Lessons Learned
“Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.” Proverbs 1:5 (NIV)
“A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.” Proverbs 17:24 (NIV)
The past year, with all its twists and turns, has been a journey of joy and challenge, victories and defeats. We've danced through the highs and trudged through the lows, and in the midst of it all, God has been weaving a story—a story uniquely ours. In the stillness of reflection, we uncover the hidden treasures of the past. It's like God's way of giving us a spiritual magnifying glass to examine the intricacies of our journey. As we revisit the moments that made our hearts sing and the ones that brought tears, patterns emerge—patterns that reveal God's hand at work.
Taking a step back and reflecting on the condition of our hearts and souls may have stirred feelings and experiences that have remained dormant, overlooked, or disregarded. There was growth worth celebrating and reminders of God's faithfulness, circumstances whose impact would've been shortchanged if we didn't slow long enough to notice. This time of reflection perhaps brought to the surface blind spots and patterns that keep us stuck in a cycle.
There's beauty in the ebb and flow of our experiences. The joys remind us of God's faithfulness, and the challenges teach us reliance on His strength. Reflecting on the past year isn't about dwelling on what's gone but extracting the wisdom and truth embedded in each experience. In this reflection, let's not forget the grace that carried us through it all. The Holy Spirit gently nudges us, not to condemn but to illuminate. It's an invitation to grow, to align our hearts with God's design.
Awareness and articulation are the first steps in aligning our hearts in a direction that produces the transformation we desire. After pinpointing God's work within our hearts, we must continually keep it before us. Change occurs when we keep God's wisdom in view and abide in Him. Today, we want to consider the lessons learned over the past year so we can carry them forward, allowing them to shape our journey to come. God's story for us is still unfolding, and the chapters of the past year, and the wisdom they provided, have paved the way for what lies ahead.
Consider all the lessons you have learned and wisdom gained over the past twelve months. Use the space below to write them down. They can be lessons, both positive and negative, big or small, funny and serious.
Now, look at the list above and consider:
What theme(s) do you see emerging from this exercise?
How would you describe what God has been teaching you?
Finally, write down your greatest lesson learned or piece of wisdom gleamed in the following areas:
MYSELF, EMOTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS, FAITH JOURNEY, and GOD