44 Things I’ve Learned (or at least should have learned) in 44 Years: Wit and Wisdom from Saints, Sinners, and My Journey with God

So I have a birthday coming up. Groundhog's Day every year. Super Bowl Sunday every 7th year. Here are some of the things I am learning.

44. I have learned life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.

43. I have learned that each day is a gift. I should embrace it and share it.

42. I have learned the journey of the thousand miles begins with a single step. No better time to start than today.

41. I have learned that to risk is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to risk is to lose oneself.

40. I have learned that love is not an adjective; it is a verb. It is something you do and not something you necessarily feel. 

39. I have learned to learn from my mistakes (or should be at least be close to figuring this one out by now).

38. I have learned that it is the pebble in your shoe and not the mountain in front of you that will likely wear you out. It’s those little self-destructive things and not the big, huge challenge.

37. I have learned that being thankful is one of the best ways to spend my time. It is an amazing experience and opens doors to more abundance in life.

36. I have learned that a poor response to anger is destructive to everyone who is in proximity of the angry person. I’ve also learned that the person who suffers the most from anger is the one who is angry.

35. I have learned that our life always expresses our dominant thoughts. It’s kind of like this: our thoughts become our words which become our actions which become our habits which become our character which becomes our destiny.

34. I have learned that we look most like God when we give, forgive, and serve.

33. I have learned that the marriage relationship is the most important human relationship that I have.

32. I have learned that I would rather fail as a pastor than fail as a father.

31. I have learned that friends are the brothers and sisters God didn’t give us by birth. I need healthy friendships.

30. I have learned that I should accept people for being their true selves, encourage people to become their true selves, and never allow somebody to be ruined by themselves.

29. I have learned that joy is not in things; it is in us. And joy is not in the past or the future. It happens in the moment.

28. I have learned fear is a good thing. Fear means I am challenging myself and growing. I have learned the fear of fear is a terrible thing that prevents development.

27. I have learned that it is impossible for me to fully please everybody all the time so I will stop trying.

26. I have learned that the entire population of the world, with the exception of one person, consists of people other than myself.

25. I have learned that it is by grace I have been saved, through faith—and this not from myself, it is a gift of God. –Ephesians 2:8

24. I have learned that I am God’s masterpiece and need to think of myself and treat myself as such. –Ephesians 2:10

23. I have learned that big dreams can lead to a big life. Small dreams will not lead to a big life.

22. I have learned that sometimes it’s not ready, aim, fire. Sometimes it’s ready, fire, aim! We miss all the shots we never take.

21. I have learned that the world is made up of imperfect people and, therefore, any relationship I am going to be in will also be imperfect. It can be blessed and growing, but never perfect.

20. I have learned that I am imperfect and if I expect perfection from myself I will be disappointed a lot.

19. I have learned that sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden; sin is forbidden because it is hurtful.

In my younger years

18. I have learned that the will to win means nothing without the will to prepare. 

17. I have learned that sometimes life is hard, but our response makes a difference. Pain in life is inevitable; suffering is optional.

16. I have learned that I can’t go back and start a new beginning, but I can start today and make a new ending. “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” –Philippians 3:13

15. I have learned vision without action is a daydream and action without vision is a nightmare.

14. I have learned it’s OK to say “no” to good things so I can say “yes” to the best things.

13. I have learned that we can’t change other people. We can only change our reaction to those people.

12. I have learned that one of the most productive uses of my time is investing in future generations.

11. I have learned that my attitude in life determines life’s attitude toward me.

10. I have learned that forgiveness is the key to contentment. Forgiving and living is better than remembering and resenting.

9. I have learned not to forget to love myself.

8. I have learned that forty-four years from now I will be more disappointed by the things that I didn't do more than by the things I did do. I will dare, discover, and dream. -Mark Twain

7. I have learned that I am closest to God and my life makes most sense when I read the Bible daily. I bear fruit when I am connected to the vine.

6. I have learned it’s best to do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can. –John Wesley

5. I have learned rest isn’t a waste of time—rather it is essential and good. A life without rest is like driving a car without gas.

4. I have learned that the function of prayer is not necessarily to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays. God is fine directing the world without my advice.

3. I have learned that God’s grace is sufficient for me. Forgiveness from the past, power in the present, and hope for the future. More than enough.

2. I have learned that God makes saints out of sinners. God has always been and will always be in the business of changing lives. Few things in life are as beautiful as a changed life.

1. I have learned that God accepts me and loves me not because of what I’ve done or what I do, but because of His perfect.