The “Gold Nugget” series consist of exhortations and ideas that you can ponder over and reflect on as enlightenment and life-changing gems for guidance, wisdom, organization, and encouragement, as you navigate your way through life. They will be helpful as we make and execute plans for the success of the final weeks of the year 2016, and prepare for the anticipated progress of the year 2017.

NUGGET OF GOLD #1

THE VALUE OF EXPERIENCE

We may “misunderstand”; but we can never “mis-experience”.

After you have gone through the process, you will always know how hot, lukewarm, or cold it is --- because you have experienced it.

We often hear that “Experience is the best teacher”, right? But we can also add that “Do not let it be your experience” --- if the emphasis in question is on a bad experience. What if that experience resulted in separation, divorce, loss of job or money, destructive fire, accident, deformity, incurable disease, demise of a loved one, loss of a favor or a golden opportunity, and even death? Where and when will you get the chance to return and do better the next time?

IN THIS LIFE, PREVENTIVE MEASURES ARE ALWAYS BETTER THAN CURATIVE MEASURES.

 “Listen to him (or her); because he (or she) has the experience”. This is a common sentence from my lips that has been uttered hundreds of times over the years to any child walking with a parent (typically at a mall or somewhere in town). I have often said this more to mothers and their daughters (who often go out together for shopping etc.), than to men and their sons (whom I meet less with their sons outside). It is part of my regular open witnessing and joyful sharing of God’s salvation and the goodness I have found in Christ from my youth.

Parents, adults, teachers, and old employees etc., no matter their state at any moment, have gone through experiences in life that no young or new person has ever gone through. Even in the midst of their weaknesses, wretchedness, and failures or successes, they still have very valuable experiences for the negatives as well as for the positives.

Someone older than you, or who has been in that position before, may give you redundant narratives and long stories, or admonitions and a lengthy discourse intended to inspire and motivate, or caution and dissuade you ---- sometimes it could even be unduly boring. But, if you attentively scrutinize, there may be a gem of truth from his or her rich experience ---- so, you better listen carefully, and grab only that gem.

Yes, experience is valuable ---- and, I am referring to good experiences here, and not bad ones, although we tend to say “I have learned my lesson” when we learn important lessons from bad experiences. We simply rejoice at the profits and delightful results when we undergo good experiences, without encouraging ourselves and say “I have learned my lesson”, in order to become more motivated and determine to achieve more than the good experience we now rejoice over.

PEOPLE WITH GOOD EXPERIENCES, CAN ALWAYS GIVE YOU THE BEST ADVICE. 

Indeed, you can argue with me regarding my ideas, teachings, beliefs, principles, or doctrines; but you cannot argue against my experience. You may not agree with, or accept what I know and tell you, but you will not be able to disagree or reject my experience because I went through it.

Yes, we can “misunderstand”; but we can never “mis-experience”.

NUGGET OF GOLD #2

PEER PRESSURE

We always talk about “Peer Pressure”, and “blame” (or attribute) that factor as a major cause of certain acquired habits and occurrence of problems in our lives, especially in the lives of young people --- typically for situations where people rush into making wrong decisions and unfavorable or bad choices. We say that the person is trying to be a “copy-cat”, or is forcing to “be like his or her peers”, or “is trying to earn (or obtain) an identity”.

We are made to feel “left behind”, and are therefore “pushed by ‘the pressure of our peers’ to catch up ‘by all means’, in order to be among the ‘successful’ crowd”. This pertains to many older people as well.

Some common examples are: Friendships, romantic relationships, marriages, the fun and competition for childbirth, inability to make time for your partner or submit to the needs of your spouse, excess of entertainment, gargantuan engagements and weddings, big celebrations and parties, costly funerals, prestigious educational courses, choice of school, entering into ministry, size of church or ministry, titles in ministry, business ventures, great investments, buying of lands and building or buying of houses, home decorations and fittings, expensive purchases and other financial pursuits, travel abroad, election into office of responsibility, position of power and authority, fashion and dresses plus body piercings or uncommon hair styles, special achievements, sexual exploits etc. 

But when godly principles and the power of God are at work from the inside of your soul to influence what is around you, then it will not be YOUR PEERS PUSHING YOU AS A PRESSURE, but rather YOU AS A PRESSURE PUSHING YOUR PEERS.

This concept, therefore, gives us two types of people in this world: Those who ALLOW THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES TO SHAPE THEM, and those who ARE ABLE TO SHAPE THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES, by employing their powerful inner influence for positive impact.

Which class do you belong to?

NUGGET OF GOLD #3

THE VALUE OF APPROPRIATE REST

“So, teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

It implies that if only you understood how short life is, you will take time to give yourself appropriate rest (of your body, heart, and mind).

We usually want it so urgently and so fast that we stress ourselves to try and get it by all means, at the expense of our health, spirituality, and life itself.

Sometimes by the time it arrives we are too worn out or too sick to enjoy it. In some terrible cases, the person is even gone into eternity and is not present to enjoy it.

Jesus left a crowd he had ministered to, and got into a boat on the lake to rest (get some sleep), believing and trusting that the crowd will still be present for Him to minister to them when He returned (Mark 4:35-41).

Indeed “When Jesus crossed again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him (as before)” --- Mark 5:21.

If you get to the point where you cannot believe that on your return, your church, business, job, position of authority, marriage, family, home, investment, institution, project etc. will still be there, if you genuinely need to be away and take appropriates rest for rejuvenation or reflection for wisdom, better strategy, or anointing from the Lord, then what you hold on dearly to has become an idol, and is robbing you of the necessary human and divine connection, plus connection with your real self.

It is a deceptive thought that you must be constantly working and laboring feverishly to get the favor and approval of God and of people, without any needed sensible rest or important relaxation.

If you get no rest because you must be constantly busy in order to get people’s approval, then you suffer from misplaced identity; because your work is defining you. Ultimately you will become disconnected with your real self, and will not know who you really are, because your primary knowledge and definition of yourself is not even in regard to your talents and gifts that are being used for your work, but your identity has become the intensity of your labor, and what people say about the work that you do.

True rest and appropriate retreat for evaluation that is based on honest and constructive appraisal, will generate more faith and hope for better results, and promote a more successful future.

===================================================================

Written by Dr. Samuel Kisseadoo, Biology Professor, Ordained Licensed Minister, International Evangelist, Teacher, Author, Marriage and Family Counselor, Virginia, USA. E-mail: kisseadoo@msn.com.

Tune in to JOY 99.7 FM in Accra (transmitted through LUV 99.5 FM in Kumasi), Ghana, to listen to Dr. Kisseadoo’s weekly broadcast “Hope For Your Family” on Sat. 5:30am-6am, Ghana time (1:30am-2:00am, US Eastern Time in March –November). Access the broadcast on the Internet with MYJOYONLINE.COM.

For free counseling, programs, prayer, messages, books, speaking engagements, call Dr. Kisseadoo in Virginia on 1-757-7289330 (or call Fruitful Ministries on 233-20-8126533 in Accra, or 233-275-353802 in Kumasi, Ghana). Obtain Dr. Kisseadoo’s books in Accra from Challenge Bookstore, or from Baptist Bookstore opposite Anglican High School at Amakom in Kumasi; or call 233-20-8126533. Website for resources: www.fruitfulministriesint.com.

In Ghana, call Tigo or Airtel 545 and follow the prompts for daily inspirational messages of Dr. Kisseadoo. Permission granted to freely share but with acknowledgment.