Is Experience the Best Teacher?
Average time to read4:12 minutes aprox.I have come to understand that decision making is one of the hardest tasks to accomplish especially between two immutable things. You can not help but think the pathway you forsook for the one you are taking may be the right one after all. This thought in itself is very troubling and a sense to run the forsaken path becomes heavy on your mind. Imagine a friend of mine announced that she was not interested in marrying her fiancé just 2 days to the introduction. In her own words “I am still in love with my former boyfriend and I am happy to call off this relationship (referring to the abolished relationship). Could this be true or the typical dilemma that faces decision making?![]()
In making decisions like this, experience is always sought by the actor, in order to come to a favorable decision. I experienced a scenario today that makes me question the use of experience in every day decision. I sent a mail through the NIPOST Speed Mail popularly called EMS and was promised delivery after 3 working days but NIPOST partners TNT failed to deliver it on the said date so on going to NIPOST to complain, I was told not to worry that it would be delivered the day I made the complain. Oh was I furious, but I kept my cool knowing NIPOST has breached the contract and the mail was time-sensitive. I went home eagerly anticipating a delivery report on the TNT site but was I disappointed. I waited impatiently the next day to come, only to check the site in my office and discovered the mail was still not been delivered 2 days after the scheduled date. Oh was I furious with myself and thinking of the next step of action to take.
I was faced with two alternatives; either to go to NIPOST to complain bitterly or let the event sort themselves out. Experience has taught me that the latter can never work out so I decided to try the former but immediately arrested by the Spirit of God who gently told me to take the latter. As you know, I ignored the Spirit of God and went with experience. Boy was I angry with myself after complaining bitterly and nothing was solved; I sat down in the Post office for 40 minutes of work time just staring at the air looking for a strategy to adopt then the message I heard in church started filtering in.
Going back to the Garden of Eden where two trees were located in the midst; the tree of good and evil and the tree of life. God specifically warns us not to take the tree of good and evil which is known as Experience in today’s parlance but to eat of other trees especially the tree of life which is regarded as the Holy Spirit. Jesus actually attested the Holy Spirit as the best teacher so why do we always regard experience as the best teacher. Why do we always believe that what happened to Mr. A is a best indication of the situation? Why don’t we trust in the Holy Spirit? Why do we ignore Him in the face of emotional turmoil? I took out time to understand this myself and I came with the following conclusion;
1)     Conditioning: We have been conditioned to believe in what we see rather than what we don’t see in essence we are driven by our sensory organ and we immediately doubt that which does not appear physically. This is what we are entitled to conquer as a Christian in order to win the battle against the flesh. But how feasible is this; this can only take place when we cooperate with God and spend time with him. The more we spend with God, the more we are able to be perceptive to what we don’t see. Â
2)Â Â Â Â Â Multitude of Counselors: Â the scripture that supports multitude of counsellorship has been misplaced and wrongly interpreted. A lady before accepting a guy would ask advice from various counselors on the pros and cons of making such decision and the popular advice is always opted for by the lady. I find this very misleading because God is not a democrat nor is he interested in the popular advice. There is a specific advice for specific persons and this can only be found by the manufacture of that person and that is God. It is when God has spoken to you, that a confirmation is communicated to the individual through various medium.
3)     Can’t Hear God: This is a common issue amongst Christians who find it difficult to perceive when God is communicating to them. Understanding what God is saying to you per time comes with practice; it is an ever-learning experience because he speaks to you through His Spirit who communicates to you in the best way possible. There is no clear definition of how this is done, but a “knowing†on the inside of a person that this is God speaking. When God speaks it is easier to go for the alternative because one is not always use to his voice. Some best indications are that God can never tell you to do what you are familiar with especially in decision making because He wants you to grow.
4)Â Â Â Â Â Easier Route: It is human to favor the easier route to solving any task but this always compound issue. A deep rooted person stand firm in all weather condition. Take for example my decision to go complain bitterly is easier than just sitting down and doing nothing (though this is based on personality and temperament). My temperament permits me to go for the action, this is an easier route but mostly a wrong approach when you are in God; one is expected to be patient (a golden virtue) which is difficult to attain in such given situation.
5)     Emotions speak louder: In discerning God and our emotion, we find the emotion speaking louder than God’s voice for a novice. The decision my friend took to canceling the wedding may be right or wrong but her response simply shows the emotion speaking louder than God. She may eventually get it right but only God can judge.
Experience may seem good but the Holy Spirit is the best teacher.............
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19 comments
2 years and 8 months ago
Hi, my sites:ad32d8406082e402d66ba8bd42afa153
3 years and 9 months ago
Olu are you drinking beer why the cheers?
