A few weeks ago, I finished my third Bible reading project on the Bible app. This app has a ton of devotional reading plans especially those designed to guide the reader to read the entire Bible over the course of the year. The more I read the book in its entirety the more I realize that people just don’t read.
The Bible is one of the most controversial books written in the history of mankind. While some argue over translations, there are others who don’t read at all, they just go with what they heard someone else say about the Bible. A lot of people have opinions on something they have never learned for themselves. The more I observe the more it seems like those who are the least knowledgeable about a subject are the most vocal. When you know people are loud and wrong about something, feel free to ask them about their source of information on the subject. If they go to YouTube, then you might want to exit the conversation as quickly as possible.
Keeping with my example of the Bible, there are a lot of misconceptions about what people think the book says versus what the book actually says. Some in America don’t want to get married because they believe that the Bible advocates for men to oppress women. Nothing could be further from the truth. The book of Ephesians 5:21-32 has a set of rules for Christian households and many zoom in on the part that tells women to submit their husbands. However, they skip over the fact that Paul only talked about women submitting for three verses and spends twice as many verses telling husbands to submit, honor, and cherish their wives. The Bible spends a lot of time lifting up and encouraging and honoring women. People would know that if they actually read it.
This example can be applied to any book or set of instructions. Some of us are struggling in our businesses, not because we aren’t working hard, but because we didn’t read the rules of whatever industry we are involved in. Anybody can start a business but everyone isn’t capable of running a successful business. If you are in a conventional form of employment, then most likely you receive an employee manual or handbook upon being hired. How many of us actually read the manual? How many of us have read it more than once? A lot of times we get taken advantage of because we just don’t know what’s going on. Living in this digital age we have an abundance of access to knowledge and information, but we aren’t using it to better ourselves.
Putting together furniture with my wife is an experience to say the least. Although men are stereotypically the one who refuse to read the instructions, that isn’t the case with us. My wife will be so determined to put something together with intuition alone, and that rarely works out. I’m determined to read the instructions, set the pieces out, and reread to get a better understanding of what I’m supposed to do. If you find yourself struggling to progress in any area of you life, I can almost guarantee there is a book, article, or blog out there that addresses it. Be sure to vet the material before you consume it and take it as law. Get other voices in your lane involved to get the fullest picture of what you are attempting to accomplish.
If you want to learn something, all you have to do is read about it. Then you make that knowledge a part of you by applying it in real world circumstances and conversations. I will admit the internet has birthed a lot of self proclaimed experts, so do your due diligence to investigate what you read. Knowledge is power and thanks to technological advances, the gatekeepers who hold information hostage have been reduced in number. Knowledge is obtained through reading and knowledge is power. I read somewhere that “People perish for a lack of knowledge.” As we move into the new year be sure to beef up your reading list.
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