The football coach had reached the point of exasperation.
"Losing five games in a row is bad enough. But what really frustrates one is that we keep making the same mistakes over and over. We just aren't learning anything!"
What causes the most pain is not the initial loss but the failure to learn anything in the process. This is the way real life works!
We do not learn the great lessons of life in times of ease and prosperity. The greatest character-building and faith-strengthening lessons come during times of difficulty and heartache.
If we really believe what Romans 8:18 says -- that God is working in and through all "things" for good to those who love God, then one of the greatest challenges we face is to allow hard, painful and tear-filled experiences be our teacher in the classroom of life.
The point is simple: God doesn't waste anything -- not even our heartaches and trials. Life has to be lived in a forward motion but can only be understood by looking back. So, let us move forward trusting God for a better tomorrow as we learn from our mistakes of yesterdays.
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Editor's note: The Rev. Dr. Scott Stewart is the pastor of Pea Ridge United Methodist Church and Brightwater Methodist Church. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. He can be contacted at [email protected] or 479-659-9519.
Religion on 07/31/2019