Experience is something we all have and need. As a matter of fact, most jobs require you to have some sort of experience. Experience is key to learning and growing.

God will put us in places that seem small- maybe an entry-level job or something similar. He does this to grow us and give us experience, making us better prepared for future events and assignments. Even Jesus gained obedience by what He experienced.

I recall a time when I went through a big disappointment in ministry. I met with my pastor, and I’ll never forget what he said. He said, “Jim, you got experience.” It may seem like a very general statement, but I understood the significance of it. I knew that no one could take the experience away from me and what I had gained from it. So, I tucked that epxerience and its lessons away in my heart so I could draw on them later.

If we go through the hard places with a good attitude, we come out better on the other side. Although the experience may have been unpleasant, we can see that we gained something from it. The experiences I have had gave me more wisdom, understanding and compassion, not to mention patience. When we truly learn from our experiences, we can then make the right choices so we don’t repeat those negative experiences. And we can build on the positive experiences.

We must be careful not to try to wall ourselves off from the world to avoid bad experiences. Life is meant to be experienced. When we live life in line with the Word and give each experience to God, we grow and become a positive influence on those around us. And experiencing God is the absolute best thing we can do. The more experience you gain with God, allowing Him into your daily life to affect change, the stronger your faith becomes.