A wise man once said, “When you are through learning, you are through!” I don’t know who actually said that, but my father repeated it often. As he would patiently try to teach his sons various sports, he would catch us occasionally not paying attention. We would make simple mistakes that, if we had been listening, wouldn’t have happened.

Solomon was a wise man. He could’ve easily thought he had gained all the knowledge he needed, but understood a simple concept: if we don’t pay attention, listen, and learn, we won’t get the knowledge needed to further our understanding in life. We can learn a lesson from Solomon and other believers of his day: Learning is not just for young people; it is a lifetime process.

Great men in sports and history such as John Wooden, Tony Dungy, and my father Jim Johnson understand that listening and learning are daily tasks. What are some ways to gain valuable instruction and knowledge? First, get into God’s Word every day. There is not a better book to study in order to gain knowledge. Second, surround ourselves with men and women who have “been there” and “done that” in the right ways. They are a wealth of wisdom. Third, ask the Lord to point us in the right direction. My prayer is that we never stop listening and learning.