Many Christian men would agree that they’re experts in business, hunting, fishing, football, or cars. Sadly, however, even those who attend Bible-teaching churches may know very little about the Bible and theology. (Everything I talk about in this blog pertains to women also, but I know more women than men who study God’s Word, and I believe men are missing out on joy and happiness as a result.)

Why? It’s simple. Every week, men invest hours watching sports and listening to radio talk shows. They visit car dealerships, read car repair manuals, and spend extended time under the hood. They go fishing or hunting. None of these activities is sinful, but any and all can dominate our spare time and the thoughts that occupy our minds. We’re all experts in what we do and think about, and novices in everything else.

Suppose men dedicated even half the time invested in those activities to reading and listening to the Bible and great Christian books. What if they took half the time now devoted to political talk shows and hobbies and invested it in learning solid Bible doctrine? Soon they could converse theologically with as much knowledge and pleasure as they can about sports, hunting, fishing, cars, or politics. And the activities they engage in will be that much more happiness-producing because they’ll know better the one who made all these other pastimes possible! Put God first, and everything else falls into place.

We all talk about what we know best—what’s most important to us. That means we need to change what’s important to us by investing more time in it.

How many men have frequent God-centered conversations today—with each other, their wives, and their children? How much pleasure and happiness are we depriving ourselves of by talking about everything except what matters most?

In The Taste of Joy: Recovering the Lost Glow of Discipleship Calvin Miller lamented, “Never have there been so many disciples who did so little studying. . . . Our day is plagued by hordes of miserable Christians whose pitiful study habits give them few victories and much frustration. Serious students will develop dynamic minds and a confident use of the gifts God has given to them.”