I love to read! Yet like most busy women, I don’t have as much time for reading as I’d like. But summer usually presents me with more opportunities for reading Christian books and working through Bible studies. I can read while we travel, in the early summer mornings, late summer nights, while my kids swim, and so on. Diving into exceptional Christian works is time well invested because these sorts of books can really challenge and inspire us Christian women!
Why should we read books other than the Bible when we want spiritual growth?
God speaks to us through His word! The Bible is certainly the “Book of books” and should always be at the top of our reading lists. Bible reading should be a priority. But reading other great books is important to.
After all, God has blessed some authors with amazing insight and unique talent. When they share their testimony, experiences, and imagination, we’re inspired to grow as we learn from them. The message within books isn’t bound by time and space. We can learn from writers like Corrie Ten Boom, Saint Augustine, Charles Spurgeon, and other authors who have lived long ago or far away.
Books that getting us thinking about true, noble, and praiseworthy things are setting our thoughts on the things that matter!
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8
We are called to live like Christ. When we do this, we are extending God’s love, compassion, and grace to others. Authors can do this through their written works. Though an author’s earthly words will never be God’s words like the Holy Bible is, their words can be signposts that point us to God. We can feel loved by God and helped by Him when a writer shares their gift with us.
We can use the situations we read about as “what if” scenarios. Like, “what if this happened to me? How would I respond? What if I were this character (for fiction) or what if I were in the author’s shoes (for non-fiction)? What does the Bible say about this situation?” Great books can challenge our thinking!
Being Careful of Theology
The Bible was penned by humans but breathed and inspired by God Himself (2 Timothy 3:16), so it is perfect. On the other hand, works by human authors may contain theological errors. Because of this, we must be careful not to accept anything as theologically true without fact checking it against God’s Word.
This isn’t exactly a negative, it’s just another opportunity to grow! Reading, even books outside of the Bible, can be an avenue to learning theological truths when we compare them to Scripture.
Our Series
We hope you’ll join us this month as we, your DoNotDepart team, look into a few books that have inspired, challenged, or otherwise been “signposts” to us, pointing us to God and His truths.
If you are looking for an exceptional book to read this summer, this series may just provide you with a few choices!
I know I’m excited to add some books to my ever-growing list. I hope you’re excited, too!
What great books have you read recently? Why do you enjoy reading quality Christian works?
Blessings,
Ali
Join the Discussion