Last month, I found myself having an interesting conversation with someone about why God allows for people to go through what seems like repeated stages in life. I did not have a clear cut answer for the person I was speaking with since I am not God and I did not know the consistency of their obedience. In the midst of this conversation, I found myself reflecting back on my life and sharing a few of my personal experienced repeated stages I had been through.
I have been the person who constantly discovered that something was off about a person that I began dating or a decision that I was going to make but I excused what I felt or knew in my heart and proceeded with dating that individual or making the opposing decision only to discover later on down the line that those same initial feelings of doubt and uneasiness were valid. I believe that this repeated experience is God’s way of trying to teach me how to begin using the discernment He has blessed me with to make well informed decisions about a relationship or the choices I decide to take before moving forward.
I have been the person who constantly discovered that something was off about a person that I began dating or a decision that I was going to make but I excused what I felt or knew in my heart and proceeded with dating that individual or making the opposing decision only to discover later on down the line that those same initial feelings of doubt and uneasiness were valid. I believe that this repeated experience is God’s way of trying to teach me how to begin using the discernment He has blessed me with to make well informed decisions about a relationship or the choices I decide to take before moving forward.
I have been the hard-headed young person who received helpful advice from a well experienced older individual (we like to call them ‘seasoned’ where I’m from) and never truly took the time to process or understand the advice because I was certain that I already knew what I was doing and what would be best for me. I look back now only to realize that the advice given to me were words of wisdom shared with me to help me avoid having to go through something that the individual who was sharing the advice with me had likely already been through. I believe that this repeated experience is God’s way of trying to teach me how to listen in order to heed His warnings (Proverbs 13:10 NIV).
How many of you have ever been through what seemed like the same situation, over, and over, and over, and over again? Literally the same story but simply a different page? Before fixating on why God keeps taking you through the same situations or why God has you “stuck” in the same place, I challenge you to ask yourself this question, did I get it?
As we enter into the month of November, I believe that God is calling us into a place of reflection so we may begin to understand the value in the lessons that we were meant to learn after going through particular stages in life. As we are quickly approaching the end of this year and about to head into 2016, I believe that those lessons will be the key to some of the blessings that God has in store. My pastor keeps mentioning how God has told him that 2016 is going to be the year of gathering. I believe that God wants to equip you so that you are prepared for your gathering season.
As we enter into the month of November, I believe that God is calling us into a place of reflection so we may begin to understand the value in the lessons that we were meant to learn after going through particular stages in life. As we are quickly approaching the end of this year and about to head into 2016, I believe that those lessons will be the key to some of the blessings that God has in store. My pastor keeps mentioning how God has told him that 2016 is going to be the year of gathering. I believe that God wants to equip you so that you are prepared for your gathering season.
In Luke 12:54-56 (NIV) Jesus states, “54 ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain’, and it does. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot’, and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?’”
Just as we are able to interpret night from day because we have learned by seeing it over, and over, and over again throughout our lives, God desires for us to be able to interpret our situations in life that we are presented with if we have experienced them a multitude of times. We should be able to make wiser decisions, we should be able to easily identify God’s warnings and act accordingly, so why is it that so many of us still don’t get it?
This month, instead of wondering why something is happening in your life again, I challenge you to sit back and truly take the time to reflect. Ask yourself, did I get it the last time? Did I get the lesson that God may have intended for me to learn from my experience? Have I now mastered the ability to recognize when this type of situation may be arising? How did I grow from the last time when I went through this similar experience to now? In what ways am I handling my experience differently based off of the lessons I learned previously? How can I continue to carry what I now know with me to apply in my next situation and share with others?
Just as we are able to interpret night from day because we have learned by seeing it over, and over, and over again throughout our lives, God desires for us to be able to interpret our situations in life that we are presented with if we have experienced them a multitude of times. We should be able to make wiser decisions, we should be able to easily identify God’s warnings and act accordingly, so why is it that so many of us still don’t get it?
This month, instead of wondering why something is happening in your life again, I challenge you to sit back and truly take the time to reflect. Ask yourself, did I get it the last time? Did I get the lesson that God may have intended for me to learn from my experience? Have I now mastered the ability to recognize when this type of situation may be arising? How did I grow from the last time when I went through this similar experience to now? In what ways am I handling my experience differently based off of the lessons I learned previously? How can I continue to carry what I now know with me to apply in my next situation and share with others?
“It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” (Psalm 119:71 NIV).
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
with a mighty praise on my lips, I come giving you glory and honor. Thank you for waking me up to see another month. I am blessed to know happiness and I am blessed to know peace. Thank you for my health, for protection, for direction, for your love, for your mercy, for your goodness, and so much more. No matter where I am in my life, with gratitude I give you thanks. I pray that in the month of November that you strengthen my understanding so that I may be able to clearly interpret the lessons that you want me to take away from my experiences. Multiply my attentiveness, multiply my wisdom, multiply my discernment, multiply my faith in you God. Strip away impurities that do not reflect you God and rid me of my pride and disobedience. Bless me with a spirit of calmness and unwavering direction when I face repeated experiences. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Heavenly Father,
with a mighty praise on my lips, I come giving you glory and honor. Thank you for waking me up to see another month. I am blessed to know happiness and I am blessed to know peace. Thank you for my health, for protection, for direction, for your love, for your mercy, for your goodness, and so much more. No matter where I am in my life, with gratitude I give you thanks. I pray that in the month of November that you strengthen my understanding so that I may be able to clearly interpret the lessons that you want me to take away from my experiences. Multiply my attentiveness, multiply my wisdom, multiply my discernment, multiply my faith in you God. Strip away impurities that do not reflect you God and rid me of my pride and disobedience. Bless me with a spirit of calmness and unwavering direction when I face repeated experiences. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.