The Curious Christian
Would you say you are a curious person? For some, curiosity is a characteristic they wear proudly and openly and they constantly ask questions. Who? Why? What? Why? Where? Why? When? Why? How? Why? The questions and the “Why?” keeps coming. Others wear their curiosity more secretly. Sometimes, we might call them the “learners.” They are constantly reading, and looking for sources. They live and breathe “Google” and their bookshelves, Kindles, and search history lists show clearly the wide diversity of subjects in which they are curious. Then, there are some who suppress their curiosity. Perhaps, someone once challenged their natural curiosity as resisting absolute truth or authority, and so they learned to stop asking questions for fear that wasn’t what Christians should do. Still others would say that the questions like these keep us from getting things done. They would say that curiosity is a distraction from productivity.
Barnabas Piper challenges the reader to rediscover their curiosity. To rediscover simple wonder. He describes the traits of the truly curious:
- Curiosity is loving – It explores the depths of our unworthiness, God’s love and grace.
- Curiosity is humble – It sees its own limitations and the bigness of God and the world.
- Curiosity is caring – It has a genuine interest in others as image bearers of God.
- Curiosity asks and wonders because it yearns to know.
- Curiosity listens because it genuinely values what others say.
- Curiosity watches and observes loved ones, cultures, news, art…
- Curiosity is tenacious – It seeks to really hear and understand and see.
- Curiosity solves and finds brokenness and problems as opportunities for change.
- Curiosity hopes – Curiosity rests in the hope of God’s faithfulness.
Albert Einstein counseled in 1955, “The important thing is not to stop questions…Never lose holy curiosity.” Piper provides practical steps to encourage curiosity in one’s Christian life and to discover and rediscover the wonder of God’s perfect and sovereign plan.
This book is a great challenge for me to keep asking questions in my own life, to keep learning subjects of diverse interest, and to never stop seeking the wonder of grace. (Reviewed by Pastor Mike)
For more information or to purchase, click here.
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I received a free copy of this book from Moody Publishing in exchange for my honest review here. (Mike Fischer)
