Daily Reflections, Monday, May 11, 2009

Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:6-11

“Someone once said, “Experience is the best teacher.” I disagree. Experience taught me that life is tough, but if you’re foolish, it’s a lot tougher.

Back when I was four years old, Dad had a box fan with a metal blade. I thought it would be fun to stick my thumb in there while the blade spun like an airplane propeller (This was before kid-friendly protective caging was invented). The blade sliced off my thumbnail. To this day, my thumb doesn’t look completely right. I still have a scar. Whenever I feel the surface, I’m reminded of my foolishness as a youth. Experience taught me a valuable lesson.

Is experience the best teacher? No, because the cost of its tuition is too high. It’s far better to learn from others’ experiences. In God’s infinite wisdom, He accurately recorded both the victories and failures of His people. He wants us to observe and take heed. If David’s and Saul’s stories keep us from following in their sin, we will have learned well.

Do you want to experience sin for yourself? Take God’s Word for it. Sin is dangerous. Kids, you don’t have to drive drunk to discover that DUI kills people. Adults, you don’t need to have an affair to learn the destructive power of adultery. There are examples all around us. Let’s open our eyes to the truth. Experience may be a good teacher. But learning from others’ experiences is even better.

Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself. —Unknown Author