Beyond Knowledge: Harvesting Wisdom from Books (New Series Intro)
In my part of the world, autumn means back to school. And going to school often means reading.
When I was young, I enjoyed reading. But like many, once I hit college, that love for reading waned a bit.
But now, as an adult—no longer in school—I have rediscovered reading again. And most of all, the joy—and fun!—of reading with friends.
So for this new series, I thought I’d delve into some books that have not just been thought-provoking but have challenged me to make changes in my life. It was hard to pick!
But these are the ones I refer back to—and refer out—over and over. The things I have learned from these faithful saints have been incorporated into my own voice, much of it woven into this blog. They have helped me connect the dots from a faith that lives in my head to one that is lived out in my life.
Maybe you’re not a big fan of reading. I hope you’ll stick with me anyway. If nothing, I hope it’ll stir your curiosity.
Or maybe you’re not fully convinced we should rely on other human authors. They’re fallible and could lead us astray. While that is true, there are other good reasons to take that risk. Here are five of mine.
Reason #1: Reading helps us grow into our sainthood.
As believers, one way we glorify God and show our love for Him is to become like Jesus. As saints, we want to grow into who we are.
However, as exiles and pilgrims, we live in a world that doesn’t encourage that. Not to mention our own battle with the sin that remains in us.
Reading good books then becomes a way to help me grow to become like Christ.
Reason #2: Reading helps us identify contemporary applications of biblical truth.
While the Bible is a timeless book, our world is constantly changing. Thoughtfully written books can help bridge Scripture and translate it into our contemporary culture.
At the same time, reading books that were written in another era also benefits us. It is remarkable that some books written in ancient times still deal with issues that are relevant today.
Those are usually issues that we struggle within ourselves—greed, lust, weakness, suffering—these have been part of the human condition since the fall. Taking time to hear how faithful saints of the past dealt with these same issues can help us today.
Reason #3: Reading helps us see things from another’s perspective.
It’s easy for us to see life from our narrow grid. One thing I have loved about reading is to hear how others view life. Even a novel can help me get out of my own world.
Understanding that there are different perspectives, especially how an unbeliever might see it, helps prevent tunnel vision. It helps me grow in understanding. In grace.
Reason #4: Reading provides practical preparation in advance of when I need it.
When I was expecting my first child, I would read to find out what’s in store. With every stage of my children’s development, I would try to get a “preview” by looking ahead to the next season to come.
If you know a transition is coming, reading a good book on that topic can help us to approach it with a new perspective. It gives us concerns to watch out for. It also comforts me, knowing that they are common experiences.
These have then shaped the way I approach these seasons. I have a better understanding of how to walk through them with grace and faith.
Reason #5: Reading equips me to serve others.
Sometimes a friend comes to me for help. She asks me for advice—but I’m not sure how to help. So I recommend her a book from someone who can say it better than I can.
Reading can be a form of counsel. It takes our collective wisdom and uses it to aid one another.
A Word of Warning
One thing that I have had to watch out for was—for a lack of a better term—knowledge gluttony. You know what I mean?
It’s easy for us to read a lot and not take the time to let it sink in. Especially when it’s convicting! It’s easy to keep things in our heads and not let it get into our hearts.
There are several ways I counteract this tendency:
1. Read with a pen in hand.
I generally don’t like to mark up my books. Some people do.
But however you do it, I like to pause after a chapter to identify something of note: a quote that resonates, an idea to try, or a question to ponder. I collect these and then review them after I finish the book, looking for ideas and themes in the things that grab me. Even better, I plan a morning to process the book.
Tip: Over the past few years, I have been trying to switch to e-reading. I like the Kindle app on my iPad as it offers me four different colors to highlight. I assign a different color for different ideas, then I can look at my highlights by color to review.
After I’m done with the book, I send a copy of my highlights and notes to myself for easy review. That way, when I think “Where is that quote?” I can find it relatively easily.
2. Read with others.
I really enjoy discussing books with others as it slows me down to digest. In fact, I think this is true for any of these ideas—the more I slow down, the more time I give myself to interact with a book’s ideas.
When I do that with others, I get to hear what resonates with them. Sometimes I completely miss whole ideas but my friends bring it out and shed new light on them. I am enriched.
3. Share what you read in conversation.
Some books really strike a chord in me. The ones that I’ll be sharing in this season have.
Every time I try to take one of those ideas and communicate it to someone else, my mind is forced to take the idea and reframe it to benefit someone else. This always requires deeper thinking.
An even better way of sharing is through using books to disciple others. As I read to help another believer grow, I too am changed. In such a personal relationship, my life is challenged to live in consistency with what I teach.
Reading as a Way of Life
For me, reading is part of my own personal liturgy, a purposeful part of my own “rule of life.” I aim to read about 10 pages a day, usually in the morning, on my Kindle.
In the afternoon, during my walk, I like to listen to some fiction on audiobook, just to step into a different world. This is important for me as a counselor as it helps me to understand the inner workings of people that are very different from myself.
There’s always more books to read than I have time for so I like to preview them on audiobook as I do my housework using a service called Everand. This gives me an overall sense of the book’s message, style, and direction. If I think I’d like to read it with others, I do a second pass, for an opportunity to interact with it first before using it in a discussion group.
And that is the real challenge, isn’t it? Taking what you have learned and applying it. So after I read, I pause to journal my thoughts and write down some particular ways I can start living it.
If reading is a stretch for you, start by making it a project to finish just one book. If, after finishing one, you decide it is something you’d like to continue doing, then work on making it a habit.
Whatever you do, make sure to take time to identify one key area where the book addresses. Think of one person or one situation or one thought pattern to grow in. And then take the new insights you’ve learned and ask yourself how they might change how you respond when that person, situation, or thought crosses your path again.
Conclusion
Reading books is no replacement for reading the Bible. If all you’re doing is reading books, we will lack the basic foundations we need to read wisely. It would be easy to fall prey to the limitations and weaknesses of our common humanity.
But books can be a great supplement to your Bible reading. With a solid foundation of Scripture, we can then also begin to learn from the wisdom God gives His saints. We want our orthodoxy to turn into orthopraxy.
So with that said, let’s dig into some good books!
