Remember the phrase “Garbage in, garbage out”? What you put into your body has a consequence. Eat healthily, and you will be healthy. Eat unhealthily, and you will be unhealthy. This applies to our inner world, too, our minds, our hearts, our emotions. So it is crucial to pay attention to what you are watching, reading, and listening to. If it is garbage – lies, ugliness, nastiness, and filth – then it will have an effect on you. The garbage will come out.
So we have this appeal in the Proverbs…
Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Buy the truth and do not sell it— wisdom, instruction, and insight as well. Proverbs 23:22-23 NIV
How do we buy the truth and value it? How do we buy wisdom, instruction, and insight? One way is by reading books. We buy the truth by buying (literally) and buying into (reading) wholesome, instructional, and inspiring books. The “garbage in, garbage out” principle works for good too, Goodness in, good out.
So what good books are you reading?
Let me share with you some on my list from the past few months:
- The book of Nehemiah in the Bible. Just finished this read on leadership and being a peacemaker. Now I am going into the book of Esther, also in the Bible. That is an excellent read on courageously trusting God in the face of trials and danger.
- Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America From The Culture of Contempt by Arthur C. Brooks. Worth the read on applying Jesus’ call to love others different from us in a time of increasing strife. During my recent vacation, I read this book on my iPad, a great way to conserve space in my carry-on bag!
- Beyond Order: 12 More Rules For Life by Jordan Peterson. I loved Peterson’s first book, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos. Heady stuff that I had to work through at a slower-than-usual pace.
- The Reckoning: Death and Intrigue in the Promised Land. A true detective story by Patrick Bishop. This book tells the story of Avraham Stern, a high-profile mastermind of a series of terrorist attacks in then-British-occupied Palestine in the 1940s. I found it provided some great insights into the Zionist movement and the establishment of modern-day Israel.
- The Chronicles of Narnia (all 7 seven books) by C.S.Lewis. While children’s books, there is plenty for adults to enjoy and ponder – particularly since Lewis was one of our time’s preeminent Christian thinkers.
- Live Not By Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents by Rod Dreher. Dreher interviewed several Christians who lived through the terrible communist totalitarian persecutions of the Soviet era. From their testimonies, Dreher provides a road map for Christians in the West who are now facing what he calls the “soft totalitarianism” of our time.
- Win at Work, Succeed at Life by Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt Miller. I have not read this book yet, but I am intrigued by the title and use Michael Hyatt’s work planners.
- Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe by Voddie T. Baucham, Jr. My wife, Shannon, an avid reader, recommended that I read this book. She regularly referenced it in our tea time chats, so it is on my to-be-read-soon list!
Reading good books is good for your soul. Make time to do it every day. Just one page a day over time will be such a benefit.
So, what ya reading?
Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. Proverbs 19:27 NIV
Have read through the Chronicles of Narnia with the boys in the past and it was a blast. Mostly have just been reading scripture: specifically Luke, Matthew, and Ephesians. Excerpts from Revelation and Daniel. The end times prophesies seem to be knocking ever louder on our doorstep and I struggle to balance living a godly life leading others to Christ and fighting for the country that I love living in. I know cognitively that all is for naught without Christ, but how far do we let the devil push us in this life before striking back? It’s a wrestle for me.
Thanks for sharing Tim
Hey Didi, thank you for the inspirational blog message! I would like to share what I’ve been reading lately. I’ve been reading the Love Comes Softly book series and I’m almost finished with book 4 titled Love’s Abiding Joy. I really enjoy reading about how other folks use their faith in God to get through life’s difficulties.
Thanks for sharing Rob
Hi Didi , thank you for the opportunity to Hear what others are reading. I found a book by John Owens entitled “spiritual mindedness” .He was a theologian/preacher of the 17th century, the time of the Puritans. It is abridged. Also , Several months ago I decided to know the who , What, where , when and why of the Old covenant and the history of my fellow Believers . I’ve made it to the end of second Chronicles and the story is beginning To come together in my understanding .
Great stuff Bob!
Since returning to my relationship with God in 2018 I try find books on how to become a better Christian.
I have read a couple from Chuck Colson and am presently reading Jim Cymbala’s “Strength through the storm” and “Being Christian” by Stephen Arterburn and John Shore, along with daily Bible chapters,just finished “Isaiah ” re-reading “Acts” for the umpteenth time!