Dear Reader: What’s the Point of Reading?
Dear Reader,
What’s the point of reading, anyway?
There’s something in that question that makes you squirm, isn’t there? Something that makes you feel little, and vulnerable, and inadequate. Something that makes you picture that scoffing high school student, who intimidates you, even though they’ll never earn your respect. Or that frighteningly intellectual neighbour, who makes you feel like you can’t stand up for Jesus until you parry every question with a bullet-proof answer. Or maybe that insistent friend-and-relation, who really loves you, but thinks your family made all the wrong choices for your education.
They stand there—in your imagination, if not in real life—and they ask you, “What’s the point of reading, anyway?”
Is there really a good answer?
If you’re now squirming more than you were at the original question, you’re not alone.
Really. Truly. You’re not alone.
One of the most subtle, but at the same time most devastating, messages the devil can send us, is that the things we care about don’t matter. And that’s really the core message tucked away in that niggling little question, “What’s the point of reading, anyway?”
Reading doesn’t matter—or they wouldn’t be asking, right?
Let’s not swallow that logic without a struggle. Because the truth of the matter is, there are strong, compelling, God-honouring reasons not just to read, but to be passionate about doing it.
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I Read Because I Like It!
Honesty can be embarrassing, but was this the first reason that came to your mind, when you saw my question up above? It’s the first reason I thought of, when I sat down to write this post.
It isn’t anything to be ashamed of, either!
Even if there were no other reason in the world for loving books, reading is something you enjoy. It’s something lots of people enjoy. And God made His world to be enjoyed! He gave you your love for the printed page.
It’s a part of who you are. A wonderful part. A part that He is going to use, over and over again, for His kingdom.
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I Read Because I Need To!
Unless you’re assembling Ikea furniture—or possibly following Lego instructions—reading has a way of being necessary. And this goes beyond our need to understand road signs, answer party invites, or figure out whether a cereal is gluten-free.
Yes, video, audio, and graphic technology offer us a lot. But the written word is still at the core of our information sources. We read textbooks to discover facts and ideas. We read history and biography to borrow from the wealth of those who went before us. We read inspirational literature to kindle our enthusiasm. We read the Bible, as God’s direct Word to all of humanity. And this leads us to our final—and ultimate—reason to read:
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I Read for God!
From the time that God called the Israelite nation out of Egypt, and gave them His Word in the form of the Mosaic Law, the gift of reading and the gift of God’s revelation have gone hand in hand.
God has sanctioned, blessed, promoted books in a way He has singled out few other material things.
And just as He has protected and preserved His written Word through history, sometimes against incredible odds, so I believe He will protect and preserve mankind’s ability to access that Word by protecting and preserving our ability to READ.
That’s the Point of Reading!
Is reading on the decline? It’s true that the number of Americans who read for pleasure (or profit, or whichever of our above-listed reasons motivates people to sit down and pick up a book) has declined over the past twenty years. While world literacy is at an all-time high, Western society’s passion for sustained reading is in a bit of a valley.
So does that mean you’re old-fashioned, irrelevant, or just plain weird, if you still love a good book?
Absolutely not!
It may—possibly—land you in a perceived minority. But what’s so bad about being a minority, when you’re also a guardian of one of humanity’s most priceless treasures?
Keep on reading! Because reading has a point.
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Whether you’re a parent looking for worthwhile book recs, a teacher trying to fill classroom story time, or a reader who just loves great literature, our top ten children’s classics list is a great place to start.