Some of the Best Advice I’ve Ever Received 

Davis L. Moore 

6/21/24 

During my freshman year of college, I was in the university chorale. The professor was a man that was deeply invested and moved by aesthetics, excellence, and beauty. He was a very well-read man and had plenty of life experience and education. He was a godly man and was motivated to share his love and passion for both music and Christ with his students.  

At the end of the year, as he always had done, he invited the entire chorale to dinner, and presented each of us with gifts. Each year of college was presented with a different gift: Freshman received a really nice leather bookmark branded with the college name and logo and our chorale, which was made to last many lifetimes. Sophomores received a Smyth sewn journal. Juniors, a beautiful metal fountain pen. And Seniors received the professor's favorite book.  

As he passed out each of these items, he gave a speech that has had a lasting impact on me, and something that I will take with me for the rest of my life. He didn’t only give me a bookmark. He gave me something much better; I believe it to be some of the best advice I’ve ever received.  

The advice he gave in his speech are in four points: Read, Reflect, Contemplate, Build. The goal of this advice is to be a well-rounded, well-read, well-thinking, beauty-appreciating, hard-working, aesthetic, God-glorifying human being. I will speak on each four of these things briefly. 

First, Read. He emphatically exhorted us to read. Not just to read one subject, or one topic, but to read everything. Not just to look at each page and close the book exclaiming, “I finished another book!” but rather, to really read it; to read it well. To struggle with the book and to attempt to understand it further and connect it with other things that you know. He exhorted us to read a lot. Under this head also, he mentioned intentional living. To ‘read’ the things that are happening around you. To learn from other people around you. To not sit around wasting time, but to live in a way that facilitates learning.  

Second, Reflect. Don’t mindlessly learn something and say, “Well that was pretty cool.” He exhorted us that day to reflect on the things that we learn. To remind ourselves of the knowledge we just gained. What good is reading or living intentionally if you don’t remember what it is you’re learning? Time would be better spent elsewhere. One doesn’t change the sheets after making the bed. He wanted us to reflect on all the knowledge that we obtained.  

Third, Contemplate. After reading and reflecting, he points out that one must contemplate. What he means by this is making factual connections to the other things you know. How does this new piece of knowledge fit in with the other things you know? Everything you learn and read will in some way fit in with other things you’ve read and learned. He said that the best way to do so was by writing. He recommended journaling and said that he was greatly benefited by his journaling for many years. He wrote down everything that he was learning and reading. He reflected on it. He contemplated it.  

Finally, Build. This is a special piece of advice given the kind of work that Petra Publications is devoted to. The final piece of advice that this professor gave was to build a library. To constantly be buying and collecting books. To amass a library of your own. Buy good books. Buy many of them. And never be content with a couple of books that get dusty on a shelf. Have hundreds - have thousands. When you run out of room, start stacking them. Always continue to build.  

When you’ve done some of this final step (for there is no end), you go back to step number one, Read, and begin the whole process over again. You do all these things to the glory of God, and the benefit of His people. You live a life that is contrary to the typical modern life that doesn’t think at all. They don’t read, reflect, contemplate, or build. But we should.  

I wrote in my journal about this (which is where all this knowledge is now stored). After describing everything I just shared I wrote, “I want to learn how to think.” For some, thinking comes naturally. For others it is more difficult. But following this professor's extremely simple and helpful teaching, it has been much easier for me, and I pray that it will become much easier for you.  

Song: Savfk - Eight Mountains

License: Free to use on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPOfbFjD9eU

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