Read a Book, Really!

There was a time that I hated reading...anything.  And, my growth level was stifled.  I heard the books that others were reading and how fellow leaders were growing because of what they were learning.  It dawned on me one day that I wasn't moving forward in opportunities largely because books were not in my interest area.  So, honestly, I prayed to God about it.  I mean, I really asked Him to give me not just an interest in reading, but a passion about growing.  It wasn't long after this particular prayer experience that I came across this challenge (in a book I was reading, of all things): "You'll be the same person you are now in five years except for two things - the books you read and the people you meet."  Well, I decided that if that was true, the last thing I wanted to be was the same person in five years.  That was many years ago now, and I can say that I love reading, really!  Books have become, in a way, a pastime for me. 

Consider these helps:

• Read daily, even if there's only time for a few paragraphs or one chapter.
• Grab those quiet moments for reading so as to really process the information.
• Read some books that you know will challenge your thinking and/or strengthen your convictions.
• Actually finish the book and don't just skim it.  (If it's really worth reading, it's worth finishing.)
• Ask what others are reading and recommend a good read along the way.

I've found that reading embodies companionship, instills confidence, stirs creativity, enlarges conscientiousness and almost demands a sense of conquest.  Anymore, I read for purpose and less for pleasure...gaining information that helps me devotionally and intellectually.  And, I continually find that God speaks primarily from His Word (first priority reading), but the translation of that also comes through the intellect and information of good writers.  So, I can read in the freedom of knowing the Holy Spirit as my filter and reading companion.  All of this to say:  READ A BOOK, REALLY!

What book is within your reach today that if you started to read it could help propel you forward?