Can you remember the last time that life taught you a lesson?
Was it a gentle lesson or a hard lesson?
Sometimes we get taught through positive reinforcement. We'll do something or take some action and get a really positive response which makes us want to do it again.
Sometimes we learn through negative reinforcement. We'll do something or take some action and get a really tough result which helps us remember to not do it again.
Another way we sometimes learn a lesson is when someone else does something and we suffer for it. It can make us realize the danger in what they did and help us to remember not to do it ourselves.
This last way of learning is often the most difficult. We struggle with it "not being fair". After all...why should
we suffer for someone else's mistake? However, this way of learning is often the most effective. The circumstances surrounding this method often stick with us for a long time. Pain, wether emotional or physical, has a way of driving home a point. So the next time you're suffering because of someone else's mistake, don't let Satan make you bitter. Instead, look for what you can learn from the situation so that you don't inadvertantly hurt others the same way.
Remember, God has reasons, and He is sovereign. Romans 8:28-29 tells us that everything in the life of a Christian happens in order to grow them into a greater likeness of Christ.
It's important to remember that through it all, we shouldn't base our future actions and decisions based strictly on experience. We should base them first and foremost on the principles in God's Word, regardless of the outcome. This isn't our natural inclination. We want to do the thing that we think gives us the best chance for the outcome we want, but that's not what the Word calls us to.
Be true to the Word, and then let the outcome rest in God's Sovereignty.
