By Eric Moulton
“ The man who does not read good books has no
advantage
over the man who can’t read them.”
~ Mark Twain
Reading was never on my
list of “top ten
things to do for fun” growing up. This may
seem strange given the fact that I come from a family
of voracious readers. This may seem even stranger
given the fact that I am also the son of a local
book merchant. Maybe you can relate to the problem
of generating excitement towards reading. My desire
and attitude toward reading began to change, however,
shortly after becoming a Christian my freshman year
of college. For one thing, I discovered the Word
of God, which happened to come in book form. As a
young, zealous believer, I was captivated by every
word from its pages. Subsequently, I spent a lot
of time reading it. In addition, I began to discover
that there were a lot of cool books written about
the Bible, which were very useful to my growth as
an eager, young disciple. Suddenly, I found myself
lingering more and more around the inspirational
section of my mother’s bookstore. In a very
short span of time, the Lord had transformed my attitude
towards reading and studying. I enjoyed reading anything
I could if I felt it would help me grow in my relationship
with Jesus. My hunger for reading accelerated even
more after entering the ministry as a youth pastor.
I began to realize that reading and study was not
only enjoyable, but also crucial for personal growth
and sustained, effective ministry. It is reported
that John Wesley held high standards of reading for
those desiring to become a Methodist circuit rider.
He himself devoted five hours a day to study and
reading. Apparently, he read volumes of material
while traveling throughout England on horseback.
The very nature of the Christian life is one of journey
and discovery. It is to grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The challenge of being a youth pastor (or any kind
of minister of the gospel) is tremendous. Going to
God on behalf of man and going to man on behalf of
God is a yoke of unprecedented privilege and responsibility. The tumultuous
waters of our times and the fact that we live in the epicenter of the blossoming “Information
Age” create a daunting challenge for those seeking to make an impact
for the Kingdom of God. The present tidal wave of information and resources
available are enough to send some weary travelers stumbling away in a drunken
stupor known as “information fatigue”, completely overwhelmed by
the immensity of material zapping about the globe. This becomes even more heightened
for a minister of the gospel, because, as Ravi Zacharias insightfully remarks,
 |
One of the important roles of the
preacher is to be
a connector…but for a pastor to connect fragmented
lives takes hard work. Most professions afford the
luxury of one line of thinking. If I am a biology teacher,
for example, biology is my discipline and all I need to
keep up with…but a pastor or Christian teacher today
has to keep up with so many fields because the audience
is so diversified, and the pastor is looked up to for
wisdom in trying to connect it all. |
This should be a persuasive argument for the necessity
of systematic, disciplined reading by every minister
of the gospel, including youth pastors (especially
youth pastors!). Rarely have I met a victorious and
fruitful man or woman of God who was not also an
industrious reader- a student of the Word first,
a student of all manner of discourse second. In a
world that discards the church altogether as an institution
that lacks relevance to the sophisticated citizens
of the 21st century, the need for ministers to be
mentally sharp is critical. Every Bible study, every
teaching opportunity, every pulpit appointment, every
witnessing opportunity, every conversation with a
student will be fruitful only when we are saturated
with the Word of God and mentally astute to the mindset
and worldview of the lost in our culture. Your reading
and your study impact your ministry profoundly. Every
young leader should soberly take stock of their reading.
Listed below are several reasons why young leaders
should be reading as a daily discipline for the glory
of God.
Reading & study is certainly a discipline prescribed
by the Lord Himself, who communicates to people primarily
through His Word, the Holy scriptures. It is not
only to be preached and taught, but we are to read
it, study it, meditate on it and memorize it. As
we seek to raise up a generation of students who
study the Word of God, we must set the pace and model
it for them. It must be a top priority and discipline
in our lives as youth workers. Deuteronomy 6:6-9
admonishes us,
|
These commandments
that I give you today are to be
upon your hearts. Impress them on your children.
