I’m convinced that Christians should be readers. First, of course, we should be readers of God’s Word. It’s a shame how few of us really read the Bible for all it’s worth. We should also read books more than we do. I know watching TV is easier. But is it better? Tim Challies shares today some ideas on reading I’ll summarize here, but go read his full article: Read More, Read Better.
- Read – Start with the obvious: you need to read. If you want to be a good painter, you’ve got to paint; if you want to be a good runner, you’ve got to run.
- Read Widely – I’m convinced that one reason people do not read more is that they do not vary their reading enough.
- Read Deliberately – Similar to reading widely, ensure that you read deliberately. Choose your books carefully.
- Read Heavy Books – It can be intimidating to stare at some of those massive volumes or series of volumes sitting on your bookshelf, but be sure to make time to read some of those serious works.
- Read Light Books – While dense books should be a serious reader’s main diet, there is nothing wrong with pausing to enjoy the occasional novel or light read.
- Read New Books – Keep an eye on what is new and popular and consider reading what other people in your church or neighborhood are reading.
- Read Old Books – Do not read only new books. I cannot say this any better than C.S. Lewis: “It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.”
- Read What Your Heroes Read – We all have our heroes–men or women we want to be like.