Learn from Experience (1)

‘...[His...experience] making Him perfectly [equipped]...’ Hebrews 5:9 AMP

Have you ever looked for a job, only to discover that all the positions you were interested in required previous experience? It’s frustrating; how can you get the experience without having the job? When the new bank president asked the old one the secret of success he said, ‘Making good decisions.’ ‘How do I do that?’ he asked. The old one replied, ‘Experience!’ Puzzled, the new one asked, ‘How do I get experience?’ The old one replied, ‘By making bad decisions.’ Experience is a tough teacher; it gives you the test first and the lesson later. God looks for experienced help! When you work for Him, He uses everything you’ve been through, no matter how painful. He sees it all as ‘tuition paid’. Jesus ‘…learned…obedience through what He suffered…[His…experience] making Him perfectly [equipped]…’ (Hebrews 5:8-9 AMP) Perspective changes everything, especially when you learn to see your life’s experiences through fresh eyes. For example, suffering in a particular area-such as guilt, fear, anger, addiction or insecurity-qualifies you to understand and help others. Experience isn’t what happens to you, as much as what you do with what happens to you. So with that in mind, ask yourself, ‘Could my pain become someone else’s gain? Could a ministry to others come out of this mess?’ When you experience times of testing, you’ve two choices: give up, or grow up. Peter trembled at the question, ‘…”You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not!”‘ (John 18:25 NKJV) But when he repented and reconnected with Christ after the resurrection, he was filled with God’s Spirit and ended up leading the church. Experience-there’s no substitute!