I turned 26 this month and I’m still waiting for that moment where it really hits me that I’m a grown up… it didn’t happen when I had the freedom a driver’s license offers, or when I graduated university, or even when I got married. As a kid, I always thought that grown-ups knew SO much. The truth is, the older I get the more I feel I don’t know (ie. The Dunning-Kruger effect). That sounds backwards but I’m sure most people reading this can relate. On a scale measuring knowledge and skills, I have certainly increased throughout my whole life (the normal trajectory at this point), but as my knowledge has increased, I’ve become more aware of just how complex or vast topics are and feel as though I know less. 

Let’s pick a very common Bible story that children are taught as an example: the flood and Noah’s ark. Typically, children are told that the people were very bad so God wanted a fresh start in the world, Noah was a very good person and God told Noah to build a big boat where his family and all the animals could live during the flood. After the earth dries back up, God promises He will never flood the whole earth like that again. The kids will colour pictures of giraffes and elephants and there will be a rainbow in the background to represent God’s promise. It’s told in a digestible way for the age group receiving the story. 

As the same group of children grow up, they may read the full chapters from the Bible and learn more details about this story. If it becomes the topic of a young adult’s Bible study, the depth will increase further yet. We could pull on scientific discoveries that are evidence of a massive flood or cultural stories beyond the Christian faith pointing to a flood. We may discuss how hard it must have been emotionally for Noah’s family to say goodbye to a community or even family members that were not on the ark with them. We may draw parallels to people in our lives that we love deeply who do not know Jesus as their saviour.

My point is, there is always more to learn, about practically everything. I sometimes become overwhelmed with the amount of learning I feel is around me, especially in a world with answers and opinions at our fingertips almost all of the time. This overwhelm can lead me to stagnation; it seems like there is so much I want to tackle, that I have a hard time beginning anything at all. Learning requires patience and humility, and it is talked about a lot in scripture. Let’s take a look:

“Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance” Proverbs 1:5

“An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” Proverbs 18:15

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” Psalm 32:8

This is just a small selection of scripture about teaching and learning. I can read the same book of the Bible one year apart and learn
something completely new the second time. God’s word is a deep pot of pure gold.

Beyond the Bible, we have access to books, articles, podcasts, documentaries, movies, music, etc. It doesn’t take much to get into a habit of choosing content that is empty and valueless because it is easy-listening and unchallenging, but we are called and capable for more than that!

This passage from 2 Timothy 3:14-17 is a perfect conclusion:

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”