Talk about them when you sit at home and when you
walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get
up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on
your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your
houses and on your gates. |
It is imperative that we, like Timothy, heed the words of the Apostle Paul,
who admonishes us in 2 Timothy 2:15,
|
“Do your
best to present yourself as one approved,
a workman who does not need to be ashamed and
who correctly handles the word of truth.” |
It pleases the heart of
God when we seek to be prayed up and studied up
and ready to dispense treasure
from the Lord upon those to whom you minister. The
current mantra in youth work circles is that youth
workers should spend all their time hanging out with
youth and very little time in the office. While the
heart behind this idea is benevolent, it lacks proper
balance and health for ministry. Jesus didn’t
just “hang out” with the disciples, He “poured
out” over them the word of God and used every
opportunity for practical application. The point
is that He had something to give them as result of
His preparation (like when He was twelve in the temple
courts having a “light” theological discussion).
If we want to have something to give young people
we had better be not only prayed up, but “studied-up” as
well. I have been amazed at how God will use something
that I am reading or studying to illustrate or demonstrate
the truth of His Word that I happen to be reading.
Often what I am reading outside of the Bible will
prompt me to reflect on the scripture I happen to
be studying. This in turn triggers or fuels an idea
for a sermon or teaching for young people. The Holy
Spirit will use all your reading for His glory if
it is submitted to His authority. God honors those
who do their homework!
Over the years I have noticed the tendency in my
own life of becoming very isolated in “churchworld”.
This is a most serious plague that impacts those
in the full-time ministry in a major way. Jesus was
the master at being in the world but never of it.
The perspective of the lost is now and will continue
to be that the church is oblivious to what is happening
in the world until we in the church rise up and prove
otherwise. One way to engage in cultural dialogue
is by reading. As I mentioned in the introduction,
the "ready-abled" minister not only knows
the Lord with great intimacy, but he knows the audience
to whom he ministers as well. Reading through secular
articles (both pop culture and scholarly), fiction,
etc. creates an instant glimpse into the secular
mind and worldview. This is critical for effective
ministry. The Apostle Paul demonstrated this when
evangelizing the Athenians (Read Acts 17). In order
to communicate the gospel to them he makes reference
to some of the current Greek poets of the day. He
had an edge into their worldview and used for the
advancement of the Kingdom of God! Though as ministers
we never want to become a part of the mission field,
we do want to understand the mentality, life philosophy
and perspective of those who are lost. A great evangelistic
skill (a skill that can be cultivated by every believer)
is to be able to converse with people on a wide variety
of topics and actually use the topic at hand as a “lead-in” to
the gospel. This requires prayerful, steadfast reading
over a variety of disciplines. In order to illustrate
the idea, lets consider our present day “poets.” The
mainstream poets of our day are musicians who write
lyrics and impact generations in the process. As
youth pastors, it might prove to be a fruitful exercise
to read the lyrics of songs that kids are listening
to. As a result, we glean insight and understanding
into the youth culture and its current ideology.
Consider for a moment how gaining knowledge in this
area would impact your ministry to youth at every
phase. Perhaps this might give us insight into the
questions and yearnings of a generation or at the
very least, break our hearts on their behalf. This
is a way to engage your world for the gospel. Paul
was prepared. He studied the culture (by reading)
and God used it.
When we engage in reading, we exercise the mind.
Reading stretches and enlarges the mental faculty.
Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, “Man’s
mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its
original dimension.” The great commandment
is that we would love the Lord our God with all our
heart, soul and mind. Just as an athlete exercises
her body, pushing it to new levels of exertion, so
we must train and exercise our minds for God’s
purposes. Reading is for the mind what the “stairmaster” is
for the body. I believe one way to love the Lord
is to push the intellect He has given you as far
as you can. Good reading will be like a fertilizer
upon the garden of your mind- allowing you to flourish
as a sharp, creative thinker for the Kingdom. Neglecting
to read purposely is to neglect what God has given
you and to fall short of your God-given potential.
Consider this insight about reading and creativity,
|
After high school
or college, many people forsake
reading completely or reduce their reading volume
to make room for other information delivery systems.
