We miss much of the beauty, goodness, and redemption of life when we simply do what we’ve always done. Staying open to new experiences allows us to continually discover the more God has for us. But this doesn’t make it wise to chase every shiny new thing and we must learn to stay grounded in what is true as well.
For instance, part of our growth in maturity requires us to be open to new experiences. While our parents rightly set the stage for our developing worldview, at some point we need new and fresh perspectives to form a true faith. It’s bad faith whenever we’re simply maintaining the status quo our parents gave us and we’re never open to different ways of seeing the world.
And this is true throughout our life as well. We can easily slide into bad faith when we don’t stop to reconsider the various positions we hold. And staying open to the new forces us to consistently recalibrate and expand our worldview.
But this openness is not absolute and we still need a solid place to land. We cannot confidently navigate life when everything is open to change. To be sure, life quickly loses its meaning and purpose without constants to hold on to.
For example, there are core principles and basic truths that remain the same regardless of how much life changes elsewhere. And, at their best, traditions point us back to and remind us of these ultimate realities. They help us to stay grounded in what is true even as we embrace the natural winds of change.
Yet this is not blindly holding on to our traditions and we should regularly question the traditions we hold. At the same time, we question with a spirit of humility – open to new considerations while still honoring the wisdom of the old paths.
Stay open to many new and fresh ways to show up throughout your life and relationships. And also stay grounded in the unchanging truths of God. This allows you to live with freedom while not losing your way.
Photo by Stephen Leonardi on Unsplash
