Finding Time to Read

I have yet to live a day longer than twenty-four hours. I have yet to live a day less than twenty-four hours as well. It seems to me we are stuck with that number of hours per day and the amount of days we have in one week is but seven. Those seven lead on to more quantities of measurement that we are aware of which I cannot go to now for lack of coffee.

I call to our attention the limitations of our time. This is to better orient us to the truth that we haven’t very long to get some reading in. I wish we could spend more time in those books of ours, but there is the whole thing with work, family, and church. The list goes on and we need to make sure we allow some time to think and read.

With all we do have going on in life and the limited amount of time we each have allotted to us, how then shall we read? Here are a few suggestions to get you in some books.

1) Add the reading at the end of your regular Bible study. Whether you are a morning Bible reader or a evening Bible reader or even both, tacking on a few extra minutes to your Bible time could be that breakthrough you need. I sometimes do this with a biography or series of published sermons. Just one chapter or ten pages tacked on at the end of Bible study makes for some good ground covered.

2) While waiting. We all have been in line or in a waiting room at the doctor. Redeem those moments by cracking open that book or opening up your Kindle app. It beats scrolling for no good reason besides wishing you were in the Bahamas after seeing you long lost biology teacher there. Waiting can get you in and out of a book in a short span of time, but that short time over time means that finished stack is growing.

3) Give yourself ten minutes. Somewhere in the day just give yourself ten minutes to read. Make it a habit. Ten minutes should mean a few pages and those few pages add up. Again this goes with Doug Wilson’s idea of plodding. Just getting your licks in where you can adds up to a knockout.

There you have it. Three small steps to get you in a book. Nothing fancy or extreme. If you aren’t already a reader, these steps are great for you. Nothing major but they are steps in the right direction. Of course this doesn’t account for audio books which you could listen to while doing all sorts of things, but it does give you an idea of how to get into that physical book you’ve been meaning to read. Read on, the clock is ticking.

January 25, 2021 0

Beard Strokes: Short Devotion 033

“Break Glass in Case of An Emergency”

We all have seen such instruction placard on many a fire hose, fire alarm, or axe hanging the corridors or stair wells of various building we often frequent. It reminds us there are dangers, real dangers, but also there are solutions. We can see from these objects there is an objective truth we can appreciate in two ways. One is to react when the fire starts or be proactive to prevent fires in the first place.

The same could be said of our spiritual life. We can either react when things happen or be proactive since we know things do indeed happen. Let’s face it, life is full of trials and tribulations. Why not equip your heart and fill it with the truths of God before crisis arrives? You don’t put oil in the car after the engine ceases up, you put oil in so it doesn’t and furthermore, you maintenance the engine to keep it lasting a long time. So it is with our lives. Being filled with God’s word helps us navigate our times of difficulty.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV): 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The verses above are helpful to consider the reality we have spoken of briefly. We can pull many good truths from these two verses Paul writes here to young Timothy, but a couple are important for our benefit today.

First, All scripture is breathed out by God, which means all is from him. Literally breathed out by him and all is profitable. That means every chapter, paragraph, line, word, and punctuation are profitable! We can certainly say we may benefit more from certain passages than others just as you would profit from an extinguisher or a fire alarm in the midst of a fire. One to apply and the other to warn respectfully. So with the breathed out Word of God. We can benefit from its warnings and apply its truths.

Second, we see all scripture is for the Christian to be complete and ready for every good work. The Bible is not a step by step “How To” but a first principles volume that reveals who God is and our need for him. That simply means we can know the creator who created us and in turn give him the praise he deserves. He is worthy of worship no matter the situation we find ourself within our respective lives. We can have confidence in the midst of life when we realize our Bibles placards among its pages “Break, eat, and live”. SDG.

January 24, 2021 0

How to Read Books

Another year means another reading list. That’s exciting if you ask me. You are asking right? I mean, who doesn’t want to sit in a comfy chair with a good book for an hour or so?

A decade ago I would be the first to object to a reading list. Heck, I could barely squeak out that AP book report at the end of summer even with those sweet cliff notes. I hated to read. Despised it. Loathed it. I would rather do almost anything other than sit down to read a book. Paper cuts to the webbing of my hand comes to mind. Secretly though, I did have a thing for sniffing books. Bibliosmia is a real thing; it takes a real palate to enjoy the Biblichor though. I digress.

Back to the reading list. How we tackle the next few steps determines how our journey will go for the next months. Daunting I think. It’s like asking a 16 year old pimpled faced kid what he wants to do the rest of his life. You know you’re getting a strong commitment with student loans and clear direction.

The way I think that is best to approach a new reading year is read whatever you want. Pick it up and give it a shot. You don’t have to read best sellers or stick to a particular list you made in the early adolescent days of the new year. You can change that whenever you want! Some of the best reads can come from the dusty corner of the library where only the brave have trod. Jewels are found beneath the surface and treasure hunts are always fun.

My reading list is what I actually finished reading. Not really a planned list. A take it as it comes approach. There are some books that really stand out so I get them. But I do not always read them once I start them.

If the books stinks, toss that thing across the room like it hurt you because it probably did. Life is too short for bad books (too short for bad blogs too but hang with me.) There is no law saying you have to read that whole dumpster fire just like there are no rules saying you have to just read one at a time. Read what you want when you want.

It is neat to me how my reading stacks interlock. I can be about three hundred forty-five pages into Fellowship of the Rings, one hundred pages into a systematic theology, and halfway into a Charles Dickens or Andrew Roberts. They seem to speak to one another. It doesn’t bother me that I’m so diversified all at once. The goal is to read them through but if I am not feeling Tolkien today—I don’t read him.

I do finish books by the way. I had a goal for 2020 to read thirty books. I made it to twenty-eight. Failure is a cool thing if you use it the right way. I probably read in over fifty to sixty books and I learned some valuable insights from dipping into so many.

First, get what you want out of the book and move on. If the book is just repeating itself by chapter three I step back. I may or may not give it another chance.

Second, some classics are not that good. You don’t have to read them if you don’t want to.

Third, don’t feel bad about “cheating” on your current read. Like I’ve already said, I read many books at once.

Fourth, read for your soul. I heard John Piper say this on a recent podcast. Read for your soul. Feed yourself and feed wisely. Make your Bible reading your main endeavor but do make it a habit to dip into many others. I believe it was Spurgeon who said, “Visit many books but live in the Bible.” So true! Know your Bible dear reader. We know it by reading it. We can learn from other good books too though.

Fifth, don’t read to gain praise. I think I’ve done this many times. Just take a peek at my Instagram shots and you’ll see for yourself. Read for the enjoyment, the fun, and the wisdom.

Sixth, make it a habit. If you read everyday for just a few short minutes a day you’ll burn through some books. But don’t plod through the books to have a big finished stack; plod to learn and enjoy what you are reading.

Have a good time reading my friends! God bless your time in those books and in his word!

January 20, 2021 1