I love to read. Those who know me well often hear me referencing books I am reading or have read. Given my reputation as an avid reader, I often have people asking me this question: How can I grow as a Reader? I love that question, and there is much we can do to help ourselves read more, and to read better. I’ll post my suggestions in two parts. First, I will suggest advice for those who do not read that much currently, and want to get themselves into reading more. Second, in a later article, I will suggest advice for readers, who are looking to find ways to read more than they currently do. Here are my tips for those who do not read that much, and would love for that to change in 2021.
Learn To Read
This first tip is not meant to be insulting, or belittling. The reality is, most people do not know how to read well. More than simply identifying words and rushing through pages, reading requires prolonged, critical engagement with thoughts and arguments. Every author is making an argument to you, and the reader needs to be able to engage with the authors flow of thought and the development of his/her argument. This takes time, and is a skill worth learning well. You can check out the famous book, How to Read a Book, by Mortimer Adler, to get you started.
Read What Interests You
Often, when somebody wants to grow as a reader, they think they need to begin by jumping into major works, on subjects they “ought” to be interested in. In my context, I meet individuals often who say they want to grow as a reader, and immediately think that means they should take on Herman Bavinck’s 4 volume Reformed Dogmatics. While such reading might work out for them, often, new readers would be best served starting small, and in areas where they find genuine interest in. Do you like baseball? Read a book on a baseball topic you find intriguing. Do you think history is kind of cool? Go pick up a good book on a compelling era of history. There is no need to get going on a 1,500 page work by a major theologian if you’re going to drop out after 20 pages. Read fiction. Read good, compelling books on the christian life from the best authors (C.S. Lewis, Kevin DeYoung, etc). I constantly find myself reading books on economics, Winston Churchill, and the New England Patriots, because that drives my passion for reading. Reading books you are interested in will make you a better reader, develop more interests that you can read up on, and give you momentum for tackling bigger books.
Quit Bad Books…But Not Too Fast
What happens if you find yourself reading a book, and it is just absolutely dull? We don’t want to waste too much of our precious time on bad books, and let’s be honest, there are a lot of bad books. One blogger made the sad, but true observation that we will not have time in our short lives to read everything we would like to. Therefore, we need to prioritize what we read, and be willing to move on from bad books that only waste time for good books. I learned a rule on when to quit bad books which I find helpful. The rule goes like this – Take 100, and subtract your age. That is how many pages you must read of a book before you can quit it. This keeps you from quitting too fast(some books just take time to get going) and allows you to quit before you’ve spent too much time on it. At the time of this writing, I now give every book 71 pages before I quit. This rule has paid off both ways, both in keeping my in good books which started slow, and allowing me to ditch bad books not worth my time.
Buy More Books
Some people think the best way to buy books, is only to buy them as you are able to read them. This may be very financially responsible, but it actually limits how many books you end up reading. Al Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, shared his recommendations with a group of pastors at a local conference. He said “if you wait to buy books for only when you’re going to read them, you’re going to miss out on a lot of good books”(paraphrase). I think he is right. If you we’re to tally up the most important books in my life, most of them were books I had owned for several years. Books picked up at a conference, in a store, on Amazon, and held until later on prove to be a very fruitful investment. Use discernment, yes, and practice good stewardship, but don’t hold back on picking up a book that has caught your eye simply because you won’t get to it for a while.
Read Together
Reading with others can provide good accountability for everyone involved. If you know that you will be meeting with friends to discuss a few chapters this week, you will be far more attentive to getting it done. Reading together also allows you to benefit from the insight of others. I started a book club at our church early on in my ministry, because I knew getting people together to share their insights into a book would be immensely helpful. People see things differently, and that can be helpful as we engage a good book.
Use Good Books as Kindling For Faith
One of the main reasons I read so much early on in my christian life, was because I had to. I started following Christ in 2010, and shortly thereafter began struggling with spiritual depression. As I fought through the fog that seemed to always be present in my life, I turned to good books to help my faith stay alive. Dane Ortlund, a fellow pastor in my Presbyter, wrote a very helpful article some time ago, and spoke regarding the importance of good books:
I would add a sixth word of counsel: read Richard Sibbes. Or John Bunyan. Or Thomas Goodwin. Or Jonathan Edwards. Or Spurgeon or Owen or Calvin or Whitefield or Charnock or Ryle or Packer or anyone whose heart was in heaven while his feet were on earth and who writes accordingly. When your soul is sullen, shock it to life with the defibrillator of old books.
Read good books, because they serve your faith, your joy, and keep your heart tethered to Christ.
Don’t Compare Yourself To Other Readers
We do not read to make ourselves feel good, or to be better than other members at church. We read because it’s good for our souls, and it serve our hearts delight. If you find yourself being discouraged because others read more than you, remember that people have different dispositions and preferences. Some people(me) are just nerdier than the rest, and find constant reading to be a joy. Comparison will not be able to sustain the desire to read more, only joy can. Recognize that the reason you should read more is because it is good, important, and healthy. We are justified by faith alone, not by pages read, so challenge yourself to read more this year than you did last, and give yourself grace when others seem to be moving quicker than you.