Evaluating Our Experiences

Back when Carole and I were serving at First Baptist Church of Tempe, Arizona, she began weight training and running to prepare to run a local marathon. Months went by and she worked extremely hard to get ready to run her race. When the day of the race finally came, she asked me if I wanted to go with her and watch the marathon. Well, I thought the race was something she wanted to do for herself, so I declined to go watch her.  Boy, was that a mistake. After the marathon she told me how hurt she was that I didn’t think enough of her hard work, training and commitment, to support her in her athletic triumph. I had to eat some humble pie that day.

Some say, “experience is the best teacher.” Wrong! Exhibit A is Roy C. Sullivan, who was a United States park ranger in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. Sullivan became known as the “human lightning conductor” because he set a world record for being struck by lightning no less than seven times from 1942 to 1977. In his unique encounters with nature, Sullivan at various times was rendered unconscious, suffered burns to his chest, arms, and legs, and twice had his hair set on fire. You would think that he would have opted for an indoor position after, say, the second or third strike. But Sullivan stayed with being a park ranger.

Leadership expert and author John Maxwell pinpoints the problem when he notes that not just experience, but evaluated experience, is the best teacher.

When things go wrong in our relationships, it’s critically important that we embrace the difficult but important task of evaluating what went wrong. You may not want to do that, because family arguments, fights, and other relationship issues are painful to face. But it must be done if you don’t want to get zapped repeatedly. The best way to start is by asking God to search your heart and reveal any weaknesses or wounds that may be hindering your relationships.

Proverbs 9:6 says, “Leave inexperience behind, and you will live; pursue the way of understanding.” May we all live in a constant state of self-evaluation to live more like Christ every day.

Your servant in Christ, Phillip