On the Importance of Reading Daily

Never before in our nation’s history has reading been more under assault.  I say this from a place of personal struggle… my iPad is used more often than my books!  And not always to read, but to click, amuse myself and to escape boredom.  But that is not the way God designed us to live.  We are made in His image, so we are designed to follow His lead in our lives.  God chose to reveal Himself most completely to us in a book…. The Bible.  It is a collection of books, rather than videos.  It is a collection of words, not pictures.  It is a collection of inspired thoughts written down and the expectation from God is that we would read those words… and others.   God did not arrange this as an accident of the times.  It was intentional that He revealed Himself through an inspired book.

This is not to say that all other forms of media are inherently evil.  They are not.  However, it is hard for me imagine a faithful Christian journeying through life without reading God’s Word.  The Bible is our springboard to wider reading.  I read widely, engaging with the work of non-Christian thinkers and believers alike.  I aim to understand both my own Christian faith and the dissenting viewpoint of other image bearers.  While this can often be done through pictures and video, there is no replacement for the reality that reading is the most effective way to apprehend truth and understand ideas. 

If you wish to lead or understand anything, commit yourself to daily reading.  It can be small.  You can read a single chapter of The Bible or even one section of a newspaper.  You can read a chapter of a novel you enjoy.  Whatever it is, make reading part of your daily life.  Share what you discover with others.  Ask them about their reading interests.  Form a book club.  You will find yourself more at ease, more reflective and more contemplative about God’s role in your life.  May God bless you in your quest to understand Him and your life.

Fr. Gavin Pate

Photo by Blaz Photo on Unsplash