Well, the obvious answer is of course the Bible. There, blog post done and I can now go eat lunch. But, no, that is not the full answer to the question above, even if it is a true and good answer.
While writing a book review the other week, as well as working on the lists I have shared here of both books I have read and would like to read, a thought occurred to me. Since I also share reflections regarding my Christian faith, I wondered what people would think regarding my reading habits and if they would find them compatible with my profession as a believer in Jesus Christ.
I will say up front that not everything I read would or could be called wholesome Christian literature. Many, though not all, are novels that deal with gritty subjects that are only suitable for a mature audience of readers. They often include sex, violence, addiction, and other related subjects. Likewise, they may or may not even include any mention of faith, religion, or redemption. So, does this dis-credit my testimony as a Christian? In the minds of some it may very well do so.
In Philippians 4:8 Paul writes, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (NIV translation.)
If I am reading books with such subjects as I mentioned above, can I still say I am following Paul’s advice about what things I should think on? I believe the answer to that question is yes. It is certainly important and vital to our personal Christian development to be mindful of the things we think about. Our thoughts, both positive and negative, are powerful and can exert a mighty influence on our actions taken on behalf of ourselves or in relation to those around us.
It doesn’t take long living in this world to discover that life is sometime hard and difficult. This is true no matter how hard we try to stay upbeat or positive and “look on the sunny side of life” as one song tells us to do. Babies cry, two-year-olds throw tantrums, teenagers push back and rebel, and adults find that adulting is not the promised life of easy living we dream of as children. Life is too often gritty and full of things that are messy and hard to deal with. The good news is that the Bible can and will help with any issue that life throws at us.
So, if the Bible can address and teach me how to deal with such things what do I find beneficial in reading works of fiction without a Christian worldview?
My reading experience over the years has taken me to places I have never been before. Including places I would never want to go to ever. Those places, those worlds, those lives lived by others (even if not real people) have taught me how to interact and deal with the very real lives of people I do encounter on a daily basis. It reminds me that every single person lives a life of their own pain, their own wounds, their own past histories that influence who they are and how they interact with and view the world around them. As a Christian, the best way, and perhaps the only way, to introduce and point someone to Christ is to meet them where they are not where I think they should be. Telling someone “Jesus loves you” is not going to get the same initial reaction from everybody in exactly the same way. Some people aren’t going to be at a point in their life where they even want to be loved.
So, for me these books open my eyes to how the world sometimes is in people’s lives. The Bible teaches me how the world should be and can be when we allow God to work in and through us. It is often a tricky balance to live in the world but not of the world. Yet, the truth is we can not turn a blind eye to the reality of the world. That is what I get out of reading such types of books.
My hope is that my reading list is not a stumbling block to anyone. To answer the question posed in the title of this post as to what a Christian should read, the best I can say is that it depends on the Christian and their individual relationship to Christ. My personal stance is that as long as the books I am reading are not influencing me in negative ways and turning my worldview away from what God wants from me, then they can be useful to me.
I confess, that my reading diet could use more books that encourage and challenge me along on my faith journey. That is something I am planning on adding to the table over the next couple of months. So, even if you happen to not like my fiction choices, please stick around and hopefully I’ll have some forthcoming reviews on books of a more spiritual nature.
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Notes from a Book Nerd 