Christian

A Word for the Young: You Don’t Have to Learn Things the Hard Way

Cindy Dawson

2 Minutes

I have learned so many things the hard way, I could write a book about it!

The only good thing about it is you probably won’t make that mistake twice. For example, once when I was about 9 years old I was playing outside with no shoes on. I was not allowed to play outside barefoot, but I did it anyway. I got a long splinter in my foot and I still remember (62 years later) how painful it was when they dug it out!

That’s a practical example, but I have also learned many spiritual lessons the hard way. God’s Word says one thing, but I did something else. This can happen when you either don’t know (or don’t care) what God’s Word says about a matter.

God said not to do it, but I did it anyway. What did I learn? I learned that God knows best. There’s a reason He says not to sin. It’s for our own good. Sin leads to bad things. Trust me on that. Obeying God will protect you from dangerous consequences.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:7-8 NIV

You might not believe me. You might have to learn this for yourself. But you can avoid a lot of bad things if you trust and obey God’s Word. The book of Proverbs is a treasure trove of wisdom for living. Here are two great verses:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7 NIV (emphasis mine)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Sometimes we may argue with God about a certain sin that we struggle with. We may not understand why it’s a sin. But if it’s called sin in God’s Word, it IS sin, and will only bring destruction. That’s where trusting God’s Word comes in.

Sometimes people blindly follow the way of the culture. This is why we must know what God’s Word says. When I was young, I adopted the morals of my friends. That was a big mistake, and I paid for it.

If you are struggling to reject a certain sin, I highly recommend this post from Gotquestions.org.

What Are the Consequences of Sin?

My prayer is that we will always trust and obey God’s Word. Don’t learn things the hard way like I did.

With Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Read my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash

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21 thoughts on “A Word for the Young: You Don’t Have to Learn Things the Hard Way”

  2. Amen, Cindy. I always told my children (and my other students) that wise people learn from their mistakes, but the wisest learn from other people’s mistakes.
    Or, as Michael W. Smith said once, “Learn from the mistakes of others. You won’t live. Long enough to make them all yourself.” 😉

    Liked by 3 people

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  8. Thank you Cindy! I’ve learnt to take the lessons of others on specific things. It’s not always easy, but I’d rather do that than go through the pain of learning on my own.

    Liked by 1 person

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