Episode #35—Extra! Extra! Read All about It! Why Christians Should Read

Donald Whitney observes, “I’ve always found it to be true that growing Christians are reading Christians.” This connection between growth and reading isn’t accidental. We are all called to be growing Christians—disciples who grow and reproduce. But we cannot reproduce what we haven’t first cultivated in our own lives. Reading plays a vital role in this process of discipleship.

Reading serves two primary purposes: learning and leisure. The world is a fascinating place, full of interesting people and ideas worth exploring. Through reading, we gain knowledge about countless subjects while also finding rest and refreshment. Often, these two purposes overlap. We can learn from a book while thoroughly enjoying the reading experience.

As followers of Christ, we should read to learn because Jesus himself learned as he grew (Luke 2:52). He trained his disciples, and they learned as they followed him. While they lacked the abundance of resources available to us today, we have no such excuse. Through reading, we learn to be like Jesus and we learn wisdom. Wise people are teachable people, and reading cultivates humility by reminding us how much we have yet to learn. We’ll never reach the end of what we can learn, nor will we exhaust what we can read.

However, reading can be dangerous if we’re not careful. Paul warns, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). Knowledge that lifts us above others does indeed puff up. The antidote is to give away what we learn—sharing it with our children, spouses, fellow church members, and colleagues at work. When we equip ourselves in order to equip others, following Paul’s instruction to Timothy (2 Timothy 2:2), we prevent knowledge from becoming a source of pride.

While the Bible must remain our primary text, we shouldn’t limit our reading to Scripture alone. We shouldn’t read only for leisure. Novels, magazines, and light books have their place, but they shouldn’t dominate our reading diet. God didn’t create us to be mindless; he gave us minds to use. We begin with the mind even in our Christianity.

Donald Whitney places learning in the category of spiritual disciplines alongside Bible reading and prayer—a striking observation that elevates reading’s importance in the Christian life. We should read to learn whatever that means in our particular season and context, and we should read for leisure. These categories often overlap, particularly as we develop a genuine love of reading.

For those who find reading daunting, reflect on the truth that reading begets reading. The more you read, the more you’ll want to read. If you haven’t been reading much, you won’t initially desire it greatly. Pray that God will give you the desire, then feed that desire yourself. At first, reading might require conscious, disciplined decision-making. But persist, and the desire will grow. Your reading will beget more reading.

Varying your reading helps maintain interest. Switch between different genres—theology, biography, biblical studies, and fiction. Think of it as spreading a feast before yourself. Read your Bible, then a chapter of biography, then a chapter of a novel or non-fiction book. Before you know it, you’ve finished five books in a month.

No one has time to read. We must make time to read. We’re all busy to various extents, yet if we want to become readers, we must prioritise reading. We need to understand that God wants us to flourish, to be engaged in our minds, to enjoy our lives—and reading can be part of that flourishing.

Jean Fleming observed that women who don’t develop devotional disciplines, including reading, when they have young children rarely tend to develop them once they actually have time later on. This warning applies broadly: If we don’t make time for reading now, we won’t suddenly transform into people who make time for it later. We need to start practising now, developing these disciplines in the present, so that when we have more time, we’re prepared to use it well.

Eliminate digital distractions. Delete apps you spend too much time on. Anything you do on your phone takes away from time you could spend reading. Delete social media apps and only use them on your computer, or delete them over the weekend when you’re prone to waste time scrolling. Consider that scrolling on social media makes you physically tired—your mind races through countless images, adjusting and processing continuously. If you waste an hour on social media daily, that’s seven hours weekly. In that time, reading twenty pages an hour, you could finish a 200-page book in ten days—three books per month simply by redirecting one hour per day.

Make books visible. Leave books in your line of sight—in the kitchen, beside your bed, in the living room, on the dining room table. When books are visible, you’ll be reminded that reading is something you want to do.

Set a timer. Commit to reading for just 5–10 minutes. This manageable goal removes the intimidation factor.

Read aloud. If you struggle to focus, read aloud in your home. Don’t worry who hears you—if your children hear you, all the better.

Read quality books to your children. This counts as your reading time. Many children’s books are thoroughly enjoyable for adults: The Chronicles of Narnia; The Green Ember series; The Hobbit; How to Train Your Dragon; The Wingfeather Saga; Little House on the Prairie; etc. As you read to your children, you will learn, enjoy a good story, bond with your children, and build memories.

Try audiobooks. Audiobooks absolutely count as reading. You’re exposed to sophisticated language patterns not found in television or conversation. You’re inhabiting another world, diving into another person’s life. Audiobooks are accessible because they’re on your phone—you can “read” in traffic or while doing household tasks.

Use e-books. Keep a book on an e-book app like Kindle (which offers free books and good specials). This allows you to read at night when lights are off, or whenever you have a spare moment. Reading before sleep also helps you fall asleep faster.

Track your reading. Keep a list of books you’ve read each year. Seeing your progress provides motivation to continue.

Allow children screen time while you read. It’s acceptable for parents to give children screen time so they can read. Reading fills you up, and that’s important for your whole family.

Implement DEAR time. Author Beverly Cleary suggests having a DEAR time each day—Drop Everything and Read. Set a specific time, and when that time arrives, whatever you’re doing, stop and read for ten minutes. It’s doable and won’t derail your day.

Utilise short intervals. Keep books available for short reading intervals whilst waiting for appointments, collecting children from school, or cooking. Those small windows genuinely add up.

Set small goals. Commit to reading even one page per day or one book per year. Start small and grow from there.

Growing Christians are reading Christians. We read to learn, to grow in wisdom, to become more like Christ, and to equip ourselves so we can equip others. We read for leisure, for rest, for refreshment. We read with humility, recognising how much we have yet to learn. And we read generously, sharing what we’ve learned with those around us.

The question isn’t whether you have time to read. The question is whether you’ll make time to read. Start small, be consistent, and watch as reading begets more reading. Your growth as a disciple may well depend on it.