Episode #71—The Importance of Reading: Cultivating a Lifelong Learning Habit

Reading is more than just a pastime—it’s an essential discipline that shapes our understanding of the world, deepens our faith, and equips us for effective leadership. As we enter the holiday season with more time on our hands, it’s worth reflecting on why reading matters and how we can cultivate this vital habit.

For Christians, reading serves as spiritual nourishment. Reading is essential for most Christians. Christians want to learn and reading aids learning. Hunger for knowledge should drive us to understand biblical truth through the wisdom of those who have walked with God before us.

The principle is simple yet profound: We stand on other people’s shoulders. While the Bible remains our ultimate authority, we benefit immensely from the insights of godly men and women who have wrestled with Scripture and life’s challenges. As the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us, “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9), and the wisdom of previous generations can illuminate our present struggles.

Leadership demands continuous learning. Leaders must be readers and, without this discipline, leaders become stale and parochial, limited only to what they already know. The broader one’s reading, the better one understands the world and people.

This principle proved invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Church leaders found wisdom in historical accounts of how pastors responded during the Black Death centuries earlier. Richard Baxter’s writings from four hundred years ago provided practical guidance for churches navigating whether to gather during a pandemic. Such historical perspective guards against what Lewis called “chronological snobbery”—the assumption that we in the present have all the answers.

Effective reading requires balance across multiple genres.

Biography and History. These genres provide perspective and encouragement. Reading about the struggles of godly men and women reveals that they faced similar challenges to ours, often handling them with greater wisdom. Presidential biographies, for instance, demonstrate that political struggles today echo those from the past—same problems, same sin issues. This historical perspective prevents tunnel vision and doom-and-gloom thinking.

Theology and Biblical Studies. These deepen our understanding of God and his word. When preparing sermons, pastors benefit from commentaries that provide insights they might never have discovered independently. Similarly, all Christians need theological growth, as God expects us to mature in our knowledge of him, as seen in his message to the church in Ephesus (Revelation 2:1–7).

Devotional Literature. Books like Thomas Watson’s The Godly Man’s Picture provide spiritual nourishment, convicting, challenging, and encouraging readers in their walk with Christ. Such reading serves as a form of spiritual sustenance.

Practical Christian Living. Books addressing specific life challenges—parenting, marriage, masculinity, femininity—equip believers to counter the lies prevalent in our culture. Reading truth serves as an antidote to deception, loading us with ammunition for “the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12).

Fiction. Novels serve a different but valuable purpose, particularly for relaxation. They can improve one’s storytelling ability, which enhances preaching and communication skills.

Modern technology offers new opportunities for reading. Audio books prove invaluable for those with lengthy commutes, while digital reading platforms (Kindle, Apple Books, Google Books, etc.) apps allow reading during waiting periods at doctors’ offices or government buildings. The key is recognising and seizing these moments rather than defaulting to mindless smartphone scrolling.

The challenge isn’t finding reasons to read—it’s finding time. With particularly thick books, taking it in small chunks is helpful. Read Calvin’s 1,000-page Institutes at five pages a day, and you will finish within a year. Schaff’s multi-volume History of the Christian Church can be read over a year in manageable chunks.

The secret lies in daily discipline and avoiding time-wasting activities. The hours many spend on YouTube or social media could transform into significant reading time. Fifteen minutes daily equals 3–5 pages, which amounts to 150–200 pages monthly—twelve substantial books annually.

Not all books merit our time. Choosing wisely involves seeking recommendations from mature believers and checking endorsements from trusted authors. This saves both money and precious time.

Parents who read to their children create future readers. This practice serves multiple purposes: quality time with children, equipping them with knowledge, and often teaching parents through children’s literature. The investment pays dividends across generations.

Reading begets reading. The more one reads, the greater the appetite becomes. However, this requires priming the pump during busy seasons when reading habits lapse. Once momentum builds, maintaining multiple books simultaneously becomes natural and enjoyable.

As we enter seasons of rest and reflection, let us embrace reading as both privilege and responsibility. Whether through physical books, digital formats, or audio versions, the goal remains constant: growing in wisdom, understanding, and godliness through the accumulated insights of those who have gone before us.

In our age of information overload, the discipline of sustained reading offers something increasingly rare: deep thinking, careful reflection, and the patient acquisition of wisdom. As Spurgeon reportedly said, every preacher needs “a Bible and a newspaper”—but we might add that every Christian needs the Bible and good books, for in them we find the tools to navigate both eternal truth and temporal challenges.

The invitation is clear: Read widely, read consistently, and read wisely. Your future self—and those you influence—will thank you for the investment.