EXPERIENCE – THE BEST TEACHER!
EXPERIENCE- THE BEST TEACHER
The Yorubas from South West Nigeria have a saying that goes, “If a child has more clothes than an elder, he cannot have more rags than them.” This can be loosely translated to mean that an elder definitely has more experience than a child. This also brings to mind the English saying : “Experience is the best teacher.”
Every person alive in the world today is in the course of experiencing a global pandemic. It is an experience that we did not choose. We were not forewarned so we could not have been forearmed. As I write this, the world and medical science is still grappling with how to contain it’s spread.
For you and I, what is this experience teaching us? Are we learning or have we learnt anything from it? Let me speak for myself, and maybe I echo the voices of some; I do not know for sure but here are a few lessons.
LIFE IS NOW: Live life now. Stop procrastinating. Stop planning to do it tomorrow and then that tomorrow never comes. We have been told to not worry about tomorrow because each day has enough in it to be concerned about. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6 : 34 NLT So let us not fret about the days and weeks and months ahead. Can we just do today and do it well. “You don’t know what will happen tomorrow. What is life? You are a mist that is seen for a moment and then disappears.”James 4:14 Good News Translation
LOVE IS NOW: Do not wait for special days to celebrate loved ones. Let us show and tell them how much they mean to us. Let us tell them how much we love them. That alone is enough to see them through each day. No use holding grudges or keeping records of wrong. It only creates problems where there are none. “Love never ends.” 1 Corinthians 13:8a English Standard Version There is no end to love. Love is why we are here. God loves us so much. And He expects us to love one another. God showed us love by sending Christ to die for us. Show love before it becomes too late.
HELP IS NOW: God is an ever present help. That simply means whenever you need Him to help He is available. Why not help that brother or sister that has been asking for your assistance since the pandemic broke out? You know you can. “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.” Proverbs 3: 27 NLT There is no point making them wait indefinitely.
So what are you learning from COVID 19? Trust me God wants us to learn something. God created war for the children of Israel so they could have hands on experience in warfare. “These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced the wars in Canaan. He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israel who had no experience in battle.” Judges 3:1-2 NLT I am not saying God created the coronavirus, but He has allowed it for some reason. Some have learnt to pray by themselves, praise by themselves, worship by themselves. Some are learning to spend time in the study of the word of God. Are all these not warfare of some kind? The word itself is sharper than a double edged sword. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword.” Hebrews 4:12a KJV and High praise is likened to a two – edged sword in the hand too. “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;” Psalms 149:6 KJV Just maybe God is preparing us for a bigger battle ahead. So as we are learning spiritual warfare now, we will be ready when that time comes.
A lot of people have lost their very dear ones and this has given room for them to repent, not knowing what will happen next. “But now I am happy—not because I made you sad, but because your sadness made you change your ways. That sadness was used by God, and so we caused you no harm. For the sadness that is used by God brings a change of heart that leads to salvation—and there is no regret in that! But sadness that is merely human causes death.” 2 Corinthians 7: 9-10 GNT It is also possible that some of us need to repent and come back to God.
Let us therefore live each day now, asking God what lessons He wants us to learn. No experience, not even this COVID 19 experience, is a waste. God is teaching us something.
Let us be attentive enough to let Him use this experience as our teacher.
OLUYINKA EGO-MARTINS ©