The Work of Gleaning Principles

The Art of Extracting Lessons from Life

The art of extracting lessons from one’s life is almost a dying art in today’s world.  It’s a dying art for several reasons: 1) Most of us do not slow down long enough to reflect. 2) The job of reflection is inner work, therefore not as easy as it sounds.

As we stand on the brink of another completed year, one question we need to be asking ourselves is not “why,” but rather-what.  “What have I gleaned from my experiences this year?” Gleaning from life is simply taking time to reflect and learn from both the positive and negative experiences.

So in a nutshell here are a few of the principles I’ve gleaned, conclusions I’ve made if you please. Perhaps they’ll be a help to you and possibly spare you some heartache and pain. I’ve learned that…

1. God’s will generally moves slower than you think it should.
God rarely operates on the same timetable we do. If you don’t believe that, just ask Abraham, Job, or basically anyone who has walked with Him for a good while.  If this is true ─ and it is ─ then biblical patience and flexibility are great virtues.

Do you have the biblical quality of patience that’s required to inherit the promises of God? (See Hebrews 6:10.)

Slow down! Whoa partner.

2. All great people have great people in their lives.
I’ve learned that you can never be all God has destined for you to be without great people in your life; people who aren’t impressed with who you are, but who will tell you the truth and not back down.

Do you have these kinds of people in your life?

3. Knowing God is a journey.
God is so awesome that He can’t be known all at once. Why? Because He is  bigger than an experience, more substantial than an event, and He can’t be captured merely by our minds or feelings.

To be sure, part of the knowing experience is learning about God through the means of knowledge and information. (Books, the Bible, preaching/teaching)

However, knowing Him intimately is an experience, a ride, and a journey.  Are you ready for it?

Conclusion
So what lessons are you gleaning from life and ministry? Lady wisdom is always speaking, especially to those who will listen. (See Proverbs chapter 8) So let every life experience be a learning one. Go ahead, glean a few principles from the past, and then pass them on to fellow travelers. You’ll be glad you did.

We’ll revisit this again on our next blog post.

Coach John

 

Comments

[william moore]

read Hebrews 6.10 this morning in the NLT, good word...when you think about it pray for us becuase we know God is working some things out, but waiting is not easy.

[Kristen Sanders]

Thank you, Coach John!

[Steve Brown]

"God's will generally moves slower than we think it should"

I am waiting for the book about God's will moving faster than we think it should. :)))
Good points and very true Coach John. Hope all is well with you,family, and ministry.

[Wade Thompson]

Thanks John, Great insight on walking with the Father, learning to hear His voice, and receiving strategy for our next steps is so important. I think also our discipline of prayer,meditation and worship helps us understand God's time-table and build an expectation for the future.