The value of curiosity

Ivan Radford encourages us to keep asking and listening to God.

About three years ago, someone left me with a challenging question: why do you do what you do? It was a lightbulb moment that has led to a growing sense of purpose and intentionality. That, in turn, has led to more questions. The answers aren’t always immediate or even attainable – many lie beyond my orbit – but I repeatedly find rewards in the asking.

In 2022, the USA’s then secretary of defence, Donald Rumsfeld, gave a speech that divided things into three categories: known knowns, things we know we know; known unknowns, things we know we don’t know; and unknown unknowns, things we don’t know we don’t know. Somewhere in that nonsense lies some profound truth.

So often we go through life oblivious to what we don’t know and we can miss out on so much. It’s easy to live in an uncurious bubble of known knowns. We don’t talk to them. We always do this. We never go there. But we can take our certainty and apply it to the wrong thing, instead of the only thing we can be certain about: our unchanging, faithful, greater-than-we-can-comprehend God.

God is moving and at work in our world (see John 5:17). He is present in every room before we arrive. How often do you pause to ask God about a situation before you enter it? Genesis 1:27 tells us that everyone is made in the image of God. How often do you look to see him in other people?

We can easily make assumptions about the world and people around us, relegating them to unknown unknowns. But it is only by being curious that we can get to know them, and love and serve them authentically. Through these sincere relationships, we can seek and encounter God, discerning his love, plan and purpose.

Of course, once we discover a known unknown, we often want to know it fully. But we are not called to know everything: we are simply called to follow Jesus and have faith that he holds the answers.

‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding,’ says Proverbs 3:5 and 6. ‘In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.’ How often do you encounter a person or situation but don’t submit them to God in prayer?

Faith isn’t belief without questions: faith is belief in the face of what we know we don’t know. It is belief with questions – or questioning faithfully. Being curious is key to building a sincere relationship with God too – if we never asked God about anything, we would never get to know him.

When was the last time you were curious enough to listen to someone else’s views and experiences? When was the last time you were curious enough to listen to God?

The UK and Ireland Territory has six values, which are hallmarks of genuine, whole-life discipleship that goes beyond church on a Sunday: boldness, respect, compassion, passion, integrity and mutual accountability. Perhaps there should be a seventh value: curiosity! Not being complacent , on autopilot or certain we know everything, but actively seeking what God is doing in, with and through us, others and the world – intentionally living in a state of openness and trust every day of the week, not in the expectation of knowing, but being ready to join in.

Have you ever been curious about what God is doing in your community? Why has God placed you, or your corps, where you are? Who has God placed in your life?

I can testify to the rewards of faithful curiosity. I have encountered God in people and situations I didn’t expect. I have become aware of so many things I don’t know that my life and faith are richer for it. In my privileged position on the Salvationist team, I see God at work in this territory in so many exciting ways through dedicated disciples, as our team receives new commitment reports week after week – and that’s just in the places we know about. As a team, we have begun reaching out to corps we don’t know much about, as we intentionally seek to know them and learn more about God. I don’t know what the answers will be, but I’m certainly curious.

Why do you do what you do? How curious are you?

Take the 160 challenge

• Take 160 seconds today to be curious.
• Ask God what he has to say to you.
• Be still and listen.
• Do it again tomorrow.