You Can’t Learn Without Burning Yourself Sometimes
Growth often comes with discomfort—but that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.
A daily devotional adapted from The Drive podcast
The other morning, I was getting ready to take my girls to school when my oldest came downstairs with her hair beautifully curled. I noticed immediately—partly because, as a single dad, hairstyles don’t change all that often in our house.
I told her how great it looked and how proud I was that she was learning to use a curling iron on her own.
She smiled and said, “Thanks, Dad. I’m starting to figure it out… although I did burn myself today.”
She pulled her shirt aside to show me a small mark on her neck.
“Oh no—are you okay?” I asked.
Without missing a beat, she said:
“Yeah, I’m okay. You can’t learn without burning yourself sometimes, right?”
I stood there for a moment, stunned by the wisdom in that simple statement. I knew instantly it was something I needed to write down.
Because how many of us avoid trying something new—not because we don’t want it—but because we’re afraid of getting burned?
And how many times have we started something meaningful, only to quit the moment it hurt?
When we accept that getting burned is part of the process, it takes away the fear that keeps us stuck. Pain doesn’t mean failure. Discomfort doesn’t mean you’re on the wrong path. Sometimes, it simply means you’re learning.
Life was never meant to be pain-free.
Not every game will be won.
Not every plan will work.
Not every relationship will turn out the way we hoped.
Not every dream will unfold the way we imagined.
I spent years fighting against that reality—trying to force my life to go the way I thought it should. The harder I pushed, the more exhausted and frustrated I became.
Eventually, I learned one of the most important truths of my life:
The more we try to control life, the less control we actually have.
Life is more like floating down a river than steering a ship. You can fight the current all you want—but it will only leave you tired and angry. Or you can trust the flow, stay present, avoid the rocks you can see, and let God carry you where you need to go—even if it’s not where you planned.
When we release the illusion of control, something shifts.
We stop beating ourselves up for outcomes we couldn’t control.
We stop seeing hardship as failure.
We stop fearing every burn as proof we shouldn’t try again.
Even the disciples once panicked in a storm while Christ slept in their boat. When they woke Him, He didn’t shame the storm—He simply said, “Peace, be still.” The storm calmed. Then He asked them a hard question:
“Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?” (Mark 4:35–41)
Christ may not always calm the storms around us—but He can always calm the storms within us.
And sometimes, like my daughter, we learn that even when something hurts, we’re still okay.
Today’s Daily Challenge
Think about something you tried recently that didn’t go the way you hoped—something that hurt, discouraged, or burned you a little.
Today, tell yourself:
“You can’t learn without burning yourself sometimes.”
Then take one small step forward anyway.
Try again.
Trust the process.
And remember—you’re not failing. You’re learning.
Thanks for taking a moment to reflect today.
For daily devotionals and episode topics:
https://joshdowns.com/daily-devotionals
For gospel-centered lessons designed specifically for teens:
https://joshdowns.com/come-follow-me-for-teens