Television in particular has become for many adults
the dominant source for news…But television compares
very poorly with books and magazines in its power to
provoke you to think or to be creative…It generally
doesn’t entice you to participate in learning or thinking
creatively. |
In addition, reading will greatly help you in your ability to express your
thoughts in your speaking and writing. The famous British philosopher Francis
Bacon once said, “Reading maketh a full man; speaking, a ready man; writing,
an exact man.” Good reading provides an essential, solid foundation
for effective communication through both the pulpit and the pen. As we read
for
the glory of the Lord, may our intellects sharpen and grow for His glory
as well.
Recently, I was reading a book dealing
with the issue of mentoring. In it the authors mention the fact that books
can often take on a mentoring type of role for those in situations where
finding a good mentor is a challenge. When Godly heroes are scarce in your
neck of
the woods, head for the bookstore and pick up a few mentors. When we want
to grow badly enough, we’ll become like Ruth and glean whatever we
are able from the fields where God has placed us. Let the likes of Oswald
Chambers,
D.L. Moody, Rees Howells, Amy Charmichael, Jim Elliot, Charles Spurgeon and
John Wesley (just to name a few) become your teachers, disciplers and mentors
in the faith. Biographies of saints of old are a great way to be mentored
and discipled. Exposing yourself to the lives of men and women who faithfully
served
Christ will have a profound impact on your life and ministry. My life was
radically altered by the stories of Keith Green and Jim Elliot.
Ministering to young people is an awesome privilege and a great challenge.
It is imperative for those who communicate to youth that they be engaging,
creative and challenging as they preach and teach the Word of God. The constant
study of the scriptures coupled with a judicious diet of other reading will
greatly contribute to the uprising of youth pastors and youth leaders who
are ready to “preach the Word” and engage youth in seed-sowing,
eternally impacting dialogue.
If consistent reading has not been your habit, seek to make it a part of your
life and ministry. Ask other young leaders what they are reading. Approach
mature, godly leaders in your community about giving you some reading suggestions.
Make study and reading a required part of your workday. Ask the Lord to help
you in this area of personal growth. Consider this quote (as you read it, replace
the word preacher with youth pastor) from the late A.W. Tozer, who said,
|
An artist works
in watercolors, oils, sandstone
gold, glass, marble. The preacher, on the other
hand, works in the stuff called mankind. The artist
has an idea of abstract beauty and he seeks to
reproduce it in visible, concrete things. The
preacher has Christ and tries to make Him visible in
human lives. The artist has genius; the preacher has
the Holy Spirit. The artist draws his inspiration from
other artists; the preacher draws his inspiration in
prayer alone with God. The artists tools are brushes,
chisels, flame. The tools of the preacher are words.
like the artist, a preacher must master his tools. At
first he will make awkward attempts, but if he keeps
at it, he will become an expert. |
Study and reading are hard work laden with rich
rewards. The man or woman of God should never expect
to be exempt from them. Youth pastors should never
expect to be exempt from labor in areas concerning
ministry preparation or personal growth. Read! Read!
Study! Read! Study! Read! Read! Let us be a generation
of ministers who labor with joy and with a heart
of worship to be growing in the Word and stretching
the capacity of our mental abilities as ministers
of the gospel.
Listed below are 10 books that have significantly impacted my life. If you
are looking for some personal growth reading, perhaps these titles will be
of some help.
|
1. Passion for
Souls: The Life of D.L. Moody by Lyle Dorsett
2. Abandoned to God: The Life of Oswald Chambers by David McCasland
3. The Shadow of the Almighty by Elizabeth Elliot
4. Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders
5. The Memoir and Remains of Robert Murray M’Cheyne by Andrew Bonar
6. How to Worship Jesus Christ by Joseph Carroll
7. The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
8. The Overcoming Life by D.L. Moody
9. Why Revival Tarries by Leonard Ravenhill
10. The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee |
Download
a PDF file of this article>
|
