Let me put it into perspective for you. When other boys my age wanted to play ball or hang out with the guys, I wanted to read. It became my escape and my way of exploring the world around me. Back in the day, I would take my slender 6ft frame and crouch down in a small hallway in our home and read for hours under the light. My mom, brother, and sisters would step over me on the way down the hall to points unknown to me. I was oblivious to my surroundings. My lofty goal in elementary school was to read all of the books in our school library before I graduated the 5th grade.
I can't tell you the exact number of books I've read, but I estimate it to be around 5,000 or so - give or take a hundred. I can tell you that in all of my reading, I did not discover the greatest manuscript ever written until I was 21 years old. It's title you ask? The Bible of course! I now realize that all those years I read, I was searching for answers to questions like, "Why am I here?," "What is my purpose in life?," or "What will I leave behind as a legacy when I die?" Little did I know that the one book I avoided early on in life because of it's Old Testament beginning (SIDE NOTE: I TRIED READING THE BIBLE LIKE ALL THE OTHER BOOKS - FROM START TO FINISH -- I GOT HUNG UP IN LEVITICUS!!) is the one book I cherish the most today.
In Matthew 6:33 Jesus tells us to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all other things will be given to us as well." I found all the answers I was seeking in the greatest book ever written. I found out that God loved me so much! I found out that I was a sinner and I needed to repent. I found out that I needed to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. I found out I needed to declare my dedication to my new life to the entire world with an outward baptism of water. I found out that I have help in dealing with the cares of this world, through the Holy Spirit.
My addiction led me to my Lord!! I pray that whatever your dealing with, that you turn to Him in your hour of need. He's waiting on you!
Live - Laugh - Love, it's good for ya!
Shedrick D. Jones
Maximum Impact Blogger
P.S. I wrote this blog while sitting in the library!! Check out the titles I picked up to read this week. I may review a couple of them next week. Free Books, Gotta Love 'Em!
- Church Growth and the Whole Gospel: A Biblical Mandate - C Peter Wagner
- Can Somebody Shout Amen! - Patsy Sims
- When God Becomes A Drug - Father Leo Booth
- What Paul Meant - Garry Wills
- The Devil, A Biography - Peter Stanford
- Praise The Lord, and Pass The Contribution - Alan Bestic
- The Religion Business - Alfred Balk
