There are so many things in our Christian walk that are guided by the Holy Spirit and not by “commands” from scripture. And I’ve found over many years of walking with Christ, that those things don’t always align from Christian to Christian. It’s one of the causes of division in the body of Christ—that we too often turn, like Peter, and look at our brothers and sisters and say to Jesus, “But what about him?”
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately in what I share about my reading life. You see, while I read a lot of Christian fiction, I don’t just read Christian fiction. I read a lot of general market fiction, too.
Not indiscriminately, mind you. I’ve put down many a book because I just can’t read that story or that level of description or language. But I do have a tolerance level for both that I’ve set in my mind and feel at peace with in my spirit. I even recommend some of these books in my monthly mini-reviews, with the caveat of what they contain, so that no one goes into them without that knowledge.
But why do I even do that much? Why do I wade through the beginnings of books I don’t finish or books that aren’t written from a Christian worldview?
Here are a couple of my top reasons:
I remember many years ago, I picked up a general market book called Sarah’s Key. I had no reason to read it. I didn’t know the author. Hadn’t even heard of the book. It was WWII fiction, and I loved the story. A few weeks later, I was talking to a woman I didn’t know, and we ended up on the subject of books.
“Have you read Sarah’s Key?” she asked.
“As a matter of fact, I have!”
We went on to have a conversation about it.
I can’t tell you how many, many times this has happened to me. Books and reading are my most comfortable subjects around people I don’t know. And so incredibly often, these conversations will circle around to a general market book I just happen to have read! Or sometimes, if I’m getting to know a new friend and they recommend a work of general market fiction, I will read in order to get to know them better.
This seems to be how the Holy Spirit allows me to converse with people I don’t know. Not only do books give me a connection with the person, but they often open the door for me to share my faith in some way—sometimes with my words in the moment, but often by recommending Christian fiction in a similar genre to the book we happen to have in common.
Another reason I like to read general market fiction is to keep my finger on the pulse of culture. I like to see what the general population is reading and how it portrays life and relationships and meaning. Books give me a much better understanding of that, which also helps me have a heart of compassion for a world that doesn’t know Christ.
Finally, not all authors who are Christians write for Christian publishers. I love when I know an author who writers general market books. Or when I find general market books that are written from a perspective of redemption. I don’t want to miss out on those great stories even though they don’t come out of a “Christian” publishing house.
I will say that I can’t read too many general market (non-Christian worldview) books in a row without feeling the need to “cleanse my palate” with a story—or several!—rooted in faith. I’m so grateful for quality Christian fiction that I can enjoy and recommend to others without reservation!
Like so many other things, the Lord has me living by faith in my reading choices, allowing Him to guide and direct those for His purposes—and to have grace for those the Holy Spirit is guiding to different choices. I’m grateful we can all be readers together!
Have your reading choices changed through the years? What are your parameters now?
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I couldn’t agree more with everything you said, D’Ann. This paragraph rings so true for me:
“Another reason I like to read general market fiction is to keep my finger on the pulse of culture. I like to see what the general population is reading and how it portrays life and relationships and meaning. Books give me a much better understanding of that, which also helps me have a heart of compassion for a world that doesn’t know Christ.”
But like you, I quickly feel the need to come back to books written from a Christian worldview, books that uplift and encourage me because they glorify God.
I’m glad that resonated with you, Deb! I don’t have many friends outside of my Christian circles, so books help me maintain a heart for the lost.
I could not agree more! My experiences have lined up with yours, and you have articulated our case better than I could have done myself. I once met someone with whom I bonded over shared reading tastes. I recommended some Christian fiction, and she tried them. She had been raised to be loosely Christian, but had stepped away from faith. She was unimpressed with Christian fiction. However, through our continued relationship, she found the Lord. Now, she too prefers Christian fiction but continues to read secular fiction as well. This probably would not have happened had we not had our shared taste in books to help us bond in the first place. Thanks for sharing!
I love that story, Eunice! I love how the Lord uses the personalities and preferences He built into us to help spread His kingdom in unique ways!
I’ve always been the kind of reader that if the book sounds good, I’ll read it. I’m a bit more cautious these days though. There seems to have been a shift in content that I’m not comfortable with. But I do like being able to get different perspectives other than those that typically agree with my own.
I agree, Joy! I can’t just read willy-nilly. Too much out there that I can’t put into my head.
I try to only read CF, though I will also read sweet/clean. I’ll read any genre of CF, though!! Sweet/clean, I’m really picky about! I’ve been this way since back in the 80’s, though. I know very well there are books that as a single Christian person I do NOT need to read, just like there are movies and TV shows that I do NOT need to watch!
I love that you set those parameters for yourself, Trudy! Isn’t it great to have so much CF to choose from? And now there are so many sweet/clean reads, too. What a gift!