rogue iowan

April 27 devotional from “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers

“Are you seeking great things for yourself, instead of seeking to be a great person? God wants you to be in a much closer relationship with Himself than simply receiving His gifts - He wants you to get to know Him. Even some large thing we want is only incidental; it comes and it goes. But God never gives us anything incidental. There is nothing easier than getting into the right relationship with God, unless it is not god you seek, but only what he can give you.

If you have only come as far as asking God for things, you have never come to the point of understanding the least bit of what surrender really means. You have become a Christian basd on your own terms. You protest, saying, ‘I asked God for the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t give me the rest and the peace I expected.’ And instantly God puts His finger on the reason - you are not seeking the Lord at all; you are seeking something for yourself. Jesus said, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you…’ Ask God for what you want and do not be concerened about asking for the wrong thing, because as you draw ever closer to Him, you will cease asking for things altogether. ‘Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask him.’ Then why should you ask? So that you may get to know Him.

Are you seeking great things for yourself? Have you said, ‘Oh, Lord, completely fill me with your Holy Spirit’? If God does not, it is because you are not totally surrendered to Him; there is something you still refuse to do. Are you prepared to ask yourself what it is you want from God and why you want it? God always ignores your present level of completeness in favor of your ultimate future completeness. He is not concerned about making you blessed and happy right now, but He’s continually working out His ultimate perfection for you - ‘…that they may be one just as We are one…’ (John 17:22)” 

How many hours does it take to master a skill?

Bill Gates. The Beatles. Asians’ math skills.

What are your assumptions about the successful? Are they naturally talented, born with the ability to do great things? Or do they put in the grunt work? Malcolm Gladwell puts the former assumption to question in The Outliers: The Story of Success, an excellent, although minutia-saturated, nonfiction book. 

Gladwell uses innumerable case studies to make his point. It takes an average of 10,000 hours of practice to master a skill, according to Gladwell. That measures out to about 20 hours per week for ten years. To show how success stories aren’t born at the precipice of their talent, he uses the story of the most successful English rock band of all time.

While still a fledgling band, the Beatles were offered an opportunity to play in Hamburg, Germany. There they were forced to play for hours and hours, seven nights a week. When they’d played in clubs in Liverpool, they’d only performed a few of their best songs. It was in Hamburg the Beatles honed their now-famous skills. It was there that they began to accrue a great amount of their 10,000 hours. 

There are sections of Gladwell’s books where I lose track of how each case study connects to the last, and I can’t remember what larger point he’s trying to make. Overall, though, they amount to ample food for thought. 

Finally found a British TV show I actually “fancy”

I watched Sherlock, per the advice of family and friends, and it absolutely lived up to expectations. It was so smart - I couldn’t believe it. Sherlock is played by an actor who’s literal name is Benedict Cumberbatch. Can you believe that? He’s got the highest cheek bones I’ve ever seen. If you have Netflix, season one is available on that. Also, if you get BBC America, I’ve heard they do air some British TV shows there. The episodes are lengthy, but very good.