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“I read three thousand books before I wrote one.”

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God (p. 80). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

What do you love to do?  What is your greatest desire?

Mark shares, “When I was in seminary, there was a distinct moment when I felt called to write. I was praying in the chapel when the still small voice whispered, Mark, I’ve called you to be a voice to your generation. The irony is that I had just taken a graduate assessment that showed a low aptitude for writing.

“Writing is not a natural gifting, but God compensated for that by giving me a strong desire to write. And trust me, it takes a ton of desire to meet deadlines. Sometimes your desires will line up with your talents, and that’s where you’re doubly dangerous to the Enemy! But God also calls us to do things that are outside our skill sets, requiring tremendous dependence upon His help.

He goes on, “At first my desire to write expressed itself as a voracious appetite to read… I read very few books before my senior year of college. But once I felt called to write, I knew I needed to read. And I spent every spare minute and every spare dollar doing it. I read three thousand books before I wrote one.

“In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed a supernatural sequence that is inviolable. He said, ‘Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’   I’m afraid many of us read this backward. We want everything the world has to offer, and then we’ll seek God. But that isn’t the way it works. You can’t seek God second or third or tenth and expect Him to give you the desires of your heart. Seeking God first is delighting yourself in the Lord. Seeking God first is giving Him the first word and the last word. Seeking God first is making sure His voice is the loudest voice in your life.


Maybe you are wondering what you are to do with your life.  Have you ever thought about seeking God first?
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