Non-stop

Proverbs 19:⁸ “Grow a wise heart—you’ll do yourself a favor; keep a clear head—you’ll find a good life.” (MSG)

If you are going to get traction in your mind, the first thing you need to do is test every thought—Do Not Believe Everything You Think. Secondly, Guard Your Mind From Garbage. Thirdly, Never Stop Learning. Make learning a lifetime habit. A lot of people act as if their education ended at their graduation. The truth is if you want traction in your mind, you have to keep on learning. Make learning a lifetime thing because the moment you stop learning, you stop leading. You cannot take people beyond where you have been. Your mind has to keep on improving. Proverbs 18:¹⁵ “The mind of a smart person is eager to get knowledge. The wise person listens to learn more.” (ICB). How is your mind? Does it listen to learn more? Is it eager?

You must realize that learning can be informal. There is no one you cannot learn from. I have learned things I never knew from a vulcanizer fixing my tyre by the roadside. I have learned from professors, caterers, cleaners, cooks, gardeners, etc. You can learn from anyone because everyone has a reservoir of some knowledge that you do not know, and you can be taught. Everyone has something. Guess what? Everyone is ignorant of something, even a professor regardless of his or her area of focus. You can even learn from people you disagree with. Interestingly, this can be a challenge for a lot of people. Sometimes, when we disagree with people, we do not want to learn from them.

It is the ‘because you do not agree with me, I do not want to listen to you or learn from you, or even say anything to you’ mindset. We can learn from people who do not agree with us. As it is said, even a damaged analogue clock is right twice a day. And if you insist that yours is a digital clock, well a damaged digital clock is right once a day. The point is, you and I can learn even from people we disagree with. Proverbs 10:¹⁴ “Wise men store up knowledge [in mind and heart]…” (AMPC). The only thing the Bible encourages us to store up is knowledge because knowledge is better than wealth. You can get wealth through knowledge, but you may not necessarily get knowledge with money. The question is how do you and I acquire and store up knowledge?

We acquire and store up knowledge by Reading and by Relationships. There are things you will learn from people you do life with that you will not find in a book. Some things will take you five hours of reading to get, meanwhile you can get them in five minutes of hanging out with the right person. Yet there are things that you still have to learn by books, by reading.

Prayer: Father, please give me a teachable heart, hungry for knowledge, in Jesus Name. Amen!