✝️ Delighting in The Word: From Duty to Desire

Good morning, my brothers! You are likely familiar with Aristotle’s exhausted quote to the effect that excellence is a habit, not something we do on special occasions. Ari was on to something as the key to spiritual transformation is not (usually) the Damascus Road encounter but rather a daily discipline that, in my experience, started as a bit of a duty but, in short time, become my life’s delight. I am certain God did not intend the gift just for me so, today, I share it with you. Let’s go!

This week’s manly topics (5-min read):

🔭 DISCIPLINE We hear a lot about “hacks” these days … but this week we consider THE “hack” and, if you make it part of your daily routine is 100% guaranteed to top-to-bottom transform your life.
📰  NEWS Next to the house moving workout, rucking is all the rage. But is rucking right for you? That plus nutrition and culture news that will boost your mood and broaden your mind.
🎁 OFFER This week’s sponsor, 1440 News, is a free service that delivers the day’s headlines to keep you informed without driving you insane.

DISCIPLINE
Delighting in The Word: From Duty to Desire

Every morning before sunrise, you’ll find me in one of two places - either in my office’s comfortable chair or at my local coffee shop. Bible in one hand, coffee in the other, pen and journal ready. But it wasn't always this way.

As a new Christian, I read the Bible because I was told I should. It was another box to check, another duty to fulfill. But something profound happened in my early 30s that transformed my relationship with Scripture from obligation to delight.

The Transformation

A mentor of mine taught me to view my Bible as my most valuable earthly possession. Not as a talisman or good luck charm, but as the primary way God reveals Himself to us. This man didn't just teach this principle - he lived it. Through his ministry (mentoringmenforthemaster.net), he demonstrated such a profound love for Scripture that I believe he had memorized the entire Bible. This wasn’t just academic knowledge - it flowed from a genuine passion for God’s Word that transformed not only his life, but the lives of hundreds of men he mentored.

What made his impact so powerful wasn’t just what he taught, but how he invested in relationships with men like me. Through his example and guidance, he showed us that the ultimate objective isn’t just reading Scripture, it's knowing and loving God more fully. He taught us to cherish God’s Word not from a sense of duty or legalism, but from a genuine desire to grow closer to God each day. This simple shift in perspective changed everything for me and continues to influence how I approach Scripture - and how I hope to influence other men - to this day.

Think about it like this: When I first met my wife, I wanted to spend every possible moment with her. Breakfast, lunch, dinner - if I could have rearranged the world to make it happen, I would have. Not because anyone told me to, but because I was captivated by her. I wanted to know everything about her life, her dreams, how to love her best.

Years later, I hope I am still pursuing her this way (pray for me that I always will). Each year of knowing her more deeply teaches me new ways to love and serve her better. It's a continuous journey of discovery and growing intimacy.

From Reading to Delighting

This is exactly what God invites us into through His Word. The opening of the first Psalm puts it beautifully:

That word “delight” is everything. Not duty, not obligation - delight. Being captivated by God’s Word the way a man is captivated by the woman he loves.

Four Ways to Engage with Scripture

My mentor taught me four practical ways to move from duty to delight:

1. Know It

• Set a consistent daily time and place

• Read systematically rather than randomly

• Keep a journal of what God shows you

2. Stow It

• Meditate on one key verse or passage each day

• Memorize one verse per week

• Let it sink deep into your mind throughout the day

3. Show It

• Allow the Holy Spirit to transform your inner life

• Let your actions flow from what you're learning

• Make small, concrete changes in response to what you read

4. Sow It

• Share what you're learning with others

• Look for opportunities to encourage others with Scripture

• Be ready to explain the hope you have in Christ, the gospel

This Week’s Challenge

1. Read through Psalm 119 this week - it's the Bible’s longest chapter and a powerful expression of someone who truly delights in God's Word

2. As you read, note every reference to God's Word (law, commands, precepts) and what the psalmist says about it

3. Memorize Psalm 119:11: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

4. Share one insight from your reading with another person this week

My prayer for all of us is that we would move beyond reading out of duty to being truly captivated by God's Word. Not to impress others or check a box, but because we're hungry to know Him more deeply and love Him more fully.

Start tomorrow morning. Find your chair, a corner of a coffee shop, or some other quiet place. Open His Word. And ask Him to make it your delight.

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THIS JUST IN
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• Running is one of the most effective ways of improving cardiovascular condition quickly. Running is also a great way to wear out your knees and aggravate lower back issues. So why not giving “rucking” a try? Rucking (short for “rucksacking”) is fast walking (or hiking) with a weight backpack … like soldiers do when they carry their 80-lb rucksacks up steep hills as part of their physical condition. The difference is that with rucking 1) no one will call you a maggot, 2) you probably won’t push yourself so hard you vomit and 3) you can carry a lot less weight. Here is short, sweet overview from the Cleveland Clinic for those of you who want to get outdoors and give rucking a try.

Nutrition
“… your bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit …” I Corinthians 6:19

• Does eating sweets make you sad? In another U.K. project, researchers surveyed the dietary preferences of 180,000 participants, drew blood samples from each and then compared the amounts of 2,923 proteins and 168 metabolites in each. They found that participants that prefer sweet foods and sugary drinks and were less interested in fruit and vegetables are 31% more likely to have depression. Might want to remember that next time the King Kong-sized Snickers calls to you while checking out at the grocery store. Courtesy ScienceDaily

Culture
“You are the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5:13

• For most of us, most of our exposure to “art” consists of the music we listen to while exercising and the stuff we watch on our TVs. That’s a shame because there is a world of fine art out there just waiting to stretch our minds, touch our hearts and inspire a needed sense of awe. Digital art is an emerging frontier in the fine art world and its history is the subject of MINTED, a recently released PBS documentary. Read the WORLD Magazine review here. We do not have to agree but we should be aware … and patronize Christ-honoring art where we are able.