5 Ways to Being a Life-long Learner

An indicative statement is a statement of fact (e.g., “The dog is black.”); an imperative is a command (e.g., “Tell the dog to sit.”). Indicatives and imperatives are different ways of classifying sentences but they also have a relationship with one another. Indicatives have to be understood before imperatives can be presented. You must learn in order to behave rightly.

Donald Whitney says in this book on spiritual disciplines, “Christians must realize that just as a fire cannot blaze without fuel, so burning hearts are not kindled by brainless heads. We must not be content to have zeal without knowledge.”

Fellow Christians have said to me before, “But I just want to know what to do. Just tell me the bottom line – what God wants.” Friends, you cannot appropriately apply the Bible without learning why certain commands are given. Orthodoxy always precedes orthopraxy.  Learning fuels obedience. All of God’s commands can be taken back to something we should have learned.

As Christians, we must always be learning. We cannot afford to cease from learning. If you stop learning, you won’t thrive or grow or progress or mature. Wisdom or intelligence is not a guarantee with age. Wise men don’t become wise overnight. Wisdom is accumulated by relating learned truth to experience.

Proverbs 18:15 tells us, “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” He is chasing after it. He wants it bad. And Proverbs 23:12 is also relevant to the issue of learning and wisdom – “Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.”  

We live in an anti-intellectual age. We glorify the physical rather than the mental. Entertainment channels are viewed more than learning channels. We elect politicians who look the part rather than good thinkers.

Learning is a life-long endeavor.  So, how do we encourage learning? Glad you asked. Here are 5 suggestions.

First, make the Word your primary source of learning. No other book can make the claims the Word claims. No other book can sanctify you like the Word. No other book can give you all you need for life and godliness. No other book is without error and is totally sufficient. No other book will change your heart, soul, and mind. There is a lifetime of learning in the books of the Bible.

Second, be an intentional learner. Think of things in the Scripture that you don’t know enough about (e.g., why Jesus came to die, God’s sovereignty, the process of becoming wise) and commit yourself to learn them. To learn, you must be proactive about learning.  

Third, vary your means of learning. Not everyone is a reader. Audio books can be of great service to you if you struggle with the method of learning by visualizing words on a page. Audio books give you the ability to multitask (e.g., exercise, clean, yard work). Taking classes gives you the ability to interact with others who are also committed to learning the same subject. Watching an educational video gives you the flexibility or learning when you have time and benefiting from the visual aid of learning.

Fourth, don’t fear curiosity. I would venture to say that the most undervalued quality in any student of the Bible is curiosity. A curious Christian is going to dig and mine all he can out of the Word.  

Fifth, and finally, redeem your spare time. Maybe after all the responsibilities you have on a daily basis, you only have about 15 minutes left for learning. Use it.