The Importance Of Reading (And Why Christians Should Be Readers)

"Reading is the foundation for all learning as it's an important skill to develop, especially in a student's formative years of elementary school. It sets students up for educational success and in the real world.

It's in everything you do. If you can really have that strong foundation in literacy then it can help you in so many other avenues." -Quoted from unknown

This week at my job, we celebrated elementary students who read their first book independently for an event called Literacy Bell. The students watched a performer, ate pizza and cupcakes, and went up to the children's department to ring the bell that's hanging by the roof of the library. It's a memorable occasion for every child who's worked hard to become a reader. 

As the quote from the beginning mentioned, reading is a lifelong skill that remains with us as we get older and the more developed we are as readers, the more we grow as human beings and make a difference in a positive way. Hence why it's important to cultivate and nurture the importance of literacy and a desire for learning. When I was a kid, I did not like to read at all. I was very reluctant to pick up a book but thanks to a fifth grade teacher, I now appreciate and value the essence of reading and decided I would read more. I'm far behind my reading goals lol but I've accomplished so much from the timeframe of being an elementary student to where I'm at now. 

Here's where you can read more about that. 

From A Reluctant Reader To A Somewhat Avid Reader

The Power Of Stories Saved Me

How I Obtained More Joy And Freedom Through Writing

And now moving on to a post written by Karissa....

Written by Karissa Mikkelson

I was never one of those people you would find lying on the beach, cuddled up by a fireplace, or sitting in a coffee shop, enjoying a good book. The library was not a place to find a good read, but a place for me to find DVDs and magazines. Despite the fact that I’ve grown up around book lovers my entire life, I loathed reading. Other than the books I was forced to read in school, I can count the number of books I’ve read on 2 hands. But to my surprise (and to those who knew me growing up) I have found a love and a passion for reading! I could now spend hours in the library or used book stores, and going out with my husband to read sounds like a perfect date.

This year I read over 7,000 pages in the Directed Readings in Discipleship Course, reading books on many different topics, such as the character of God, worldview, and church history. My life was impacted in greater ways than I ever imagined, and has produced in me a strong desire to learn. Let me share with you why I think every believer should practice the discipline of reading.

It Will Enrich Your Personal Relationship With God

Reading different perspectives from many different authors has caused me to think more deeply about my beliefs. I came across opinions I agreed with, some that I disagreed with, and some that I wasn’t sure if I agreed with or not, which lead me to seek God for answers. This doesn’t mean that I have formed opinions on everything and have found all of the answers, but it has forced me to trust God and rely on him for wisdom.

Reading will quickly remind you of how much you desperately need God!

Reading will also enhance your relationship with God because you will find many areas in your life that you can improve on. Whether you are a new believer or you have been following Christ for years, you will always find areas of your life that need to be surrendered to Jesus. Reading on a regular basis is an extremely humbling experience if you focus on applying truth to your life. Reading is very beneficial because of the knowledge you will gain, but all of this is useless if you do not apply the truth to your own life. If you find yourself becoming stagnant or complacent in your walk with God, reading will quickly remind you of how much you desperately need God!

It Will Equip You to Disciple Others

The discipline of reading is an essential tool for becoming an effective discipler. For many years I have had a heart to disciple others, but I lacked the proper skills to do so. Unfortunately, due to my lack of study, I have made mistakes in discipling others. I did not know what I was doing, even though my intentions were good. Learning more about God’s character, my own identity, and my relationships with others has better equipped me to disciple others. I now feel more confident in my ability to disciple, which has led to a greater passion within me to see God’s truth change the lives of others.

It Will Give You a Heart for the Lost

Sharing the truth with those who do not believe in Jesus has always been a scary task for me because I lacked the confidence to share my beliefs. My fear of not having all of the right answers, or not having any answers at all, stopped me from sharing the gospel to a world that is full of questions. Through reading, I have been convicted of my responsibility to spread the gospel. I am no longer satisfied with simply saying “I do not know”, and then letting others do the hard work. All believers are called to share the good news of Christ, which means we must cultivate our minds to be able to effectively share the truth with our world.

As my mind grows, it may make possible the growth of others.

“We do not develop our intellects merely for our own personal advancement, but we put our thinking to work for the use of others… As my mind grows, it may make possible the growth of others.” Gordon MacDonald

I have learned that having a regular discipline of reading will create a deep hunger within you to learn. We do not read so that we can be puffed up with knowledge. We read to be able to share this knowledge with others, which will lead to seeing lives changed as they experience the truth of Jesus impact their lives.

