“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15
Do you have a hobby? Is there something you enjoy, something that when you put it down or step away you just want to go back to it and start again? It may be knitting, cooking, “pinning,” playing an instrument, writing or your hobby may be your job. Whatever it is, how much time have you put into it? You may be at a level where you are ready to present whatever your hobby is before others for critique. I love figurines, painting, graphic design and photography. I don’t do most of these things very well, but I can appreciate those who have put in the time to hone their art and skill in such a way that they can present it and provide a 1 minute discussion on their craft. I’ve just recently started taking my bass playing seriously (and finishing my Masters). I finally decided to move past learning bass lines. I’m now learning the theory behind, not only bass, but music; arpeggios, scales and modes. It’s bringing more color to what I’ve learned in the past, but it does no good to learn the theory and not to put it into practice. I say all of that to get to this…
God has made us a promise of expertise. Hold on for this one. Are you as diligent about your study of God’s word as you are about learning more about your hobby or job? The end goal for any Christian, as 2 Timothy 2:15 points out, is to be approved (tested and found able) by God. So, how does this happen? We have to be diligent. This means we ‘make something happen by exercising special effort.’ Preachers and teachers, studying for your lesson is not exercising special effort. Do you have an interest in the Bible past the topics: faith, hope, love, godliness, righteousness, instruments, baptism? Maybe you’ve wanted to learn a Biblical language. What’s stopping you? There are free worksheets and online books at a click of a button. Have you wanted to learn ‘how to study your Bible’ but haven’t had the time? Let me make a revolutionary suggestion. Are you ready? MAKE THE TIME! Simply, make the time.
This morning I received an email from, Scottsbasslessons.com. Being a subscriber I get all kinds of special emails, videos and pdf’s to help improve my bass playing. Today’s email was a video in which Scott Devine encourages bass players to schedule time (3 hours a day, 5 days a week). He makes the point, we often do what we like, but unless we schedule time to get down to the theory behind what we like, we will never improve. So, what do you want to do? Do you want to learn Christian Evidences on a deeper level? Buy some books. Email a teacher at a University and ask for some suggested readings. I’ve been blessed to know great professors and teachers who are more than willing to help where they can. Do you want to know more about the history of Israel and the Bible lands? You can find online articles specifically dealing with the kings, customs of Israel, Babylonian and Assyrian peoples. There is nothing you can’t do! (if I may employ a double-negative) If we want to be able to handle accurately (tomos orthos – cut efficiently down the line) the word of truth, then we have to get background knowledge, theory, and an understanding of language. Music has its own language. If I don’t know what a Cm7 (flat5) is, then I will not be able to join in a groove with other musicians or get into a live situation. It’s the same with your hobby and with God’s word. We want to be able to have intelligent discussions concerning the origin of the Bible, the origin of the world and the Lordship of Christ. We can’t engage in these conversations if we are studying only for a lesson, or much worse, only pick up our Bibles Sunday mornings. We’ve all had weeks like that. Schedule some special time with God’s word and a book of your choosing, on whatever topic you choose.
Malcom Gladwell, author of The Outliers, puts forth the idea that 10,000 hours of practice makes someone an expert. Though, this theory is opposed by many, the idea that unyielding dedication to a particular craft will provide proficiency, is undebatable. You might set aside 1 hour in the morning and 2 hours at night, in whatever it is that you are trying to become proficient for five days a week. That’s 15 hours a week, approx. 60 hours a month, and after 9 years, one month and one week you will have become an expert. At three hours a day, in whatever field you choose, of dedicated study and practice you will have obtained the equivalency of a doctorate (of course without the initials and placard). The average life expectancy of a person in America is 78.7 years. Let’s say you start today and you’re 40 years old, if you put in the time you may find expertise in at least 6 areas. It’s all about how you use your time. God has made us a promise of expertise, but it is up to you as to whether or not you will accept it. One day we will all be tested and either found wanting or apt. I guarantee that if you start at 2 or 3 hours a day, after a while you will not want your study time to end. You’ll want to pick it back up and learn more, which is the goal. Don’t just learn the theory, put it into practice.
“Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”
1 Peter 2:1–3
www.christiancourier.com
www.fhu.edu/roles/facultystaff.aspx
www.bible-lands.net/
www.scottsbasslessons.com
www.gladwell.com/outliers/
