For The Discerning Reader

‘Visit many good books but live in the Bible.’
Charles Haddon Spurgeon 1834 – 1892

For many of us it is just impossible to walk past a good book. My library, once quite small, has grown to a robust size over the years and especially in the past few months as I have been lent about sixty books. They range from children’s classics to weighty reformed theology textbooks with a smattering of biographies and even a wonderful knitting book thrown in for fun! I read a quote recently which best describes how I feel on some days:

‘Let’s be reasonable and add an eighth day to the week that is devoted exclusively to reading.’ (Lena Dunham).

Yes please, I’m ready for that! Oh, to have one day devoted solely to reading – that would suit me just fine.

But reading books comes with a warning, especially for addicts like me. Charles Spurgeon’s wise words help Christians attend to their love for reading with balance, sobriety and a sense of priority. Reading can quickly become an idol, even if we are reading good, wholesome books, at the expense of reading the best book of all. We can visit other books but need to be grounding our life in God’s living Word every day. No other words have the potential to transform our lives, like God’s. Many authors have said many good and wise words, but God’s words are life to our bodies, food for our soul, a lamp to our feet, a light to our path.

Psalm 119:129-130 Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them. The entrance of thy words giveth light and understanding to the simple.

God’s Word alone brings the change that our sinful hearts so desperately need. One thing is clear: reading good books – even the best of self-help books – cannot wrought a heart change. We may take up a new way, but not a new nature. We may make considerable reforms and alterations to our lifestyle, we may lay aside many outward bad habits, and begin to do many good things, but no book can create a new heart within us. Only God’s words breathed out through the pages of Scripture can bring life to our souls. The Christian’s hope must be in God and His Word alone.

But for those of us who love to read good literature, how do we approach the pleasure with a sense of self-control, enjoyment, and newfound learning? Firstly, let me say that ‘in the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.’ (Mortimer J. Adler). Overwhelmed at times with the number of glorious books resting on my library shelves enticing me to pick up and read, I can become almost driven in my pursuit of learning. How many can I have on the go at once, I wonder? But experience has been a valuable teacher: better to read less and savor the learning therein, rather than read more and learn little.

So, with a sense of balance and sober-mindedness, I visit just one at a time now whilst continuing to linger the longest in God’s Word. We must always remember that spiritual growth towards maturity is a process that God does within our souls through grace, and any effort on our behalf to take over and any attempts to fast track our own growth, are dead works and an affront to God and His Spirit who works mightily within us, in His way, in His time.

‘You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.’ C S Lewis

With a cup of tea in hand, we can read good books with ease, enjoyment and free from guilt or compulsion. But what is a good book? I have collated some questions for the discerning reader, that may be helpful here. After all, our time is valuable, and we don’t want to be wasting it on what will not edify our soul and inform our faith and Christian worldview.

Questions for the Discerning Reader

1. How does this book inform my faith?
2. In what ways does it compliment or run contrary to my Christian worldview?
3. Does this book expose me to goodness, truth, light and beauty?
4. Does this book nourish my soul and my mind?
5. Is this book taking me to healthy, God-honoring places?
6. How does this book inspire and challenge me?
7. Is this book helping me to grow into someone who reflects the fullness and glory of God?
8. What are the big ideas I loved in this book?
   
9. Is there a place to encourage others with what I have read in this book?
10. If this book is not healthy for my mind and heart, why am I still reading it?

Obviously, these questions foster a deep engagement with the book. We are not about skim reading and getting to the end in a hurry. Reading is a journey of ponderous growth. So, we read thoughtfully, meditatively and slowly savoring the process with delight and expectancy. And when we have finished visiting the book, we return home again to the Bible.

May God increase our desire to learn and to grow up into men and women who will glorify Him in all that we do, especially in our reading.