3 years and 9 months ago
Hi Dipo,
Well I must this is a nice piece, and just like others belief, experience is a good teacher but not the best. I will take an example from the IT world. Most IT support engineers or companies have «a knowlegde base» of problems their customers usually experience and their resolutions,but most of the times these «resolutions» won't just work for another customer that is experiencing the same problem as noted in the «knowlegde base». One have to find another work around for the problem. Experience is GOOD but not the BEST teacher, and I want to agree with the writer that the BEST teacher is the Holy Spirit. I can testify!!
Cheers!!
3 years and 9 months ago
Thank you luminus & life of a stranger once again «get wisdom(education), but with wisdom get understanding (see which education applies and which does not ie experience)
There is something called the learning curve in education:
the more you learn something the better it stays in your memory the better you get and after awhile you get tired of learning it in economics this is called utility (after awhile you get sick of drinking much coke/awoof starts running belle, but initially its very thirst quenching)
This learning curve is the reason why alot of people do not follow in the footstep of the parents occupation because they know the in and out of the work already and decide to go and learn something else.
Another point im getting at is that some women need to change their methodology of seeking men , if you see a nice guy why not go and at least say hello, instead of posing! also using back up stategy is a good ides , always have a 1st , 2nd, 3rd etc choice incase the first few choices are taken. this back up stategy is useful in life in general ie always ask yourself «what if something happens, what will i use as a backup» for example on this website there are a lot of jobs imagine if shell is your best and only choice and for some reason you were not able to get in, that would leave you depressed but if your back up plan also included to try virtaully all oil companies then your chances of getting an oil company job would be higher.
3 years and 9 months ago
True
3 years and 9 months ago
Well, I'm not gonna get into any of the heated debates y'all have fired up in here. 'cos for one I'm blanking knackered and my brain is in safe mode.
I'm just gonna say that experience isn't necessarily the teacher 'cos you don't have enough lifetime to experience everything on your own or to make all the mistakes yourself.
The sanest point that J has made though is that a pot-pourri of all that's been mentioned is a good vantage point. The only reason why I won't quarrel with his saying that it's the best is because, we don't always hear from God, either because we don't know how, or we're too wrapped up in out own stuff to realise that he's speaking to us, or sometimes like Dipo said in the post, we hear but decide to do things our own way anyway.
I once saw a book, the title of which is somethig like, Don't talk to me now Lord, I'm praying. That just about sums up the point I was making in the paragraph above.
If we have the maturity of spirit to live with total reliance on the Holy Spirit, which I must confess I don't have...yet. lol. But I'm working towards, then, we have found that most perfect of teachers that has long eluded the human race.
I rest my case. Hey Race and Case rhyme. I'm getting good at this rhyming business, isn't that pure sweetness.
3 years and 9 months ago
Where do I start @ J lol
In the case of a life partner...Anyone can pick who ever they want to marry, that is why you are an adult.
Adults make INFORMED decision, that is why it is good to get advice (the finally decision is yours) You suffer the consequence or enjoy the benefits.
It is abit hard for me to say whether Gowan/buhari rule where better or the country still had money then so we did not notice or feel the leadership was corrupt in any way.
Obj is no angel but I think he has done the best he could with what his got.
What we are look for is who is best suited to take Nigeria to the next level.
I believe we are in the mess we are in now as a country due to BAD PAST LEADERSHIP (Obj inclusive).
God still specks and He is the best adviser to have in Life.
3 years and 9 months ago
Angela what i mean is that i feel that when looking for a future partner, one should also consider alternate strategy and be willing to change some of our marriage contract requirements such as the person must be slim with a lot of money, with this and with that. In short you will not find a 100% perfect fit , but you will find a close match to expantiate there is nobody who upon becoming a president/MDfor the first time who had been one before. Theperson may have related expereince from a more junior role such as director , genereal manager, Chief of army staff etc but not a 100% match with former MD/president experience
or will you tell me that Gowon who took over the reigns of govt at the tender age of about 32 as a Lt Col had prior experience as a head of state, or does atiku have VP experience before now ? Angela if you are old how come you not in a position to be able to make your own decisons about such things as marrige cause Gowon seemed to know how to make decsions at the age of 32
Even Obj said «i am waiting to hear from God» before running for 2nd term but still look at what transpired to date! Murtala Mohammed never said he was waiting to hear from God at anytime in his administration neither did Buhari but i can guarantee you that those guys were the best for nigeria in terms of discipline/values, prosperity, progress everything would have been organized in nigeria by now if they were still there! pls dont use Gods name in vain if you have your own requirements they look for the best fit , in human resources this is called «the most suitably qualified canditate»
3 years and 9 months ago
Hmm.... Diplomatic??
I would like to believe I say it like it is....
3 years and 9 months ago
Wow , I am seeing a diplomatic Angela; wow!
This can not be.......................
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