Curious people make great employees. They don’t just do what they are told, they push to improve, think outside the box, and find a new approach.
On a connected thought, I listened to this TEDTalk this morning by Adam Grant. It turns out that successful people leave space for creativity. After they get started on an idea, they wait (we call it procrastination), letting ideas gel and obstacles work themselves out.
These two thoughts connect with my morning contemplation of scripture. Here are the verses I’m thinking on:
“For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished.” (John 5:20 NLT)
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” (John 14:12 NLT)
There is no verse in the bible that convicts me quite like John 14:12. I wonder – will I ever, in my life, do works that are “even greater”?
The key might lie in John 5:19. Jesus is talking to the Jewish leaders who are pretty ticked off that Jesus is working on the Sabbath. Not only did he heal someone, but then he had the audacity to call God father. Just when they were reaching for rocks to throw at him (figuratively in this instance), he said, “I can’t do anything by myself.” Not very God-like. What is Jesus up to?
Jesus goes on to explain (referring to himself in the third person): “he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”
So here is my thought: If I am not accomplishing “greater things,” is it possible that I’m not waiting to see what God is doing? Is it possible that I’ve tried to apply God’s power to my ideas instead of discovering what God is up to? What if, instead, I became curious. Instead of rushing ahead to accomplish things, I waited to see what God is up to.
In Matthew, we hear Jesus say, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 18:2-4)
Are you curious?
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