Some people grow older, but they stop growing.

They keep living, working, serving, attending, and moving through the rhythms of life, but somewhere along the way their curiosity fades. They stop asking questions. They stop paying close attention. They stop expecting to learn anything new.

That can happen in ordinary life.

It can also happen spiritually.

A Christian can become familiar with the Bible without being freshly shaped by it. We can know the language of faith, sing the songs, attend the services, and still slowly lose the posture of a learner.

Psalm 119:33–40 gives us a better way.

“Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.”

That is not the prayer of someone who thinks he has mastered the life of faith. It is the prayer of someone who knows he still needs to be taught.

And that is one of the marks of a Christian who finishes well.

The Christian who finishes well never graduates from God’s classroom.

Finishing Well Begins with Humility

Psalm 119:33–40 is filled with requests.

Teach me.
Give me understanding.
Lead me.
Incline my heart.
Turn my eyes.
Confirm Your promise.
Turn away reproach.
Give me life.

The psalmist is not boasting about his spiritual strength. He's confessing his dependence.

That matters because finishing well isn't mainly about personality, discipline, age, experience, or human wisdom. Those things may help in certain ways, but they can't keep the heart faithful.

We need God.

We need Him to teach us what we don't know.
We need Him to give us understanding where we're dull.
We need Him to lead us when we are tempted to wander.
We need Him to incline our hearts when our desires drift.
We need Him to turn our eyes when worthless things capture our attention.
We need Him to give us life.

The path to finishing well is paved with humble, dependent prayer.

Curiosity Is Not the Opposite of Faith

Sometimes we may think of curiosity as something immature, restless, or unsettled. And, of course, curiosity can wander into unhealthy places. There is a kind of curiosity that only wants novelty. There is a kind of curiosity that is drawn toward worthless things. There is a kind of curiosity that feeds distraction rather than wisdom.

But there is also a holy curiosity.

A teachable spirit asks, “Lord, what do You want me to see?”
A humble heart asks, “Lord, what do I still need to learn?”
A growing Christian asks, “Lord, where have I become dull, distracted, or self-satisfied?”

Psalm 119 does not show us a cold, mechanical approach to God’s Word.  It shows us a person who wants God to teach them, lead them, correct them, and give them life.

That kind of curiosity is not the opposite of faith, it is an expression of faith.

A curious Christian believes that God still has more to show us in His Word. The curious Christian believes they have not outgrown their need for instruction. They believe that the same Bible passages they've read before can still search, steady, correct, comfort, and renew.

Familiarity Can Quietly Become Dullness

One of the dangers for longtime Christians is not that we suddenly reject God’s Word.

It's often quieter than that.

We become familiar.

I've heard the verses before.
I know the stories.
I get the doctrines.
I know the right answers.

Familiarity is not a bad thing, it's a gift to know the truth well.

But familiarity becomes dangerous when it turns into dullness.

When we stop coming to Scripture as learners, we stop praying like the psalmist.

We stop saying, “Teach me.” We stop saying, “Give me understanding.” We stop saying, “Lead me.”

We may still open the Bible, but we no longer open it with expectation.

Psalm 119 calls us back to the posture of a student who knows there is always more of God's wisdom to receive.

Teachable People Keep Asking Better Questions

A teachable spirit does not mean we are always uncertain. It means we are always willing to be instructed by God.

That kind of curiosity asks better questions.

• “Lord, what do You want me to understand?”
• “Where does Your Word need to correct me?”
• “How can I keep Your Word to the end?”
• “Lord, incline my heart to what You love.”

It's a humbler, more prayerful way to live.

And it is necessary because our hearts don't naturally stay on the path. Our eyes wander and our desires drift. Then we find that our attention has easily been captured by worthless things.

So we need to keep asking God to teach us.

Curiosity Needs Direction

Psalm 119:37 says:

“Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.”

This verse reminds us that not all curiosity is good curiosity.

Our eyes can be curious about worthless things. Our hearts can become interested in what cannot give life. Our attention can be trained by what is shallow, distracting, or spiritually deadening.

That is why the psalmist does not simply pray, “Make me curious.”

He prays for God to turn his eyes. He asks God to prevent him from developing a "turning problem," turning his eyes to worthless, light, inconsequential things.

Christian curiosity needs direction. It is not a restless hunger for anything new. It is a Spirit-dependent hunger for what is true, good, holy, and life-giving.

There is a kind of curiosity that pulls us away from the path.

There is also a curiosity that keeps us walking.

Which kind are we feeding? 

The question is not only, “Am I curious?”

The better question is, “What is my curiosity teaching my heart to love?”

The Teachable Finish Well

The psalmist prays, “Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.”

He is asking for grace to keep going, not just a temporary spiritual boost. He wants a life that remains faithful all the way home.

That is what we should want too.

Not just a strong beginning.
Not just a few meaningful seasons.
Not just enough Bible knowledge to sound mature.
Not just enough religious activity to stay busy.

We want to finish well.

And finishing well requires staying teachable.

The Christian who finishes well keeps praying, “Teach me.”
The Christian who finishes well keeps asking for understanding.
The Christian who finishes well keeps receiving correction.
The Christian who finishes well keeps turning from worthless things.
The Christian who finishes well keeps looking to God for life.

Curiosity, rightly directed, is not a distraction from faithfulness.

It is part of the path.

So keep asking.
Keep learning.
Keep opening the Word.
Keep praying for understanding.
Keep bringing your heart, your eyes, your desires, and your attention before the Lord.

The Christian who finishes well never graduates from God’s classroom.

This post is part of the Walking In The Word Series