Also read Theology And Me: Three Takeaways From A Season Of Study

"As Charles Spurgeon once said, "Visit many great books but live in the Bible." Christians who only read the Bible do themselves a disservice."-Chris Tackett

Theology and Me: Three Takeaways From A Season of Study

 

Written by Joshua Miller

A few weeks ago, I finished the last of two biblical training courses that I took this spring at YWAM Montana Lakeside. The first course was the Old Testament Studies Seminar, and the second was the Church History Seminar. Both of these courses were absolutely fantastic, and I learned a lot about God, his Word, and myself. I want to share a bit of my journey with you. These are just a few of the practical fruits of spending an entire season studying theology.

A Voice in the Chorus

For years I struggled with not knowing what to do with my voice. Sometimes I wouldn’t speak at all (literally) or I would speak too loudly (not literally, but by believing my opinion mattered the most). These courses showed me a new way to understand the impact of my voice, and where it fits in the context of the body of Christ.

The Old Testament and church history are both filled with dynamic and vibrant characters, whose voices echo through the centuries to us and inspire us in our faith. When you first approach these subjects, you can begin to feel overwhelmed. You might ask yourself, “how could I ever add anything to what’s already been said by the heroes of our faith? People like Moses, Isaiah, Ignatius, and Augustines. Where do I fit in?” The question I struggled with was, “what value does my voice have in relation to those who laid the groundwork for what I believe? Who am I to raise my voice?”

The voices in the chorus are just as important as the one singing the solo.

After studying the Old Testament and church history in more detail and spending time with these influential characters, I realized that for every huge, timeless voice in our history, there are hundreds of ordinary people that God used alongside the giants to accomplish His will. For all the dominant voices that came out of the church councils, the councils themselves were made up of bishops whose names time has forgotten, but their votes counted the same as anyone else’s. These people shared in being guided by the same Spirit as those whom we remember. Their voice isn’t heard up front, but it can be clearly heard in the background chorus of the body of Christ. It’s here that I found meaning for my studies. Sometimes we approach the study of history or theology as a means to increase our own voice on a specific subject. This was the main source of value that I saw in studying theology. Now I see that the voices in the chorus are just as important as the one singing the solo. If my contribution to the church is being a backing voice, then I can happily rest in obscurity.

A Man of Little Understanding

Something that kept coming up over and over in my work was how very little humanity actually knows about anything. I mistakenly thought that if I studied enough I would reach the point where I would know ‘sufficiently’ enough to be called an expert. I’ve begun to realize that this is an error, because of the endless nature of God’s character, and the infinitely surprising ways that he chooses to act in our lives and in the universe. Compared to who God is, our digging to understand Him has yet to scratch the surface. We haven’t even approached the surface. This isn’t to say that the effort isn’t worth it, because it absolutely is. In order to be effective in our studies, it’s worth remembering just how infinite God is. We need to be humbled by his character to the point where we are dumbfounded by just how incredible God is. This will drive us to want to know Him more, which will make our studies more rich and vibrant. Scholastics isn’t a dry field as long as we go outside every now and then to experience the glory of God raining down on us from every direction.

I know almost nothing, but God has called me to try and learn

Over and over and over again I came to the realization that humanity, in general, is pretty stupid. I don’t say this to mock God’s creation or to insinuate that humanity is incapable of getting it right every now and then… but we screw things up a lot. There is pretty much no conceivable thing or scenario that humanity hasn’t screwed up at some point in history. Think about that! We even screw up while doing things that should be easy. For example, this spring I walked into a tree, and managed to pour coffee down my own back. If I can drop the ball while doing something as simple as walking, it’s not surprising to see people make a mess of theology throughout history. Sometimes it’s shocking to realize how thoroughly we screw things up, but it really shouldn’t be that surprising. This should humble us and make us thankful for God and his grace, and how he will never abandon us despite how vigorously we sometimes toss him aside. I know almost nothing, but God has called me to try and learn. Despite how often I screw up, God continues to guide me onward toward the prize.

For the Love of the Church

This information I’ve acquired isn’t just for my own knowledge and pride.

One of the biggest takeaways for me from this time of study, was realizing that all of this information I’ve acquired isn’t just for my own knowledge and pride. It should be used to build up the church. I may not be able to speak directly to people about the specifics of what I’ve learned. Much of it would be boring or hard to understand without context. However, I can use the examples of the people from throughout the Old Testament and church history who lived their lives for God. Those who did what it took to bring his truth into the world, those who fought to be able to live the gospel. These are the ideas I can take back to my church, to encourage the body to press onward into God, to press into what he has called them to do.

I’m supposed to love the church in the same ways that the heroes of our faith loved God and his people. I’m able to lay down my personal thoughts and theology for the benefit of the church: to strive for unity. When necessary, standing up to challenge and correct false teaching. Loving the church doesn’t mean stepping aside and letting it be overrun by false teaching. It does, however, mean being a good steward with the knowledge I have been entrusted with. I need to use discretion to know when it’s time to teach, and when it’s time to listen. To again join the chorus of the body, loving God together, united in laying down our lives for Him and for the body. We are called to be imitators of Christ who laid down his life for his friends.