Why are the smallest candy bars called "fun" size? I've never understood. Eating chocolate is fun. Therefore, the bigger the candy bar, the more fun I'm having!
However, we seem to live in a fun-sized culture when it comes to consuming information. We don't want the king size information! We consume quick bites, taking in a few views on the situation, getting the feel for it, and calling it good.
And really, that's not bad! There is so much information out there, how can we expect to dive deep into any of it? I am exceedingly thankful for the wealth of information at arms reach, and in many topics I am happy to get the gist of the discussion and move on with life.
However, if we leave it at that, we remain shallow thinkers. All our information came from what we uncovered in a bite-size fashion rather than giving a subject time to dig deep into, looking at opposing viewpoints, discovering implications on the world around us, and putting the information into practice.
Upgrading to King Size
No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.
-Confucious, Source
Discovering subjects in-depth solidifies us in our beliefs. When we hear a variety of viewpoints, we can pull from a diverse range of opinions and develop our own.
If we only consume shallow information, we either become fiercely loyal to a cause without any ability to defend it, or we are swayed to and fro by the last person who spoke. As we delve into a topic, we learn to defend our stance. We struggle through counterpoints, discovering and addressing concerns before anybody confronts us.
The shallower we remain in a subject, the more we are outsourcing our beliefs. We let a politician, blogger, celebrity, friend, etc. become our foundation. We might even be able to regurgitate their arguments. However, those arguments can be quickly stomped on by anyone who has thought through a topic on their own.
Despite becoming more solidified, going deeper into a topic helps us become more understanding. When we see a variety of viewpoints, we will become much slower in claiming people are idiots. We will be less inclined to think, "How could anybody believe that!?" Instead, we'll have put ourselves in that person's beliefs and seen the reasons why they believe what they do. Admittedly, some beliefs are still worth being called insane, but at least we'll have firmer reasons other than, "It's not what I believe."
The Mouth Speaks From the Input to the Heart
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
-Jesus, Luke 6:45
It is difficult for some to have deep conversations with others. There are many factors that come into play - shyness, time, comfort - but if we find that our conversations with close friends and family are ever only scratching surface level, perhaps the fault lies in what we put into our hearts. Are we spending our days entertained? If tv shows, sports, funny videos, and work are all that we ever discuss, maybe we should find new inputs?
I find the more in-depth I am reading, the more I am moving in life. I stop spending every day entertaining myself until bedtime, but I begin actively seeking better ways to live my life. And as I go through these changes, I have the opportunity to deepen life discussions. I am thinking deeply about my life, and I can ask friends and family their thoughts on the topic.
The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.
-Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!
The Most Important Read
I could talk much more on this subject. However, you are reading the fun size information! Since I have to keep it fun size, I want to move along to an application of all this information.
From the two points above, I hope you can see the dire importance for the Christian to read the Word of God. First, how are we to know we are not living in complete ignorance? If we are simply hearing a fun size sermon from the same source Sunday after Sunday, how do we know we are not living in "willful ignorance?" Our only defense is to discover for ourselves!
But the second point makes reading the Bible even more important. We must read God's Word because His Word is the absolute best thing we can put into our hearts. "Do not be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom. 12:2). As we pour God's truth into our hearts day after day we begin to move. Thirty minute fun-size sermons are quickly overtaken by the wave of entertainment and news. We must combat this by filling our lives full of Him. Our hearts will be changed. Our conversations will be changed. Our view of the world will be changed. Avoiding God's Word is avoiding the most powerful method of change towards Christ we have!
Change comes slowly; sentence by sentence, we are transformed little by little. A tree planted by a stream does not grow overnight. But when it gets a steady intake of water, see how big it can get and what fruit it can bear! Compare that to a tree that gets only enough water to stay alive.
Conclusion
Before I go, a quick clarification on that last point. Reading the Word should never be in the mindset simply to gain more knowledge. The goal is to spend time with God, letting Him pour His truths into our life, getting to know Him better, growing a deeper and deeper love for Him, and transforming our lives into ones that are effective for His Kingdom. And all this can only be done through the Spirit that explains the Word to us and enacts the change in our lives.
I hope I have encouraged everyone to deepen their knowledge, through reading or some other medium - first, the Bible, then on all kinds of subjects. The deeper we are, the more we can relate to people. The more we can relate to people, the better we can love them. The better we can love, the more God is using us in "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven" (Matt 6:10).
I'd love to hear thoughts on this topic, as well as some of your favorite book recommendations! Thank you for reading.
See you next time!