John Stott said that “the secret of holy living lies in the mind.” Books help us steward our minds: what we know and understand drives and directs how we feel and what we do. Reading is a potentially powerful tool for personal growth and blessing when it is done intentionally and biblically, but the reverse is also true. Reading is only a good thing for us, only a biblically legitimate pastime, if we are reading good things, things that align with Scripture. Because what we read will inform our theology and intellect and character, we need to think very carefully about what we read.

Some reading is not fun. There is nothing about reading my insurance policy that I enjoy, but I need to do it in order to learn what coverage I have. Some students read the textbook simply because they must in order to pass an exam, but they don’t enjoy it. We all have things that we need to read in order to live and work. Because we live in a Genesis 3 world, some reading is done by the sweat of our brows about as much fun as dealing with thorns and thistles.

We often look at reading for leisure as fun, but not useful. We just “need to check out” or “escape for a bit.” But as we read, our goal should not only be to enjoy a good story, but also to cultivate our tastes in biblical directions and to think critically about what we read. We tend to create a false dichotomy: things we read for learning must be solid and helpful but we can’t expect to have fun reading stuff like that.

Everything we read, including everything we read for leisure, teaches us something. The question is not whether we are learning from what we are reading; the question is, what is the book teaching us? The “Christian” romance novel teaches something just as surely as Calvin’s Institutes do. This does not mean that our leisure time must be filled with massive, theological works. There is a legitimate need to read something easy and entertaining now and then as part of resting from our labor and enjoying God’s gifts. Since we are always learning, we need to choose leisure reading that teaches us useful, biblically compatible things. Books are like friends — we must pick them carefully, then enjoy them!

This may sound like it narrows our options significantly. It does. Satan loves to make piety look narrow and difficult and pharisaical. But, like Adam and Eve staying away from the forbidden fruit, steering clear of written junk will spare us from wasted time and wasted minds. So out of the millions of books out there, how can we choose? How can we spend our precious spare time reading something that will teach while it refreshes us? What sort of book will that be? God gives us standards; He also gives us freedom and great variety, reflecting His own lavish creativity.

Everything we read should be written well. Some authors misuse and abuse language, and teach readers to do the same. I don’t only mean that they are using bad words, but that they are simplistic, have poor grammar and syntax, and little beauty. Choose something that is beautifully written, where the use of language is lovely. We should also be reading books where the story goes somewhere intellectually or emotionally. Look for books that have characters who challenge you with their courage, love, and thinking, or perhaps don’t have these things at the beginning of the book but do by the end. We have limited time to read; let’s not waste it with poor quality language, plot, or character. Beyond reading quality, though, we should be reading broadly. Just as God has given us a huge variety of foods for our eyes, noses, and mouths to enjoy, so He has blessed us with many genres and styles that are enjoyable and stretch us. Here are a few categories that you might want to explore.

Poetry⤒🔗

There is something about poetry that is a little different: it puts things in a slightly unfamiliar way so that we can see the beauty or sadness or humor in the ordinary:

Lose something every day.
Accept the fluster of lost door keys,
the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

Biography←⤒🔗

Biography introduces us to people who have shaped the world in which we live. Christian biographies should be on your reading list; non-Christian ones should, too. People like Louis Pasteur, Margaret Thatcher, kings, doctors, explorers, artists — God made each and used each. We can enjoy the personalities and contributions of folks who have lived before us.

Nature and Science←⤒🔗

Solomon sets an example for us of being a student of botany, zoology, and more. Read science books. They don’t have to be huge and technical; they can be downright fun. Some of the things I have learned from reading science books have made me enjoy trips to Meijer Gardens, the pediatrician, the beach, and restaurants even more, as I (an English and history person!) understand and see a little bit more of God’s incredible orchestration of all the parts and interactions. Believe it or not, reading some fun science in your spare time will make the rest of your time a little more amazing.

And most importantly, we should be reading the Bible. Nothing else will be inerrant, infallible, and holy. Nothing else is the Word of God. So, of course, we should be read­ing it! Obviously, Scripture is always for learning, but we need to view it more and more as something we are able to do, something we free ourselves to instead of bind ourselves to do. Reading the Bible enables us to evaluate and utilize everything else that we read. The Spirit shapes our minds by the mold of revealed truth. Knowledge of the Lord lies at the epicenter of the New Testament era. The mind is vital (1 Cor. 14), and it is Scripture that guides reconciliation between our mind and God’s mind (Rom. 1:28 to 8:5-8). Reading the Bible helps us think God’s thoughts after Him, and whether we are working or playing, that’s always a wonderful perspective to hold.

The Arts←⤒🔗

This includes painting, sculpture, architecture, and music. Explore the creative arts! This allows you to not only enjoy beauty, but to open venues for your own, God-given creativity. Studying the arts allows us to see God’s own creativity more clearly, too. Maggie Paton, missionary John Paton’s wife, said that if the only result of drawing lessons were that you could appreciate the colors and lines of creation better, then they were worth it. When you read about landscape painting, you cannot glorify God less when you look at creation. When you understand music better, you can praise in song more skillfully. Protestantism had a strong tradition of excellence in the creative arts that the Reformed community allowed to be hijacked a long time ago. Let’s not deprive ourselves or our families of this cultural heritage, or stunt contribution to it. The arts belong to God; do not live as though they were outside the Christian sphere.

History←⤒🔗

If history is God’s unveiling of His plan for humanity, then we should understand it. Histories of Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, Australia and the South Pacific, histories of exploration, politics, the church — all build us up in present interest and future usefulness. A person who understands the themes of Western and Eastern history as they see the causes and outcomes of national events is prepared to serve well as a citizen and church member because he is better able to understand God’s work in this world, the greatness of the church, and his humble place within that. History gives us a perspective on the world and ourselves. There are so many different kinds of history, there really is something for everyone. Whether you love running a business and find the history of borrowing and lending interesting, or if you enjoy cooking and can delve into a history of food, there is amazing variety.

Novels←⤒🔗

A good novel accurately reflects what life is like and gives us a storyline that helps us retain and understand it. A good novel shows what life does to people’s relationships and characters, warning and encouraging us by example, even as it entertains. Bad novels lie about human nature and the consequences of sin, but good ones can be handbooks to understanding people and social situations. So often, novels have helped me understand what people are thinking or where a conversation is heading. Novels not only help us understand people; they help us understand ourselves as we see our own strengths and weaknesses played out in front of us.