7 Valuable Lessons About God I Learned Last Year

I’m so grateful to God for using our time on this earth to teach us valuable lessons about Him.

In the process of doing so, He also helps us learn about other things as well–ourselves, what we need to work on, how we relate to others–and so on and so forth.

Our earthly life is truly a classroom! Here’s what He taught me last year.

1. God wants us to use what He gives us.

…not just to meet our needs–but to meet the needs of others and serve Him in the process.

Toward the end of the summer of 2015, I began asking during my prayers: “God, what do You want me to do?”

I confess the question came from somewhat selfish motives. Those of you following along with our personal journey know that we spent the first half of the year trying to move closer to our family. But one by one, those doors seemed to close, mainly because we’ve been unable to sell our house.

So frustrated and discouraged, I asked Him: “What do you want me to do?”

As I read through the Bible passage of the parable of the three stewards, God’s voice whispered in my ear: “What are you doing with what I’ve given you?”

Instant inventory time! In my head and on paper, I listed physical resources, talents, abilities, etc.

Out of that process came our mini-cabin, which I’m happy to say is currently rented out for a short term, with more prospective tenants on a waiting list.

We also opened up our main house for vacationers on Airbnb.com and have it up for sale as a FSBO (our first showing coming up). We had our first Airbnb guests the week after Christmas, and have more guests coming in February.

I also wrote another Miller’s Creek novel, a LifeSword Bible study, a Christmas novella, and a LifeSword monthly devotional in the past year.

I say none of this to brag. Frankly I couldn’t do any of it without Him (John 15:5).

But I do say it to challenge you in your journey the way God challenged me in mine.

“What are you doing with what He gave you?”

What are you doing with what God has given you? #LifeLesson
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2. God is leading me, even when I don’t always realize it.

Because I’ve learned in previous years that it’s easier to stay on the path than make your way back to it, I am ultra-conscientious about wanting to make sure that I follow where God leads.

Honestly, we thought we were following Him when we made the decision to move back closer to our family. And in retrospect, we still feel that way. I’ve specifically prayed for Him to take that desire away if it isn’t His plan. And I have to say, that I still think it’s His plan…unless He’s doing something behind the scenes of which I’m currently unaware.

Late in 2015, through my time with God, I had the overwhelming sense that He was and is with me. I wasn’t wandering off His path. Though as His sheep, we’re prone to wander, that wasn’t the case here.

So the second valuable lesson is this: God is bigger than us. He’s in charge, even when it doesn’t feel like it. He has been and is leading us in ways we can’t fully comprehend in the present. Our job is to follow Him as closely as we can.

As our Shepherd, God is constantly leading us. #LifeLesson
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3. God is our peace in life’s pieces.

I won’t add a lot of commentary to this point, mainly because I’ve already written about it at length late last year.

But I do want to give a shout-out to those who may be reading my journey blog for the first time, especially those who may be dealing with some life pieces of their own.

The third valuable lesson God taught me in 2015 is this: Be encouraged. God is our peace, even when life hands us a bunch of broken pieces.

God is our peace, even when life hands us broken pieces. #LifeLesson
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4. Faith is required in order to please God.

I know that I write quite a bit about faith, including last year’s post, fairly early in the year, about our personal faith journey.

In retrospect, I hope I didn’t come across as sounding holier-than-thou in that post. That certainly wasn’t my intent.

Instead, I wanted (and needed) your prayer support (which you doled out in heaps–thank you!). But I also wanted to encourage those reading the post to seek God and then step out in faith in what you sensing Him saying specifically to you.

I’m not talking about being foolish (though I’m sure others have thought that about me in some of the things I’ve done!). But I am talking about a second-by-second faith walk with our Savior, no matter what.

If we truly want to please Him, it requires total submission and faith (Hebrews 11:6). This is a valuable lesson He continues to engrave on my heart.

Without faith, it’s impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6 #LifeLesson
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