If this is your first time here, go back to the first day.
Dear Sons,
I just did Heather’s wedding yesterday. One of the things her brother-in-law did in his toast was call his brother a nerd. But I was encouraged that in Chapter 2 of Play the Man that reading does not make you a nerd. Case in Point: Teddy Roosevelt. A man’s man of a president, he read 500 books a year, and wrote 35!
I wanted to go back and get my doctorate, not so I could make more money, but I really like learning, especially about God and ministry and spirituality. You may not be interested in learning about God, but like Batterson, I hope you always have a childlike wonder about something (and preferably not about Aliens or Star Wars/Trek or anything else that would make you really nerdy). Even people who know volumes about sports knowledge may not seem nerdy, but they sure have burned up a lot of brain cells on useless knowledge.
“Be inquisitive.” I think that is what this chapter is saying about a virtue of a man, and a curious spiritual heart is a virtue of a spiritual man. I miss my conversations with people spiritually curious people. I like it when you guys start out, “Hey dad, what do you think about …?” and really care what I think. (I really really like it when I know an answer to what you are asking about, makes me feel smart).
Paul wrote to young Timothy, “Study to show yourself approved.” Peter admonished his readers, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” We need to have answers not just for our kids (or Rick Bates who always asked good questions to me!) or our spouses but we need to be curious about God.
But not just about God. Learn why atheists think the way they do. Learn about people different than you. Learn cultures. Learn philosophies. Learn with your heart and not just with your head. I know Rich Dad Poor Dad’s Robert Kiyosaki says higher education is overvalued, and it may be, and over-priced, and it is, but it is not over-rated if you do it right. If you can further your education with practical knowledge, do it.
Granddad always said no one can ever take your education away from you and he was right. If you wish you could be something else and the only thing that is stopping you is education, then don’t wait too late. Do it now or soon, especially if it will pay for itself. My great-grandfather T.C. Kuykendall would ask young men who didn’t want to take five years to go to school, “Well how old will you be in five years if you don’t get a degree? Wouldn’t it be better to be five years old and more educated?”
I have too many books and too little time to re-read them. But I wish I could. I told someone my new Year’s Resolution is to go back to my first book I’ve ever read and re-read them all until I get to the latest book. “Really?” she asked. Of course not, but I wish I could.
I wish I could retain the knowledge that I gain. But I don’t need to know what Rush or Mike and Mike think. I need to know what God thinks and what godly people think and what godless people think so that I can better help them think about God. Well, that’s what I think.
Think deeply about deep things and don’t think about things that won’t matter in ten years or ten weeks. Paul said, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”
Let me know what you thought of chapter one.
Love you sons!
Dad/Pops
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