There’s a scene in Ted Lasso—one of the most quoted, replayed, and quietly profound moments of the whole series—that has stayed with me ever since I first watched it. It’s the dart scene. Ted steps up to the line, underestimated as always, smiles that humble Kansas smile, and says something that feels like a life sermon wrapped inside a pub game: “Be curious, not judgmental.”
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTZu-n870So
Most people remember the scene because it’s clever and triumphant. Ted exposes the arrogance of those who never bothered to ask, never bothered to know him, never bothered to wonder whether their assumptions were wrong. But the older I get, the longer I walk with Jesus, the more I see how spiritually weighty that moment is.
Curiosity—true, humble, grace-filled curiosity—might be one of the most underrated spiritual disciplines in the Christian life.
And if I’m honest, it’s one I’m still learning.
Curiosity Protects Us From Missing What God Is Doing
Ted’s point was simple: people weren’t wrong about him because he hid himself well; they were wrong because they never cared to ask. They never wondered whether there was more beneath the surface.
How many times have we done the same with God?
We look at a painful season and conclude, “God must be silent.”
We look at a closed door and assume, “God must be punishing me.”
We look at our own limitations and declare, “God can’t use someone like me.”
But what if the problem isn’t God’s absence—what if it’s our lack of curiosity?
Scripture calls us again and again to seek, ask, knock, search, lean in, and wonder:
“Call to Me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
God invites curiosity because curiosity keeps us spiritually awake. It keeps us from assuming we already know how He will move. It keeps our hearts soft, pliable, teachable—ready for the unexpected.
When I stop being curious, I fall into the trap of being judgmental—about myself, about others, about God’s timing. Curiosity, on the other hand, opens a window for hope to slip back in.
Curiosity Helps Us See People the Way Jesus Does
The dart scene is really about judgment. Ted had been written off long before anyone ever met him. But instead of meeting judgment with anger, he meets it with humility—and curiosity.
That reflects Jesus so well. People judged Him constantly. They misread His motives, misunderstood His mission, and misinterpreted His silence. But Jesus moved through life with a holy curiosity about people—asking questions, looking deeper, seeing beyond the surface.
“Who touched Me?”
“What do you want Me to do for you?”
“Do you believe?”
“Where are your accusers?”
“Who do you say that I am?”
Questions aren’t a weakness. Questions are an invitation. Questions unlock the heart.
I think about how Jesus approached the woman at the well. He didn’t shame her. He didn’t roll His eyes at her story or distance Himself from her pain. He met her with curiosity and compassion—and transformation followed. I love that the first person He clearly tells He is the Messiah is a Samaritan woman with a complicated past.
It’s no accident that after the initial outpouring of Pentecost in Jerusalem, one of the first great moves of God happens in Samaria (Acts 8:4–25). There, Philip preaches the gospel, and many come to Christ. People are healed, evil strongholds are broken, and great joy fills the city. Old walls between Jews and Samaritans begin to crumble, and the good news starts spreading beyond Jerusalem—just as Jesus promised His followers would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
Curiosity keeps my heart soft toward people I don’t understand, toward stories that don’t match mine, and toward individuals who are still in process—just like I am.
Curiosity Keeps Us Growing While Judgment Keeps Us Stuck
One of the dangers in the Christian walk is believing we’ve already learned enough. We’ve been saved long enough. We’ve read enough. We’ve gone to church enough. We’ve matured enough.
But curiosity reminds me that growth doesn’t stop this side of eternity.
Curiosity says:
Maybe God isn’t done shaping this part of me.
Maybe this challenge is an invitation to grow.
Maybe this delay is preparing me.
Maybe there’s something here I haven’t seen yet.
And Scripture continuously affirms this way of thinking:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)
“Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.” (Psalm 111:2)
Judgment shuts the door. Curiosity cracks it open again.
Think about Moses. A burning bush appeared—not consumed but blazing with glory. Moses didn’t walk past it. He didn’t assume. He didn’t shrug it off.
“I will turn aside and see this strange sight…” (Exodus 3:3)
That one moment of curiosity changed the direction of his entire life.
How many divine moments do we miss because we’re too busy assuming we already know what God is doing?
Curiosity Teaches Us to Walk by Faith, Not by Sight
Walking with Jesus requires constant openness. The disciples had their plans shattered over and over again, yet Jesus kept inviting them into mystery.
Curiosity gives me permission to say, “Lord, I don’t fully understand this season, but I’m willing to learn. I’m willing to follow. I’m willing to see what You see.”
It’s the posture of Samuel saying, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”
It’s the humility of Mary saying, “Let it be unto me according to Your word.”
It’s the flexibility of Paul saying, “I press on…”
Curiosity keeps my faith alive. It keeps my spiritual lungs breathing. It helps me embrace the unknown instead of fearing it.
Being judgmental closes my heart.
Being curious keeps God’s story open.
What Ted Lasso Reminded Me About God
I love that Ted wasn’t trying to win darts to impress anyone. He wasn’t trying to humiliate those who mocked him. He simply revealed the truth:
People miss out when they stop being curious.
In my walk with the Lord, curiosity has helped me:
• Hear His whisper more clearly
• See His goodness in places I once overlooked
• Recognize His hand in slow seasons
• Understand people I might have judged
• Grow in ways I didn’t expect
• Trust Him in the tension between not yet and soon
Ted’s wisdom echoes kingdom truth:
You learn more when you ask than when you assume.
You grow more when you wonder than when you conclude.
You receive more when your hands—and heart—remain open.
Curiosity is not weakness. It is spiritual strength.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to walk with a curious heart.
Keep me from the trap of assuming I already know what You’re doing.
Teach me to ask, to seek, to knock, and to lean in with faith-filled wonder.
Give me eyes to see people the way You see them, ears to hear Your voice in unexpected places, and a spirit humble enough to be taught every day.
Awaken my curiosity so I don’t miss divine moments disguised as ordinary ones.
Strengthen my faith, soften my heart, and make me more like You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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