“Experience is the best teacher,” is a quote by Penelope Douglas. Several years later Jordan Peterson reshaped the statement to read – “Experience is the best teacher, and the worst experiences teach the best lessons”. These sayings are factual and many people can testify to these true life lessons. BETTY AMUKPOtasks the children on authenticity of this statement backed with Biblical references. Excerpts:
‘In everything we do, experience is much needed’
Experience is the best teacher because in the book of 2 Chronicles 10:6- 7 it was written: Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?” They spoke to him, saying, “If you will be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” This biblical verse made us understand that King Rehoboam seek for experience from the elders on how to rule the land. This is a lesson for us all that in everything we do, experience is much needed.
• Eyinade Gideon
‘Experience can be one’s personal experience of learning from other persons’
It is said that there is no better teaching practice than experience. People remember what they are thought when examples of past events are shared. So, experience can be one’s personal experience of learning from other persons. Experience is important for everybody to gain knowledge and learn from their mistakes. In the Bible story of about the 10 virgins, we learnt from their experience to always be prepared at all times and not wait till the last minute like the five foolish virgins who went to look for where to fill the oil of their lamp at the last minute.
• Mercy Chibueze
‘Experience is the teacher of all things. One doesn’t need to be jailed before desisting from theft’
Penelope Douglas, a renowned author, once said, “Experience is the best teacher”. This glaring statement has been a paradox of food for thought, but especially as a Christian; one that strikes a thin line between sin and a clear conscience. Scripturally, it is written: The righteous falls seven times and rises again (Proverb 24:16) likewise 1 Corinthians 10:11: Now these things happened to them as an example but written for your instruction… Can you doubt the word of Christ? Honestly, Experience is the teacher of all things. One doesn’t need to be jailed before desisting from theft. You can either choose to grasp it the hard way or learn from the mistakes of others. I have learnt that falling into temptation and sin is not an option but a makeup of our lives which we can decide to have a flashback of our past, observe the signs around us or choose to commit more errors.
• Okpata Peter
‘The story of David and Uriah in 2 Samuel 11:5-27. David learnt his lesson from his experience’
The story of Jonah and the Nineveh in John 3:1-10. When Jonah refused to go to the city of Nineveh to preach the word of repentance, he was swallowed by a fish and stayed three days in the belly of the fish and was vomited at the shore of Nineveh, he preached the words to them and they repented. He learnt from his experience. The story of Ananias and Sapphaira Act 5:1-26. They were dishonest and deceitful, they lied before Peter and the Holy Spirit and they died. The story of the prodigal son, Luke 15:11- 32. After the son had spent all he had in lustful living, he suffered and was eating left over from the swine. He later came back to his father. The story of Samson and Delilah. Samson possessed extraordinary physical strength and the moral of his saga relate to the disastrous loss of his power to his violation of the Nazirite vow to which he was bound by his mother’s promise. The story of David and Uriah in 2 Samuel 11:5-27. David learnt his lesson from his experience.
• Chibuike Anyasor
‘One learns more from things that happen to one in real life than one learns from hearing’
I have generally come to the knowledge that one learns more from things that happens to one in real life than one learns from hearing about it or studding things that happened to others. Through experience I have realised the following:
1. To keep God at the helm of my life and trust him for support and strength. Proverb 3: 5-6
2. To be humble and selfless and put others ahead of myself, especially in a group task; Philippians 2:3
3. I learnt that good things do not come easy and never fail to try again.
4. To be patient knowing that there’s time for everything. Ecclesiastes 3:1
• Immanuella Munachimso Okasi
‘It is our experience and that of others which mould us into the personalities that we portray’
Our calling to Christianity comes with challenges hence, mistakes are unavoidable. These mistakes have the power to turn you into something better than you were before. Notably, it is our experience and that of others that mould us into the personalities that we portray. It is a powerful driving force that accumulates the past into a book chapter, which we can read and then decide to go ahead with our decisions or retreat to safety. Therefore, let the wise hear and increase in learning (Prov.1:5) for we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good (Romans 8:28). Personally, experience is the best teacher because he who falls in a pit, in which his predecessors fell, is an ungrateful being. In this wise, we must learn from the mistakes and stagger on towards the path of righteousness.
• Okpata Paul
‘Experience is the best teacher because children sometimes turn deaf ears to instructions’
Yes, experience is the best teacher because we as children sometimes turn deaf ears to instructions from our parents. let’s take for instance, my mum tells me not to put my hands into fire, there is every possibility that I won’t listen because I’m still young and I don’t know what the pain of burning feels like, but as soon as I try it and I feel the pain, next time I don’t need to be told to stay away from fire because I’ve just learned from experience; Mathew 18.
• Awaki Barnabas
‘The experience of David in the Bible teaches us to be humble and obedient, and to love God’
Experience can be defined as an event or occurrence. It can be seen as a way to gain knowledge and learn from mistakes or successes. It is said it is the best teacher as one will not repeat those things that he did in the past that did not end well or with good results. Lessons learnt; I remember when I was younger; I touched a candle wax and felt the pain. Each time I see flame of fire, I run away. We can also learn from other people experience in life. The experience of David in the Bible teaches us to be humble and obedient, and to love God.
• Ebubechukwu Chinedu
