It’s true that young children learn a great deal very quickly. There’s something about the brain that is adapted to learning and growing so much in those early days. Every day seems like a new adventure and opportunity to explore new things.
Where exactly does this attitude of learning and growing go as we get older? Yes, our brain changes, and we no longer need to learn basics like walking, eating, and talking, but that doesn’t mean we need to stop learning. At some point, we seem to unconsciously decide we have “arrived” and have learned enough. We joke about seeing this attitude in teenagers, but it doesn’t stop there. Are we all excited to keep learning and growing, or have we become stagnant?
It all starts with the attitude. Do we want to learn and grow, or are we complacent with our current selves? We looked at God’s attitude about complacency last Sunday night in Amos 6:1 where He says “Woe to you who are complacent in Zion…”. Just because we are saved and among His people in Zion doesn’t excuse laziness. There is an infinite depth to God’s love, power, wisdom, and calling for our lives. May we be intentional about growing in that whether we’re 2 years old and learning to talk, or 102 years old sitting in a nursing home—or anywhere in between!