, the best outcomes, the greatest glory to His name come from me being led by Him. Period. It doesn’t mean that God will not use my past experiences that He provided or salvaged from even bad choices on my part to aid me in a current task, but that is for Him to decide.
I am sorry to say I have learned this concept over and over. Experience can help, but trying to parent two different people God gave me, required two different approaches. The Ministry has worked out the same way. While experience can make me cautious and more patient, it simply has failed when I try to “program it” to people. Every single time God has used different directions, even if the destination and goals were the same. When I have followed Him, instead of my own experience, I have come to know Him more intimately, rather than just gain knowledge. God loves knowledge. He invented minds and the capacity to obtain it.
However, The scriptures tell me my greatest wisdom would be considered the foolishness of God should I attempt the comparison. I relate to Moses in this way. As soon as I think I have passed the test and achieved what I probably view as spiritual independence(pride) because I have done this before, I miss out. As soon as I decide this” ain’t my first rodeo,” I’m getting ready to not just fall off the horse but probably be dragged behind it for a good long spell. Oh, like Moses, I might get a glimpse of all that God had for me, but I might miss out on the full dimension of blessing simply by my own choice. Does God forgive? Of course! Does He restore? Indeed! However, I would be spared failure and brokenness if I just surrender to the Lordship and leadership Of Christ as compared to the benefits of past experience that have clung to my velcro mind. I’m learning to ask God to help me salvage what I should from experiences and discard the rest. While I can learn FROM experience, God doesn’t want me to be led BY experience.
This thinking has helped me overcome bad experiences as well in my own life and helped others move past hurtful things from the past. God doesn’t expect us to get over them but rather get on with them. He has not asked me to forget. That’s His job! He created me with the capacity for memory. However, He has given me the power to forgive and forgo the entertaining and rehearsing of past hurts. I can do this by putting in place new memories I make with Him and through Him. It doesn’t mean the trauma gets erased, but they sure can be crowded by good things. Because I can only think on a few things at a time, I estimate that the more good I focus on, the more I count my blessings. The more I pursue what God has for me, the less chance hurtful and bad experiences from the past have to dominate or get what I refer to as air time in my thinking. One of the ways I can do this is by reading more of His word, dwelling on His promises, and committing to the peace that He offers. Don’t forget worship. God inhabits the praise of His people, and I view it this way. God is always with me, ever-present. But during worship, He draws near, and our conversation takes on the dimension of an intimate whisper. Jesus is the lover of my soul.
Today I am thankful for a velcro mind that things can stick to. I have someone close to me in my life that is losing her memory. We talk and share the comfort that while sickness and failing health may impact our intellect, the things of the Lord are in our hearts, not just our minds. I’m thankful I still have the blessed capacity to recall my mountains and valley experiences with God but should time, trauma, or age rob me, I am reminded His mercies are new every morning and His word is in my heart, and His spirit dwells within me. It is impossible for the enemy to steal this from me.
Lord, thank you that you rule over all my experiences both, bad and good. Take them like clay and render them into something you can use for your glory. No matter how many times we travel, roads that seem familiar. let me be solely led by you.
Come back to the vineyard where next time the 5 o’clock worker is reminded that in the vineyard, everybody has an opinion.
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