How to read more in 2024

It’s that time of year again, social media is full with pictures of books that people received at Christmas, reading goals are being put into the world and some are asking the question “how can I read more in 2024?”. Personally, I think it’s a good thing. I think reading is a good discipline that you can use to help you in your spiritual walk with Jesus. Reading the right materials can point you to Jesus, help your grow in your knowledge of Him and make you more into His likeness by the enabling of the Holy Spirit.

I believe that reading is important for Christians because it is one of the ways that we are exposed to materials that will fuel our devotional life and help us grow in our knowledge of Christ and so having our minds transformed we become more like Christ.

But when someone asks how they can read more I always first ask why. If your motivation to read more is so that you can boast and be filled with pride, that’s not good. If your desire to read more is because you want to grow, or you know that reading is a weakness that you want to improve on, great.

The most important piece of advise is, read your Bible first! Charles Spurgeon, a prolific reader and writer said “Visit many good books but live in the Bible”. Always prioritise reading your Bible over other books.

But there are other bits of advice I would give:

1. Choose your book well

If you struggle with reading don’t go straight for a heavy hitting 500+ page theology book. Start off with something lighter than you will enjoy. Reading can often be a discipline before it is a delight.

Side note: You don’t only have to read Christian books! Enjoy a story? Read fiction!

‌2. Read around!

‌- Read books that you disagree with. As a Pastor I find it helpful to know what people in church are reading to have conversations. Reading those you disagree with also means you’re more able to fully understand their position (and not mischaracterise!) and argue accordingly.

– Read outside of your own circles (theological, cultural, etc.)

‌3. Ask others

Find out what other people are reading and what they’ve found helpful. Ask your Pastor what’s encouraged or challenged him lately. Read bloggers and book reviewers to get a feel for what’s out there. There is so much published, as an book reviewer, I like to try take some of the work off of you and pick out the good books from the piles.

Listen to the voices of older more mature saints and learn from them, listen to the voices of people you respect. Just because a book is new doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better than older material.

Maybe you struggle with reading, If you do then read with others. You don’t have to struggle alone. Create a reading group, or read with someone you are discipling to help all involved grow.

‌4. Ask good questions

Do you agree? Why do/don’t you agree? Do you need to act upon it? Will this affect your prayer life/marriage/church attendance/habits/sleeping patterns/feelings towards someone?

‌Other bits of advice…

– Reading isn’t only about books. If you struggle with reading books, you can read blogs, reviews, articles, etc. use all the tools at your disposal to help you where you’re at and always remember, the focus should always be quality over quantity!

‌- Always carry a book with you, instead of scrolling through social media, read something. Engage your mind, we don’t need to becomes slaves to our screens.

There’s plenty more that could be said and there are other ideas that could help, but hopefully this gives you a little start to help you read more in 2024.