10,000 hours: One Year Bible Reading for September 9

Today we read from these verses in the One Year Bible:

Isaiah 3:1-5:30
2 Corinthians 11:1-15
Psalm 53:1-6
Proverbs 22:28-29

Let's look at the Proverb. It says that if you are skilled in your work, you will serve before kings. And that brings us to the 10,000 hour concept. Have you heard of it? It says that if you want to be a world class talent in just about anything, you need to put in about 10,000 hours of practice. Want to be a world class ping pong player? Start playing 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for about 6 years, and you'll be one of the best in the world. Want to play violin in Carnegie Hall? Practice! For 10,000 hours. Want to be a great writer? Start writing now, and between 6 and 10 years from now, you'll be a great writer. Painter? 10,000 hours. Skeet shooter? 10,000 hours.

Now, this isn't a hard and fast rule. Some people can pick up a guitar and play it like a master almost immediately. Other people could play the guitar every day for the rest of their lives and still be terrible. But those are the outliers. The exceptions. The RULE, the GUIDELINE, the MAJORITY of us- put in about 6 years of practice, 5 days a week, and you'll be pretty great at it.

And maybe play before kings.

God, thanks for giving us the desire to do things well - and the path to get there.