What Is God Teaching You?

A Christian friend of mine would always open our conversations with, “What has God been teaching you lately?” And as I responded, without fail, I would be able to point to the current events in my life and reflect on the spiritual lessons I was receiving from them. When you are faced with a crisis or tough decision, you may also find it helpful to take a good look at what God is teaching you.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This is a clear indication of God’s active hand at work. He’s arranging and shaping things in a particular way for a particular reason. The world looks at a series of events and incidents and calls them “coincidence.” But I’m a firm believer in Divine intervention (and what some call Divine appointment). In other words, everything happens for a reason.

For example, one of the most powerful lessons God taught me was about tithing. Many, many years ago, my pastor (the late Rev. John E. Sharpe of Shiloh Baptist Church in Newark, NJ) preached on the importance of tithing. I had my reservations at first, so I took my concerns to the Lord. I was led to set aside a portion of my income in cash. And wouldn’t you know it? Suddenly, there were people and charitable opportunities everywhere—specifically laid in front of me—in need of my financial support. The lessons were abundant, but one of the most important things I learned was that tithing is a form of worship and serving the Lord. (Maybe one day, I’ll do a full blog on the power and importance of tithing.)

The Bible tells us that God is with us always. And it’s important to remember that in our daily walk, He is not a silent partner. He is constantly teaching us—through the people, places, and circumstances we come across each day. As a writer, I know that the stringing together of such particular events could only be the work of a Divine Author. As a Christian, I’m so glad He’s doing it for me.

Every now and then, take a moment to ask yourself, “What is God teaching me?” Prayer and fasting usually help to make the answer crystal clear.