Question 1

What do I need to do to prepare myself to experience God?

Accepted Answer

Joshua 24:31The people of Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him—those who had personally experienced all that the Lord had done for Israel.Philippians 3:9-11I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!Philippians 4:6-7Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.Prayer invites God to be active in our lives and it enables us to share our experiences with him. We can share our joys and thankfulness, our pains and struggles, our daily concerns, and anything else that’s on our minds when we come to God in prayer. The more we grow in prayer, the more we’ll become aware of how God is at work in our lives during the good, the bad, and even the mundane. The elders in Israel at the time of Joshua personally saw God work in their lives and these memories inspired them and others to serve God during their lifetimes. In the same way, we can draw inspiration from our past experiences with God and trust him with our future.

Question 2

What is valuable about life experience?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 16:31Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.God honors those who live long and godly lives.Deuteronomy 32:7Remember the days of long ago; think about the generations past. Ask your father, and he will inform you. Inquire of your elders, and they will tell you.We can learn valuable life lessons from our elders, those who have seen God work in the world and in their lives through the years.Job 12:12Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old.Because of their education and experiences, older people can have much wisdom to impart.2 Timothy 2:1-2Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.Paul, Timothy’s mentor, instructed his son in the faith to teach others what he had learned from Paul. Life experiences can provide invaluable insight into God’s Word, the world, and how to live for Christ in the world, and we can pass on those life-tested truths to others.Psalm 77:11-12I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.As we age, we can look back and remember God’s past might works, giving us hope for the present.Titus 2:4-5These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.This passage is directed to women, but the lesson is clear: Older men and women can teach biblical principles and life skills to the next generation.

Question 3

How does God use my life experiences?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 143:5I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done.Life experiences can teach us about God.John 16:31-33Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”As followers of Christ, we will experience many trials and sorrows. But these painful difficulties can strengthen our faith and confidence in our Savior who has “overcome the world.”Romans 5:3-4We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.Difficult life experiences can help us develop our spiritual muscles, including endurance, character, and confident hope.2 Corinthians 1:3-7All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.When we have experienced God’s comfort in our sorrow, we will be prepared to comfort others.James 1:2-4Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.The testing of our faith produces patient endurance in us as we mature in our relationship with God.

Question 4

How should I respond if my experience with God differs from other believers?

Accepted Answer

Leviticus 19:32“Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the Lord.”Even if our experiences differ from the elderly, we should show them respect and listen to their advice.Romans 12:6-8In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.God gives each believer a unique combination of spiritual gifts, so we should not expect all believers to be the same in their spiritual gifts and how they exercise them. Instead of comparing ourselves to others—whether positively or negatively—we should use our gifts, the ones God has entrusted to us.Romans 12:9-10Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.Everyone has a personal and unique story of how they came to have faith, some of which are more dramatic than others. Paul, for example, met the risen Christ in a blinding light on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19), while Timothy, Paul’s mentee, was raised by a godly mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:3-5). We should “delight in honoring” fellow believers and their genuine testimonies of how God drew them to himself.1 Corinthians 10:13The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.Paul says that our temptations and trials are not unique to each person, meaning that many others have experienced them. But because each person has a unique physical and mental make-up, personality, strengths and weaknesses, and life experiences, we should expect others’ struggles to differ from ours, and we should not expect them to respond the same way that we would.

Question 5

How can a bad experience be transformed into something good?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 50:19-20Joseph replied [to his brothers], “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”God can redeem and transform anything for his glory, even a malicious act toward us. He may reveal how he used a given situation for good in this life, as he did with Joseph, but we may not see the ultimate result of God’s work until eternity.Proverbs 3:1, 11-12My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. . . . My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.At times, God allows us experiences in our lives to discipline us, just as a loving parent disciplines a child to keep him or her on the right path.Romans 8:28We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.When the Bible says that “God causes everything to work together for the good,” this does not mean every incident, action, and reaction that happens to us is good. We are sinners, and we live in a fallen, sinful world; thus, we, like everyone else, sin against God and others, make mistakes, and experience personal setbacks, heartbreaks, and losses. But the important word in this verse is “together.” That is, each life experience is part of a tapestry that God is weaving, for our ultimate good. We do not know the full picture or the end of the story because we are finite and live in the moment. So, we need to take each step by faith and trust God for his good outcome.

Experience