36 for 36 (Life Nuggets)

 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning 

all things that are done under heaven: 

 this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man

  to be exercised therewith.

 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: 

 I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. 

   For in much wisdom is much grief: 

and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.  

Ecclesiastes 3:13, 17-18

 ______________._______________

Reading the above passage of scripture did me good: it did me good to know that I am not the only one, neither will I be the last, that God sends on a search to know wisdom, to glean from life the good and the bad, and that some of what we learn makes us sorrowful, and some makes us truly thankful. I was prompted by the Lord on turning 36 last month to think about 36 things that I could share, life lessons if you will, of what I have learned. Some of it may be old hat to you, and some may be things you had not considered. My prayer is that these lessons will cause you to, in your own way, to give your heart to knowing what is in it, what's in God's heart, and what lessons you can deposit and treasure while sharing with the next generation. So, here goes:   

36 Lessons in 36 Years 

1. People will do to you what they see you do to yourself. 

2. Your applauders are not always your backers or your investors. Some applaud you with speech, and some will applaud you with action and investment. Don't disparage any.

3. You may run out of time, but don't run out of Faith and Patience. Time doesn't move God. God moves time.

4.Hope floats on Faith's waters. 

5. Trust the Impossible to be exactly incorrect and adequately overwhelming. That's Impossible's JOB. Your job is to believe the Impossible.

6. Don't let persecution or praise phase you. Both could end or begin at any moment. Remain steady in Christ.

7. People hate to see their younger self in a successful you especially when their older self has not followed through. Don't let their self-condemnation be your self-reflection. Stay in the right mirror- the Word.

8. You live. You learn. You move on. You live.  You don't learn? You repeat.

9. Nothing is ever as it seems. Always ask questions.

10. Never fail to ask WHY or HOW. Those two unlock what to do with what you know.

11. The people who really like and the people who really hate you are never who you assume. Never. Refer back to #9

12. Hear what people are not saying: Eyes, Sighs, Smiles, Silences, and Laughter all speak.

13. Being ignored hurts more than outright hatred.

14. Love hard. It's one of the attributes that will be visible in heaven and countable in souls.

15. Never trust the person who promises the World and has shown you no map or compass.

16. Hard work does not guarantee excellent work, sound work, or intelligent work. Sweat does not equal quality. 

17. You can be so dumb that stupidity looks appealing. 

18. Believe it when God says it; test it when man says it.

19. The person trying to tear you down is already broken and trying to build themselves back up with another man's self worth.

20.Take time to think. Don't be afraid to be alone with God's heart concerning your thoughts. He will counsel your mind if you hand him your thoughts.

21. A person who doesn't value their own life will squander yours. 

22. You do NOT have to let people violate your spiritual space and self to prove you can be open. There are soul rapers in the spiritual world just as there are in the natural.

23. Only you can contribute you to the world. Stop waiting for someone to 'discover' you. Discover yourself and let God distribute s He wills.

24. Listen to people who did NOT accomplish their goals. Their regrets can teach you how to live a life of resilience rather than surrender. Their regret can reveal setbacks you may miss from always gleaning from successful people. There were LURES that took them into Failure that you won't find in Success.

25. Cursing people out has never gotten any permanent good accomplished. Just don't.

26. People may terrorize you (or attempt to) because they live  in a world of personal terror and it is the only time they get to inflict pain. When you let them know that you know- they will stop.

27. Calm your fears by speaking the Word of God to them. Out loud.

28. You can build a sure foundation from the bricks people throw. Learn how to catch.

29. You cannot win over someone who believes that God has called them to lose. #pick your battles

30. No matter what "hellish" problem you face, God really does hold the key to it. (Rev. 1:18) It's always wise to ask the Door (John 10) for the key out.

31. No one is really interested in how gifted you are if they cannot see how that gift connects to the human need to be loved, valued, and cared for. Your gift must be seen as a connector, transformer, or improver of life. 

32. All it takes is ONE person to obey God concerning you (Luke 6:38). Pray for the people around you to obey God concerning you.

33. This prayer changed and is changing my life: Father, let my earthly existence match my Heavenly reality. Let me be as I already am in you.

34. Nothing happens until some one changes. If nothing is happening, ask yourself, "Am I changing in the direction of God?" 

35. God will pull out of you and present you to yourself in the measure that you lay down yourself and put on Christ.

36. God will forbid you intimacy with some people because they are looking to expose you not cover you. God is jealous (protecting what he values) for you. Whatever God tells you about a human's heart, believe Him.

I trust you learned something! Leave a comment, share a # that stuck out to you, and share something God has taught you! Looking forward to hearing from you!