We can go through life and miss some of the things that God is trying to teach us if we don’t intentionally seek to learn from God. Some things are obvious, but others aren’t, and we can miss the point if we don’t ask Him or don’t open our eyes to what He’s trying to show us through our experiences.
As we commit things to God and pray about them beforehand, He can guide us and give us His wisdom, which He has promised to give generously to those who ask in faith.1 But it’s just as important to pray afterwards about the outcome, especially when things didn’t go the way we expected or wanted them to. If we take time to think and pray about it, He can help us learn from every experience. The lesson is there if we will take the time to look for it; but by the same token, if we don’t seek it, we may not find it.2
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.—Psalm 143:10 NIV
Cultivating character
God created us “in His own image,”3 but He’s not done yet. It’s an ongoing process. We all share some basic aspects of His nature from birth—we are eternal, spiritual beings with the capacity to reason, love, and distinguish right from wrong—but developing godly character is a lifelong process. It’s also a big part of why we’re here. What should we strive to be like? The following Bible passages give a fairly well-rounded picture:
The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.—Galatians 5:22–23 NLT
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.—Philippians 2:3–4 NLT
See also the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3–12) and the Bible’s “love chapter” (1 Corinthians 13).
The source
If you want more love in your life, go to the source. Jesus has more love than you ever imagined, and it’s yours for the asking. It starts the moment you invite Him into your life by sincerely praying a prayer like this one:
Dear Jesus, I believe that You love me and died for me on the cross, so I can live in heaven for eternity. Please give me Your gift of salvation, help me to get to know You better, and help me to share Your love with others. Amen.