Growing From Life Lessons

There are two places in life where you find the most clarification: rock bottom and new experiences.

 

When a person finally hits a very low place, or even rock bottom, to the point that all of their ego is removed, it is there where they finally reflect on their lives. They consider the wrong they’ve done to other people. They start wanting to change and correct their mistakes, and become open to the advice and correction and help of others, which they had previously rejected. Pride prevents this from happening, but once pride is finally gone, a person is usually, then, ready to turn their lives around.

 

The other place is with new experiences… TRULY NEW experiences, like living in a foreign country or being exposed to something that you have NO CONTROL over. It brings about a sense of humility, but also exposes a person to a larger world, opening their mind to greater possibilities and deeper understanding beyond their typical box that they have been limited within.

 

The danger is that, once they start feeling better from that place of great pain and sorrow… or become re-acclimated to the normal… all of that desire to change or grow tends to go away, and they start back doing the same thing again. People then “forget” about the negative ways they treat others and the “bigger picture” ways of thinking and return to their normal.

 

If only they could hold on to those changes found on each side of the spectrum. One good foundation is to use the Spiritual Hierarchy of faith to bring and keep balance and a foundation that can be built on and maintained for self improvement. The spiritual hierarchy is basically a way to rank what’s important and prioritize your life accordingly.

 

1. Keep God first. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33). Invest in your spirit by reading the sacred knowledge, praying, meditating, and treating each other with the love of God.

 

2. Keep family second. This does not contradict with the first because God commands us to love our families. “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (1 Timothy 5:8) “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:22). “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” (Ephesians 5:25) “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” (Exodus 20:12) “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)

 

3. Treat others right. “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:” (James 2:8). Treat other people with respect and consideration. Help those who you can help with the love of God, but those who reject God’s peace, “shake the dust off of your feet.”

 

Using this hierarchy, we keep balance. If friends or strangers cause conflict with family, you place the higher priority on family, even if it means to sacrifice what you’re trying to accomplish with the friends or strangers. If friends, strangers, OR family, compromise your faith or obedience to God, you place the priority on God, which is eternal.

 

In doing so, you establish a strong foundation that can withstand the pressures and issues of life. Likewise, you then have a foundation to build upon for those lessons that you learned at those pivotal times at rock bottom or in the new experiences. You cannot grow without being on good ground, and the best ground is balanced properly. At this point, seeking first the kingdom of Heaven, properly prioritized, as your proper focus, shall bring everything else in order. Hold on to the lessons that you learn at the pivotal moments, and grow from them with a proper foundation. Be blessed.

 

By the grace of God,

 

~Kelvin