SHOULD BELIEVERS BE READERS?

In every ministry, one has disappointments. Mine is no exception. But my church is not among them. They have allowed me to preach freely, cared for me during my months of recovery from a stroke, and have been charitable toward my blunders.

However, one of my hopes was to open their minds toward excellent Christian literature and set the pace in reading for inquisitive learners. Don't get me wrong; I don't think what I feel in this regard applies to all members of my church, but neither do I feel like I've left my mark on many in this regard. If any of them are readers now, they probably were already one before I came into their lives. If any of them were never great readers before my appearance on their scene, they probably still aren't. I know that's a sweeping generality, and, like all sweeping generalities, there are notable exceptions. This matter is no exception to the rule, but most should recognize its general accuracy. Over the years, I have set before them varied inducements, but to little avail.

So, let me offer yet another incentive - obedience to apostolic example. There certainly is no command in place here, and the exact identity of the literature involved is not clear. But, with those provisos, II Timothy 4:13 may very well indicate for us the high value Paul placed on the Scriptures (the "books") and other expensive, codex-like "parchments" that he was accustomed to reading. Were these "sacred works?" from the rabbis & scribes? Perhaps, perhaps not. Was there some secular or legal material among them? Probably. We know that Paul was familiar with compositions from outside Judaism (Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12).

Since the nature of this literature is unclear, I hesitate to rule any decent literature out. I think the apostle's reading habits were dictated more by "why" he read them than by "what" he read. But at least we can safely say, "He was a reader."

Believers should be known for their frequent, God-honoring reading pursuits. Are you an avid reader? Do you read "in love," i.e. is the Glory of God your ultimate interest, or is it self-interest? Is there anything wrong with reading for pleasure? It depends what you mean by that. Is it wrong to mainly read for one's own pleasure? I think it may be so. Is it wrong to get pleasure from reading? Absolutely not. Not sure where to start? I may have some suggestions that might fit your current Godly interests. Any of the classics among the world's great literature can be selected for discerning reading. Christianity has also produced some great sacred classics that are always good reading.

I close with some words from John Piper (talking about D.A. Carson's great book on prayer, "Spiritual Reformation."

"Read great Christian writers who know God deeply and saturate their writing with the Bible and take you deep into its spirit.
"They are like reading the Bible through the mind and heart of great knowers and lovers of God. Don't let long books daunt you. Finishing the book does not matter. Growing by it matters. But finishing is not as hard as you might think.
"Suppose you read slowly like I do—about the same speed as you speak—200 words a minute. If you read 15 minutes a day for one year (just 15 minutes, say just before supper, or just before bed), you will read 5,475 minutes in the year. Multiply that by 200 words a minute and you get 1,095,000 words that you would read in a year. Now the average book has about 360 words per page (that's what Carson's book has). So you would have read 360 words into 1,095,000, or 3,041 pages in one year. That's 13 books the size of Carson's book, or reading his in 21 days. All that in 15 minutes a day.
"The point is: the words of Jesus will abide in you more deeply and more powerfully if you give yourself to some serious reading of great books that are saturated with Scripture."