Learn More Every Day
By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance…” – Proverbs 1:5, NIV
Every time a new semester starts at George Mason University, where I work, I’m inspired by seeing students excited about learning. Watching them walk around campus and hearing them discuss new ideas reminds me that education is a powerful gift. It makes me grateful that even though I’m not the one taking university classes anymore, my own education never actually ends. God is always teaching me something new if I’m just willing to keep a clear mind and a teachable heart.
This back-to-school season reminds us that learning is a lifelong calling. In Proverbs 1:5, the Bible encourages the wise to add to their learning and the discerning to get guidance. Truly wise people never reach a point where they decide they finally know enough. People who have discernment know they always need God’s guidance.
No matter how old we are, how many degrees we hold, or how much career experience we’ve accumulated, God calls us to learn more every day.
Unfortunately, it’s easy for us to let our lives shrink down to the level of our to-do lists. Once we finish our formal education and settle into our careers and family routines, we can easily stop challenging ourselves. We may get comfortable living our lives the same way every day and close our minds to fresh perspectives. If we let ourselves become overwhelmed by our responsibilities, we can neglect to make time for learning and growth in our busy schedules. Then we won’t be able to learn what God is trying to teach us.
A stagnant mind leads to a stagnant faith. God is infinitely creative, so there’s always more of God’s character to discover and more of God’s world to understand. When we stop learning, we limit our capacity for God to use us in new and exciting ways.
So, it’s important to follow the advice in Proverbs 1:5 and add to our learning. Every day that God gives us to live is a valuable opportunity to learn more.
We don’t need to enroll in graduate school or read massive textbooks to add to our learning. We just need to have curious and humble attitudes as we go about our daily lives. We can learn something new by reading a book, listening to a podcast during our commutes to and from work, or learning a skill we want to develop – like cooking better meals – by asking someone we know to teach us. Spiritually, we can add to our learning by studying the Bible, taking a wonder walk in nature, or strengthening our prayer and meditation practices. Every piece of new inspiration God gives us can help us appreciate the wonderful world God has made.
Lifelong learning can lead us to feel awe, because it shows us that our human understanding is very small compared to God’s unlimited knowledge and wisdom. When we approach each day asking God to teach us something new that day, we can become quicker to listen, slower to judge, and much more adaptable to life’s changes than we would be otherwise. So, as the children and young adults in our communities head back to school, let’s join them in their commitment to learn more. Let’s never stop being students of God’s truth by adding to our learning each and every day!
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider why lifelong learning is important, reflect on these questions:
- What’s one specific topic that you’ve been wanting to learn more about lately?
- In what areas of your daily routine have you become too comfortable, and how can you challenge yourself to grow there?
- How can you create regular time in your busy schedule to acquire more knowledge and seek God’s guidance more?
- Think of someone in your life who has a very teachable spirit. What qualities do you admire most about his or her attitude?
- What’s one step you can take today to learn something new from a friend, family member, or coworker?
Further Reading:
Proverbs 9:9
Proverbs 18:15
Psalm 119:66
2 Peter 3:18
Philippians 1:9
How did today’s devotional speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Crosswalk Devotional discussion.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/georgemuresan
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