Today is my anniversary. I've been married to Samantha for 3 awesome years.

Reflecting back, I've been prepping for marriage for ahwile. At one time, my parents co-ran a small group for young married couples. While the leaders had kids, the couples they were ministering to didn't. This meant us kids mostly did our own thing somewhere else.

Yet, occasionally, we'd sit through or hear some of the content. Because of this, I would boost that I was an inexperienced expert in marriage. Yeah, I was in like sixth grade and obviously not married but I thought I got the gist.

Fast forward to college where I got a degree in Bible and a minor in Communication Studies. Both tracks gave me some solid training for marriage. I mean, a took a whole class called Interpersonal Communication with a unit on romantic communication, so I had science and everything. I thought I was pretty prepared.

But it's funny how head knowledge doesn't always translate into the real thing. Marriage in actuality is a whole lot more complex than a Freshman-level class hypothetical. Turns out when it comes to marriage you can't really be an inexperienced expert. Experience is quite helpful. The real world is a bit messier than principals, theories, and the like.

Training is helpful, but experience forces you to put that learning into action--a much harder thing to do. Truly knowing something is experiencing it.

As an avid Twitter user, I see inexperienced experts all the stinkin' time. People think they know everything because they read a book or more likely listened to one podcast episode. They tend to not be that smart though...

Luckily, Jesus isn't an inexperienced expert. He's an expert on both God and humanity to the highest degree because he is both--he experienced both. It makes Jesus the go-to pro on being truly human. If you want to be a transformed person, JC is your guy.

As Hebrews 4:15-16 says,

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

That's my kind of Jesus. A fella I'm confident to approach because he knows what's it's like. He's an experienced expert.

Blessings to all and have a good night,

Jake Doberenz