A Few Good Reads

“Wendell Berry, Burkean“
I mentioned my appreciation for Berry’s fiction in a post last week and enjoyed reading this interview with him in The American Conservative on a range of issues. While I would disagree with Berry’s definition of the core of Christianity, I appreciate his thoughts on localism. war, and the simple life. “When neighbors replace local stories with stories from television, and when they sit in the house and watch television instead of talking on front porches, a profound disintegration has taken place.”

“Your Life Depends on Little Words“
I once heard John Piper say the most important words in the Bible were the connecting words. Writing for Desiring God, Dan Brendsel shows why as he works through Philippians 2:14-15. “There is big significance in the little words of Scripture. They are God’s gift to help all of us “eat this book” for our health and life. You need not be a world-class theologian, and know all the big words and technical terms, to read your Bible and understand it. In fact, it’s actually the simplest little words — the ones we’re all familiar with — that most often change everything.”

“How to Keep the Urgent from Dominating the Important“
Why do we feel so busy and yet seem to accomplish so little? Brian Howard reminds us about the four quadrants of work activities that we do and how we should evaluate the tasks in each of these quadrants. “The Important are things you don’t necessarily have to do right away, but are essential for long-term success. Important activities on the personal side include things such as time with God, exercise, rest, investment in your family, and investment in quality relationships. Important activities in leadership include things such as professional growth, vision and strategy, leader development, planning, and goal setting. The Important is the world that most leaders simply don’t spend enough time in, and suffer long-term consequences for failing to do so.”

“Three Tips for Better Bible Reading”
Every person can and should invest more quality time in Bible reading. Andy Naselli offers three pieces of advice for better Bible reading. Implementing any one of the three would help your Bible reading immensely. (The chart about how long it takes to read each book of the Bible is helpful as well.) “I understand the objection: “There’s no way I could possibly find time to do this.” But aren’t there other activities you do in life for prolonged periods of time? Do you read other books for a few hours at a time? Do you ever spend an hour watching a TV show or two hours watching a movie or three hours watching a football game? Why not prioritize lengthy, undistracted time in the life-giving word?”

Crazy Busy
Speaking of busyness, Kevin DeYoung tackles the motivations and insecurities behind our hectic lives in this helpful little book. It’s only .99 on Kindle, so this would be a great time to pick it up.