What to Do, Part 4: Experience

Our old friend John Wesley gives us four tests for truth: Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience.

These four are helpful tools in making decisions and looking at the big questions in our lives.

With this fourth one Mr. Wesley invites us to review our previous opportunities to address the current issue, or something like it, and see what lessons we might learn from our Experience.

My favorite example of this comes from Portia Nelson —

I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost. I am helpless. It isn’t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out. 

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don’t see it. I fall in again. I can’t believe I am in this same place. But it isn’t my fault. It still takes a long time to get out. 

  
I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I fall in…it’s a habit…but my eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately. 

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it. 

I walk down a different street.

I think I just heard Mr. Wesley laugh as he nodded and said, “Amen, you got it.”