The Journey of Preparation: "I've been there and done that before..."

The experiences, trials or tests in life we as human beings face help us through the journey at hand.  They are a fact of life that we must learn from and endure.   They provide us with a blueprint that we can study over and over again that prepare us for what may come.  In addition, we all have moments when the blueprint feels like "deja vu."  We say things like, "I've been there and done that before" or "it's no big deal cause stuff happens,"  or "there's nothing new under the sun."  However true, we must never allow life's experiences, trials, or tests make us become immune and dull individuals just because "stuff happens.'"  Why? Because, "It is dangerous to become settled and complacent in our present level of experience."  We must always have a keen sense when it comes to the experiences of life we face because they are on-going. 

Striving for a life of high moral standard and continual growth requires rigorous preparation and them some.  The spritiual journey which is an intricate part of the overall journey teaches us to never become settled, complacent, or dull with our present level of experience and development in life.  It forces us to become fully aware that life's experiences, tests or trials prepare us continualy inspite of the fact.  It doesn't allow the notion of "just because we have been through some things," keep us from reaching higher levels of continual growth.  In other words, "they keep us on our toes!'" 

The spiritual journey requires preparation and more preparation because, those who choose to serve God and live righteously, know that being under complete subjection to the Almighty is the order of the day here.  And it is a position that we can't escape!  Well, I suppose we can escape if we choose to, and we often do throughout the process because of our humanness.  Nonetheless, the fact that one's spiritual journey will require preparation and more preparation is wholeheartedly true because ultimately, our experiences, trials, or test will automatically hold us under complete subjection.  Because they are the keys that prepare us rigorously, that produce continual growth, which also give us a keen sense beforehand that we must endure the experiences, trials, or tests to the end and fight the good fight! (2 Tim 4:7-8)

God puts this charge before us and, we know that our spiritual journey is on-going because God is using us as He pleases.  He is the "best Knower", and He understands our nature fully, He knows what we are capable of through Him and without Him (Holy Quran 67:14).  When we allow Him to be the Head of our exsitence, our life's experiences, trials, or tests will never be in vain because we are in total submission to Him and His Christ.  We never dismiss His authority over us because He is Lord!  Through our experiences regardless if they have been painful, positive, or negative--God always gets the Glory!  Because, He substains us in advance with His mercy, grace and peace always!  For He knows the journey that is to prepare us... so continue to Fight the Good Fight and See It Through so you can receive your Crown!  For God is Love!

Scriptural and Literary Support:

Ps 1:6 (NIV)  For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Ps 25:8,12 (NIV)  Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways... Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.  Ps 32:8 (NIV) I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.  Ps 37:39-40(NIV) But the salvation of the [consistently] righteous is of the Lord; He is their Refuge and secure Stronghold in the time of trouble.  And the Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they trust and take refuge in Him.  Ps 73:24 (NIV) You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

Prov 15:3,9 (NIV) ³ The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.  The LORD detests the way of the wicked but he loves those who pursue righteousness.

1 Nah 1:7 (AMP) ⁷The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of, and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him.

1 Cor 8:1-3 (NIV) ...We know that we all possess knowledge.  Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. ²The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. ³But the man who loves God is known by God.  1 Cor 9:25 (NIV) ²⁵Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

1 Tim 6:11-16 (NIV) ¹¹But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you ¹⁴to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

2 Tim 2:21 (NIV) ²¹If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.  2 Tim 3:10-17 (NIV) ¹⁰You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, ¹¹persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. ¹²In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Tim 4:7 (NIV) ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

James 1:2-4, 12 (NIV)  ²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  ¹²Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Holy Quran (2:12) The life of this world is made to seem fair to those who disbelieve, and they mock those who believe, and those who guard (against evil) shall be above them on the day of resurrection; and Allah gives means of subsistence to whom he pleaseswithout measure.  Holy Quran (2:142) The fools among the people will say: What has turned them from their qiblah (Kabba) which they had? Say: The East and the West belong only to Allah; He guides whom He likes to the right path.  Holy Quran (2:231) ...and do not take Allah's communications for a mockery, and remember the favor of Allah upon you, and that which He has revealed to you of the Book and the Wisdom, admonishing you thereby; and be careful (of your duty to) Allah, and know that Allah is the Knower of all things.

Holy Quran (4:70) This is grace from Allah (God), and sufficient is Allah (God) as the Knower.  Holy Quran (4:172)The Messiah (Isa/Jesus) does by no means disdain that he should be a servant of Allah (God), nor do the angels who are near to Him, and whoever disdains His service and is proud, He will gather them all together to Himself.

Holy Quran (5:72)  Certainly they disbelieve who say: Surely Allah (God), He is the Messiah, son of Marium; and the Messiah said: O Children of Israel! serve Allah (God), my Lord and your Lord. Surely whoever associates (others) with Allah (God), then Allah (God) has forbidden to him the garden, and his abode is the fire; and there shall be no helpers for the unjust.  Certainly they disbelieve who say: Surely Allah (God) is the third (person) of the three; and there is no god but the one God, and if they desist not from what they say, a painful chastisement shall befall those among them who disbelieve.

Holy Quran (67:14) Does He not know, Who created? And He is the Knower of the subtleties, the Aware.

My Utmost for His Highest; Online Ed. Sept 24, 2010 http://utmost.org/the-go-of-preparation/

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved. -Helen Keller

The words printed here are concepts. You must go through the experiences. -St. Augustine

A man is born alone and dies alone; and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his karma alone; and he goes alone to hell or the Supreme abode. -Chanakya

Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward. -Henry Ford

     The most instructive experiences are those of everyday life... -Nietzsche

Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of; they just turn up some of the ill weeds on to the surface. -C.H. Spurgeon

When you're up against a trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face;
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace.
When it's vain to try to dodge it,
Do the best that you can do;
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it through!

Black may be the clouds about you
And your future may seem grim,
But don't let your nerve desert you;
Keep yourself in fighting trim.
If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite of all that you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it through!

Even hope may seem but futile,
When with troubles you're beset,
But remember you are facing
Just what other men have met.
You may fail, but fall still fighting;
Don't give up, whate'er you do;
Eyes front, head high to the finish.
See it through! -Edgar A. Guest