'This Is Your Brain on God'...

"To believe a thing is to see the cool crystal water sparkling in the cup. But to meditate on it is to drink of it. Reading gathers the clusters; contemplation squeezes forth their generous juice." (Charles Spurgeon)

My friend Nate out in Michigan is as passionate about filling his mind with good things as he is about helping people live a well-fit life and walking with God as husband, dad, worship leader, and business owner. I know this because in the midst of all of that, Nate has committed to read a book a week (some of which he's designated to take two weeks to get through) pertaining to work, life, and the Walk, and at last count, he was up to 34 in his stack and looking for more.

Nate is hardly a not-do-much, stay-at-home kind of guy. His life is full and active. Making tons of book-reading a priority not only seems over the top, it makes you wonder if Nate knows about an eighth day of the week that we haven't heard of yet. But here's the thing, even while constantly on the move and with tons on his plate, and even while blending the best of modern business inspiration with the perspective of Heaven, Nate seems to be taking this Biblical command to heart uber-seriously:

"Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]." (Romans 12:2, Amplified Classic)

Which, thanks to Nate's crazy-cool challenge, is how God graciously grabbed my attention.

Because this verse is not a suggestion or good idea. it would seem that God is serious about His kids renewing their minds not because He wants to irritate us or make our lives more challenging (e.g., one more thing to do) than they already are, but because He knows how good and essential it is for us to live well-fit Christ-one lives while renting space in this world on our way to a Better One. Cultivating mind renewal in a world filled with mind-blowing craziness can greatly influence, in a counter-cultural sort of way, how we think, and respond, and interact with others during the course of our day. And it seems God really wants that reflection we give to be of Heaven-sent goodness and hope, not grumpiness and a critical spirit.

We know things like that really well but don't always do something about it. So, while it's not a stack of 34 and growing like Nate's, what follows is the start of a monthly goal for taking in some mind-renewing goodness from saints and admired authors, many of whom have motivated and even discipled me on this Journey over the years. The goal is simply more quality "this is your brain on God" food in the coming year, to put the phone out of sight and earshot early in the morning, and practically seek to live out Romans 12:2 instead of just applauding it from a distance.

Maybe some of these will encourage you to build your own stack, of any size, be it of print, Kindle or audiobook, and "squeeze forth their generous juice" a few pages at a time for a well-fit life in the year ahead:

1. "The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith in a Mobile Culture," by Jonathan Wilson-Hargrove...Because this might be the most important thing to pursue right now on a day-to-day basis, lest the day overwhelm me with information overload.

2. "The Case for the Psalms: Why They Are Essential," by N.T. Wright...Because Wright is right, because the psalms are entirely practical, raw, and honest, and because there is always a need for a greater glimpse into all 150 of them.

3. "A Praying Life," by Paul Miller...Because it's the most practical book on prayer I've ever read and deserves an annual revisit.

4. "Desire," by John Eldredge...Because the author of "Wild at Heart" and "Waking the Dead" unwraps an essential question: can we find a life filled with passion without being overwhelmed by it?

5. "Heroes," by Iain H. Murray...Because it profiles heroes of the faith who were just regular guys.

6. "Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes," by Kenneth E. Bailey...Because it explodes the goodness of the  Gospels through the lens of the ancient culture and not our American/Western perspective.

7. "Fire and Fragrance," by Sean Feucht and Andy Byrd...Because I've always wanted to know what drives regular guys like worship leader/songwriter Sean Feucht to live such a passionate life.

8. "Delighting in God," by A.W. Tozer....Because a year without Tozer's wisdom is a sad year indeed.

9. "A Spiritual Field Guide: Meditations on the Outdoors," by Bernard Brady and Mark Neuzil...Because here is clearly my sweet spot for physical and spiritual recharging.

10. "Inside Out Worship," by Matt Redman...Because, well, see response to #7.

11. "Dirty Glory: Go Where God's Prayers Take You," by Pete Greig and Bear Grylis...Because Pete is another #7 and has been up front about the fact that he's not very good at praying, and yet God (and wow, Bear Grylis?!)....

12. "The Furious Longing of God," by Brennan Manning...Because God is not angry but His unfailing love for us is wide, wild, and relentless.

And for daily nourishment in 2017, "Spurgeon's Devotional Bible"....Because good books are just good books without the Word and the Person of the Word as the driving force of everything we do, think, and say.

Even if you don't have a stack, are there books (any format) that you'd recommend or are hoping to pursue as part of renewing your mind for this fantastic Great Adventure? If you can, include the all-important "Because....."