What We Miss by Not Reading Books

One reason I’m a writer, I suppose, is because I grew up an avid, even voracious reader. When you read a lot, you can’t help but learn how words, sentences and paragraphs properly go together.

 

I vividly remember one day when my mom kept me out of school because I had a bad cold. I stayed in bed all day but wasn’t too sick to read. I had borrowed the book, Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates, from the library and read it cover to cover that day. I’ve never succeeded at ice skating, but vicariously enjoyed it through young Brinker’s adventures that day.

 

Bookcases in my room held hundreds of books – fiction and non-fiction, mysteries, science fiction, natural history and prehistory, war and westerns. Through these books I ventured to distant lands and times, gained much knowledge, and discovered the joys of exploring new ideas and using my imagination.

I’ve never outgrown my love for reading. It wasn’t that long ago that over the course of each year I would read upwards of 40 books, some relatively short and others of considerable length. All in the name of learning and growing, as well as being very intentionally entertained.

 

These days, reading seems a lost art. Ask many young people what books they have read recently, and they might be hard-pressed to name even one. They’re reading, but it’s things like text messages, their social media of choice, and Internet websites. Reading in bits and bytes, but not physical books with pages you must turn to discover what happens next.

 

And it’s not just a phenomenon among the young. Many older adults find the time they once spent reading now being consumed by some of the same diversions, along with the vast universe of TV, cable and streaming options. 

 

But there’s something special about books with pages we can touch, with covers made of paper, cloth or leather. Between those covers reside realms of wonder, whether it be facts or fantasy, non-fiction or fiction. Instead of being told what we should think, in reading we exercise our minds and hone our thinking skills, expanding what we already knew and discovering things we didn’t. Compare it to feasting on a sumptuous meal vs. digesting food someone else has already chewed.

 

Of course, when it comes to reading a book, I can recommend nothing more highly than the Bible, the Word of God. Nowhere else can we find such an amazing array of history, narrative, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, guidelines for living, and most of all, truth – God’s eternal, unchanging Truth.

 

The first time I read through the Bible, while a senior in high school, I did it solely as an intellectual exercise. I had read lots of other books, so why not read the Bible and cross it off my list? Most of what I read then made little sense to me. Only years later, after I had committed my life to Jesus Christ, did I begin to grasp the depth and scope of the Scriptures.

 

In 1 Corinthians 2:14 we’re told, “The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” With the Holy Spirit as my Teacher, however, I could start understanding what incredible treasure God has provided in the 39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament books.

 

During times when it’s difficult to figure out what to do or which way to go, I’ve found God’s Word an incomparable roadmap. As Psalm 119:105 declares, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Another passage from that lengthy (176 verses) psalm asks and answers, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:9-11). 

 

How can we truly get to know someone and build a meaningful relationship with them unless we spend quality and quantity time with them? In an even more profound way, time spent with God in the study of His Word is never wasted.

 

In America we have access to myriad resources for learning about God and the Bible: radio and TV programs, Internet sites, sermons and messages from gifted preachers and teachers, CDs, DVDs and films. We have excellent books that address many Christian topics. I’ve had the privilege of writing, co-authoring and editing some of them myself.

But best of all, we have the Scriptures available in a variety of editions and translations, all ripe for the reading. Through them we can discover “the way, the truth and the life,” which Jesus declared Himself to be in John 14:6. Faithfully reading God’s Word points us to “the abundant life” Jesus promised in John 10:10, and it can ensure that we will not “ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus Himself and then delivered to us by those who heard Him speak” (Hebrews 2:3). 

Is Your ‘Check Engine’ Light On and You’re Ignoring It?

Several weeks ago, my car spoke to me. Not in an audible voice, but in that special language auto manufacturers have created to alert drivers when action is required. It said, in bright orange letters, “Maintenance required soon.” 

 

Fortunately, it wasn’t signaling an emergency. It was just time for an oil change. Those pesky warning lights can be annoying, but they can be very helpful reminders, especially for those not inclined to check under the hood very often. Every car, no matter how new – or expensive – needs periodic maintenance. As the guy in the old auto repair commercial used to say, “You can pay me now…or you can pay me later.”

 

Wouldn’t it be nice if humans had a “check engine” light to let us know a personal tune-up is in order? To date, no baby has been born with a built-in warning light. However, in a sense, we could say we do – at least physically speaking. A fever, ache or pain signals when something’s amiss in our bodies. It might just represent a minor strain or a seasonal illness. But other times it can mean something of greater concern. If symptoms persist, we’re told, it’s best to consult your doctor.

 

When it comes to the less tangible parts of our lives – our mental and emotional well-being, even our spiritual condition – it’s much harder to discern when problems are manifesting themselves. That’s when a personal “check engine” light would come in handy.

 

The realms of the mental and emotional can be very problematic. It’s often difficult to assess objectively when our thinking or behavior gets out of kilter. Even when we do recognize such problems, we can’t always identify the cause. That’s why trained practitioners in those areas can be so helpful.

 

But we don’t have to be wizened theologians or learned seminarians to address our own spiritual well-being. Because we have direct access to what Jesus in John 14:16 and 15:26 called a “Helper” or“Counselor” (the Holy Spirit) to provide necessary discernment. The Lord said in John 16:8, “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.”

 

Not a visible “check engine” light, but a very real Guide for our everyday lives: Sometimes shouting to our conscience, and other times speaking to us in a still, small voice. In addition to the Holy Spirit, God has provided us with another kind of light to tell when we’re on track, and when we’re not: the Scriptures.

 

Psalm 119:105 declares, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” The entire psalm – the longest in the Bible – affirms the importance of the Scriptures not only for the sweet by and by, but also for the nasty now and now. In Psalm 119:9-11 we read, ”How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”

 

Another passage explains how the Word of God helps to advance our spiritual growth: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Proverbs 6:23 offers a similar perspective: “For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life.”

 

Although we don’t have a physical check-engine light to warn us if we’ve gotten off course spiritually, God’s Spirit living in us and the Bible can serve in that way. The question is, will we devote enough time with the Lord and in His Word so that when critical junctures in life arrive, we can recognize the warning signals before disaster strikes?