You (Probably) Need to Read More
Reflecting on the importance of consistent reading
Let me take you on a brief journey. For most of my life I wasn’t a reader. During my formative years the most reading I’d do would be assigned because of schoolwork or I’d get the rare itch to read one of the classic books stuffed away in my closet (e.g. The Five People You Meet in Heaven). Outside of that, reading was not a hobby for me; I didn’t find it enjoyable. Like most teenagers, I found reading to be boring unless, in my life, I was reading something about golf, sports, or something similar.
That basically stayed the same until college. When God saved me my freshman year, not only did He make me a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17), He also gave me the insatiable desire to read. So, I did. I read and read and read. I read at work, between classes, in my dorm room — I read everywhere.
Then I got married the summer after I graduated; then I began seminary that same fall. Going through seminary—which involved an insane amount of reading—essentially removed my love and desire to read for fun. I was officially burnt out. After I graduated from seminary two years later—and a little while after that—I felt the desire to read for fun again because I had the time. So I did.
Fast-forward to the present. I read some, but not as much as I should. I have been reading the same book—The Deep Things of God by Fred Sanders—for over a month. (It’s a long, dense book but very good. Just have to read it slowly.) I don’t believe I’ve read a page for at least a week. I hate that, because there’s part of me that loves to read, and part of me that wants to do nothing when I have free time. It requires being intentional, which is something I struggle with.
Perhaps you’re in the same type of situation (hence the point of this post). You, like me, probably need to read more. And I say probably because there are certainly people out there more intentional, more dedicated to reading than the average person. For that, I say kudos—and help!
Reading has tremendous benefits, but the most important reason why we ought to be consistent readers is because God spoke to us through His Word. Sure, you can listen to God’s Word—that is wonderful. And though it’s better to listen to Scripture versus not reading Scripture, I have found that I sometimes can’t keep up with what I’m listening to. Reading helps me dwell and meditate on what I’ve read. But that’s just me. You do you!
The point is, we need to reclaim reading. In an age of short attention spans, the constant news cycle, and where all online information is in bits and pieces mostly, we need to recover the lost art of reading. Slow down and read. Take your time. Learn new things. Again, make sure you’re reading the Bible, for that is one of the key ways God shapes you more into the image of His Son.
The late J.I. Packer wrote,
We cannot know God except through the Scriptures. The Bible is God's Word written, and is the only source of sure knowledge about Him. It is through the Bible that God makes Himself known to us.1
As it pertains to Scripture, it’s important to read it—or consume it in some form or fashion—because it’s God-breathed. We cannot afford to neglect regular consumption of Scripture.
So, friend, take time out of your day to read. Read fiction, nonfiction, and anything in between. Grow your attention span and your ability to comprehend more information. But above all else, make it priority to read your Bible, as that’s how our God communicates with us.
Knowing God, Chapter 1 (1973)