Abraham Lincoln once wrote “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present.” The meaning of this is pretty straightforward and unforgettable. We cannot expect trends of the past to clearly dictate how to handle the things in our present circumstances. Even with that said, the events in our lives strongly contribute to how we act and think now. Occasionally we meet people that react n a way we do not expect. It is natural to wonder, why the strong reaction. Invariably there is something in their past that was an initial trigger. I do not want to be that guy. I want to always have a measured, reasonable response to whatever confronts me. It is a good meditation to unpack our thought processes, to see why and how we think the way we do. This is a personal quest. We each should consider our own history. I have a short theme list to provide an initial roadmap.
My career path
I have 3 career paths I have followed,. Each had events which pushed me to where I am today. Set 1: I had dark days in my childhood. In my teenage years, I longed for understanding and to be understood. I pursued a degree in psychology to accomplish that. Psychology helped a lot to understand the reasons. Knowing the reasons was the beginning of healing. Meanwhile, sorting through the emotional baggage remained a challenge.
Set 2: Knowing God was my second major career path. As one person expressed it to me, it is like being a beggar who has found food, and wants to share the information with others. I have been that beggar since I found Him. I found the help I needed for handling emotional baggage through knowing God as savior , counselor, and friend. Knowing God lead me to want to know more, so I pursued seminary.
Set 3: My third experience came when I was in seminary. It was still the early days of personal computers, when someone broke into my home — and stole my computer! The timing was terrible. I had several papers due, and most of my notes were digital! I had to get another PC and learn a new operating system in short order, in order to recover. At the same time, God pushed me into circumstances in which my computer skills became vital for an internship –which lead me into in IT (it paid so much better than social work!). The money was a big incentive, and I learned about myself: I worked well one on one with people, and in small groups. I loved helping people get things done.11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:11-12)
This sequence may seem like a convoluted path. The important part of the story is not my path, but the discovery in each of our lives that God takes us where we are and changes us into an incredible image of His making. It may take months or years. It is not a process we can or should ignore. God wants us to be our best — but He does not want us to dictate the image that will be. I simply have to let Him lead, and I will be changed.
My biggest influencer
Last week I talked about friendship. I am honored and blessed to have several. When you think about ‘a friend’, A friend is not there with the job of to helping you party. He/she is the person who stands by and helps as a confidante and advisor. The list for my number one or number two big influences is binary. To be influencers they are there. If they are not there, they are not an influencer.
I credit 2 people as the biggest influencers of how I act and think: God and my wife. When I think about their loyalty and knowledge of me, they have similarities. Both God and my wife are loyal, and know me in such a way that I consider each to be an indispensable friend. Psalm 139:1-3 1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
First life changing event
This is an easy one. Becoming a child of God was my first life changing event. My early years required a lot of emotional unpacking. God gave me a chance to start over emotionally when I came to know him. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:6-8)
It is life changing to be born again. You may not visibly see a change after being born again, but you will definitely feel it. It is an experience everyone needs.
The affect of children
I have to say that having one or more children was life changing for me. When you have kids, you discover that there is a whole other person fully dependent on you. The love bond is powerful and endearing. You are in for a life of amazing experiences when you have kids. When you think about this from a God-perspective, another dimension appears. You get a deeper perspective on how much God loves us. You come to a understanding of the phrase : I would lay down my life to save my children. If there is ever a test for God’s love for us, it is visible in John 3:16 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Thank God for the love of children.
Suffering and Death
My last area of meditation is suffering . We all go though suffering at some point, and this is an unforgettable influence. Perhaps it is due to illness or horrible circumstances. For a Christian, we we need to be wary of blaming it on God. 12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. (1 Peter 4:12).
Yes, God can put us through some rough days. We should not be surprised by it, but a positive perspective helps. Rather than ask “Why me, God?” I ask “What can you teach me, God?” It changes our outlook immediately when we refuse to blame God for what we are going though.
Death is the final influencer. I struggle with funerals. I am in emotional anguish for weeks when a friend or relative dies. I prefer not to go to funerals, so I can remember the person in life rather than in death. Nevertheless, I attend funerals for the sake of the living. I think of death in the same manner as Paul in Philippians 1: 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
I am curious about other life experiences. What have you gone through, and what did you learn from it? I would love to see your comments.
