Curiosity pointed in any direction is marked by the same traits. Whether we are investing in a marriage, a co-worker, a project, a sermon, a mission trip, a friendship, or a crisis a truly curious person shares these.
1 – Curiosity is loving because it has explored the depths of God’s love. It knows its own unworthiness and how much grace was poured out in spite of that.
2 – Curiosity is humble because it sees its own limitations and the bigness of God and His world. It recognizes that it is no better than any other person since each bears the same fingerprints of a creator.
3 – Curiosity is caring because it knows its own need and how its own needs have been met. It recognizes the needs in others because it has genuine interest in them as people, as image bearers of God.
4 – Curiosity asks and wonders because it yearns to know. It asks God. It asks His Word. It asks people. It asks the books they write and the words they record. It asks because it knows its knowledge and understanding are never complete. There is always something more to learn.
5 – Curiosity listens because there is so much to learn and it listens because it genuinely values what others say. It listens to make them feel valued. It listens because the world around it is full of music and words and phrases and each ahs the potential to raise its eyes and lift its heart and spark something new.
6 – Curiosity watches for all the same reasons it listens – watching is listening with the eyes. Every waking moment (and occasionally the dreaming ones) is an opportunity to observe creation, loved ones, cultures, news, art. Each of these offers glimmers of God’s creative glory and can spark further wonder.
7 – Curiosity is tenacious because it will never reach the limits of discovery of a single subject or person or discipline. It will never visit everywhere or hear everything. And it is tenacious in its focus not just its appetite. It seeks to really hear and understand and see.
8 – Curiosity solves because it finds brokenness and problems then sees them as opportunities for change rather than obstacles. It understands needs that exists and finds potential solutions.
9 – Curiosity hopes because it has seen so many millions of ways God has provided and cared and loved and created. Curiosity has examined His promises and seen Him as true to keep them. So, while curiosity will never rest, it can rest in the hope of God’s faithfulness.
This is an excerpt from my new book, The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life.
To learn more about the book you can visit CuriousChristianBook.com. There is even a short curiosity evaluation to help you see just how curious you actually are.
