It might sound appealing to 'seek knowledge' but what does that exactly mean? ​​Why do most people fail at it? And how can we effectively implement this practice in our lives?

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Before we move on, let’s make one point crystal clear—this is a practice, not a one-time action. This is a consistent, lifelong pursuit—a journey. It is certainly not a sprint, nor even a marathon. This process is much longer.

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What It Actually Means to Seek Knowledge

​Simply put, it’s the active and wholeheartedly engaged pursuit of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. There are countless ways to pursue these seemingly intangible concepts, but it really isn’t as complicated as it may sound.​ At the core of all knowledge-seeking is desire—a desire for growth, improvement, and becoming better. That’s exactly why this is an everlasting pursuit: the process of improvement has no end. Ever.

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Now, that mindset can quite easily be taken to a place of idolatry and pride. Of course, that is not the aim here, and we’ll shortly discuss how to ensure that doesn't happen in your own life. But first, something even more important that many people lack today—a vision.

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If you don’t understand:

1. Where you currently are, and

2. Where you desire to be,

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then none of this will matter for you. If you don’t have a vision of where you want your life to go—even in a broad sense—you may as well stop reading now.​ Without some idea of what your future looks like and where you hope to be, this 'pursuit of knowledge' that I'm claiming matters, loses it's entire purpose. The purpose of seeking knowledge should be to help develop your thoughts, ideals, and understanding so that you may more maturely pursue what God has put in front of you.

 

If you lack a desire to pursue life with intentionality, reading this article is certainly not worth your time. 

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Seeking knowledge is not just about “becoming smarter,” as it may sound to a passerby. Instead, it should be working toward actionable and tangible change in your life—and, if we are in true accordance with God, it also will further conform us to the character of Jesus Christ.

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​​Why Does Any of This Even Matter?

​You might realize that plenty of people "get by" without worrying about their life to this degree.​Correct. They get by.​ But do they live? Do they experience the fullness of God's glory?

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Maybe. Maybe they do, and all of this is all in vain. But I would like to argue otherwise.

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Stagnation is a very real state of being, especially in society today. Seeking knowledge prevents stagnation. In many ways, stagnation is the death of the soul before the physical body dies, which at least to me, is not exactly a pleasant thought. When you accept the idea that you have learned all there is to learn—or that you have learned all you need to know—you may as well have died. You have taken the stance that your life has peaked, that there is nothing further down the road worth exploring. Sounds depressing. ​

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Instead, let us be lifelong learners. The latter here sounds much more appealing—and when examined, also produces far greater fruit in the lives of those living it out.

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​The Hidden Cost of Not Seeking Knowledge

​Knowledge has an interesting way of sustaining our lives. Without new inputs, there are rarely, if ever, new outputs.

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The very creative process itself is the act of combining two unique things into one "new" thing. If you become complacent in seeking knowledge, you have also, knowingly or not, become complacent in your life as a whole.

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Life cannot improve, and circumstances cannot change, without new inputs.​ Our brains cannot create new things without new development. Cutting off the flow of new ideas is cutting off all potential for growth. Knowledge, the curation of your mind, and the improvement of it, are all necessary prerequisites for changing your reality in the direction you'd like.

 

Without the active desire—and, more importantly, the actions—towards seeking knowledge, you will never experience a reality that differs from your current one.​ Or worse—you may even fall into a lesser one.

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Why Most People Fear Seeking Knowledge

​If this concept of seeking knowledge is so essential, why does it seem so uncommon?​ Among most groups of "average minds," you will rarely hear a conversation about the process of seeking knowledge.

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In thinking through this question, I identified five groups of individuals who fail to pursue knowledge and attempted to identify why I believe they act as they do:

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1. The Complacents – These people genuinely don’t care about becoming smarter, changing their circumstances, or improving in any tangible way. They are fully satisfied as they are and see no need for growth. Don’t bother convincing them otherwise—I’ve yet to see a Complacent change.
    

2. The Influenced – This is likely the largest group. These people surround themselves with low-level individuals and are negatively influenced by them. Their reference group does not seek improvement, so neither do they.
    

3. The Doubters – These individuals simply don’t believe in themselves. They think intelligence was never meant for them, that they "just aren’t smart." Well in a sense I suppose, they’re right—because they have accepted that mindset. As Henry Ford profoundly said, "The man who says he can and the man who says he can't are both right."
    

4. The Distracted – These people are simply preoccupied. Their lives—especially their pursuit of constant fun—consume every waking moment. “How can this moment be the most enjoyable for me?” is the only thought that permeates their minds. They just need a wake-up call—maybe if they allowed themselves to be bored they'd realize how much they crave a sense of progression.
    

5. The Proud – This is the smallest group by far, but still a relevant group. The Proud believe they already have it all figured out and that they don’t need to learn more. They are fools.
    

With these categories laid out, we can reflect on our own behaviors. At times, we may fall into one of these mindsets. If we do, we must swiftly correct our mistakes and realign ourselves before we fall too far off track.

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​How the Devil Can Use Your Knowledge Against You

​Before discussing how to implement the pursuit of knowledge, let's revisit a crucial point from earlier:​ Knowledge can become an idol.

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It's easy, in an everlasting pursuit, to make something an idol—to sacrifice for it, chase after it, and make compromises for it.​ Do not fall into this trap.​ 

 

The devil would love for you to become extremely intelligent and lose the virtues of Christ. The devil would love for you to become extremely knowledgeable and in the process, lose concern for your neighbor.​ As noble as the pursuit of knowledge is, it is not the most noble pursuit. We must not treat it as if it were.

 

Keep it in its rightful place—as a pursuit, yes, but never placing it as an idol.

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How to Implement This Today

​Now that we understand what it truly means to seek knowledge, how do we implement it?​ What I've found to be true, is that the most powerful tool to see true change, is conversation—above books, podcasts, or anything else you might find.​ But beware, because conversation can be poorly cultivated.

 

The easiest way to ensure you never have a valuable conversation is to surround yourself with the wrong people.​ To truly begin your own unique journey and see success with all of these ideas I've been going over: 

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1. Change your social circle. Surround yourself with people who are actively seeking improvement and refuse to be complacent.
    

2. Read daily. The Bible should be your primary source of knowledge and wisdom, but other books can of course be valuable additions.
    

There’s much more to this, and I could speak on the topic forever—which is exactly what I plan to do in my newsletter and content. If you’ve read this far, I’m sure you are similar to me in many ways and will find immense value in my content. I'd love for you to join the community!