The lessons from God can be hard to understand at times, especially if you’re in the middle of one. Know that He is thorough, and leaves nothing undone.
The Father teaches each of His children according to his or her makeup, or DNA if you prefer.
Since people learn differently, His lessons are tailor-made for the individual. You cannot assume God is going to teach you a lesson the same way He teaches it to another. After all, you’re different. Everyone comes from diverse backgrounds and have unique life experiences. While some may have similar experiences that even appear identical, each one’s take is not the same. Their perceptions of events differ one from another. For example, two people can see the same thing, but one’s description will be unlike the other. What does God’s curriculum look like for the individual?
Understand that His lessons are not from a textbook.
Don’t expect to merely read words from the Bible and expect to gain a full understanding. Yes, you most certainly can gain much knowledge from the Bible, especially when the Holy Spirit is revealing things to you; however, learning life applications also require experience. It’s important to realize the Bible is not a textbook; therefore, we cannot approach it like would a schoolbook. It’s relational by design, which means we must maintain communion with the Lord in order to glean the treasures found in its pages. Not only can we read the Word of God, but rest assured it reads us as well. Do you ever feel convicted when you read it? The Word of God penetrates the heart and will not leave the soul unchanged. Hebrews 4:12 For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (NASB). This is very true for those who are teachable. This is not an emphatic statement, however, it may be that the amount of time people spends reading their Bible correlates to how teachable they are. The more teachable one is, the more he or she will want to study it. This is not some litmus test, but something to consider.
Please note that the lessons mentioned here are not necessarily in the order in which God may use to teach us. Of course, there will be other teachings not listed here. That being said, one of the lessons will be about ourselves.
The lessons concerning the self reveal just where we are in the scheme of things.
For example, as much as one may want to love God and others well, one may discover he or she has great difficulty doing just that. One reality we all learn is in order to do any of the things of God, we need Him. Let’s flesh this out a bit. As many of you know, the New Testament word for “love” in reference to God’s pure kind of love is AGAPE (also rendered “charity” in the KJV). It takes joy in the recipient for the recipient’s sake alone. It doesn’t look for the return. Using this brief definition, we find that God’s curriculum includes tests. They are ultimately designed to conform us to the the image of Jesus. One thing a test reveals is what is actually in our heart. As a saying goes, “You don’t know what’s in a cup until it gets bumped.” A test may be the “unlovable individual” who walks into your life, and God says “Be his friend.” His personality is abrasive at best. Nothing about him draws you to him. If it were up to you, you wouldn’t open the door should he knock. In fact, in the natural, he detestable. Nonetheless, the Father loves him, and He want you to express that to him. What to do when it’s not in you?
We soon learn to go to the throne of grace to receive mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need (see Hebrews 4:16). Grace is God’s unmerited favor that empowers us to do what we can’t do on our own. By His grace we exhibit love by extending mercy. It takes compassion and mercy to soften the hardened heart.
Another lesson we learn has to do with others. In this case, we may find that this unlovable one has been deeply wounded. He’s experienced rejection on the deepest level. He doesn’t love himself, and is incapable of loving others. In fact, he’s angry. He expects rejection, and acts in such a fashion as to be rejected. Life has not been good to him, and he needs a break.
Yet another lesson is to teach us to see beyond the fault. Love covers a multitude of sins. God shows us what people will become because of His grace in their lives. People can change, and in this case, will change when love is involved. God multitasks. Not only does He teach you to love, but to be merciful as He is merciful. When you give mercy to the “undeserving,” things happen. Oh yea, how about patience? Do you want to do patience well? In lessons like this one, we soon learn it takes time for a breakthrough to happen. We’re talking the long-haul, but then love is patient (see 1 Corinthians 13:4).
In the process of learning to love, we learn to minister to others. Our hard case here will help us learn to listen to the Holy Spirit, so we may have what he needs in the moment. It could be something as simple as a listening ear void of judgment. It may be an encouraging word, or even a hug. Whatever the need is, the Holy Spirit will lead us. After all, love is part of the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). Yep, we just learned submission as well. As we learn to yield to the Holy Spirit, the love of God will shine through us.
The curriculum of God is so vast that an entire library couldn’t contain it. The important thing is to look for God in everything. Every circumstance you face will have lessons to be learned, but you must remain teachable, which requires an open and honest heart.
