Reading books is beneficial for everybody. Whether you consider yourself a non-reader, an occasional reader, or an avid reader, you have a lot to gain from building a healthy habit of reading good books. The apostle Paul is a perfect example. We know he was a reader because of his robust educational background. Furthermore, consider his words in 2 Timothy 4:13: “When you come, be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers.”
In an age where it’s easier to read blogs (which is what you’re doing right now) and listen to podcasts (which are also a great way to learn), I believe there are specific benefits to reading books. In this article, I want to focus on its advantages for pastors. While applicable in a broader context, here are six ways pastors benefit from a habit of reading good books.
1. Personal Growth
I know, “personal growth” seems obvious, but think about its implications. Pastors are expected to be examples. The apostle Paul told Timothy, “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). Reading good books helps you grow personally, which in turn, helps you model the behaviors and set the example that others can follow.
Paul encouraged people to follow his example as he followed Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). The goal of reading isn’t just to acquire knowledge, but to apply it to your life. The application is where the real growth happens, and with it comes a greater example that others can follow. By no means does this imply that pastors are perfect, but in a culture plagued with compromise and hypocrisy, our example matters more than ever.
2. Deeper Thinking
I love blogs (I’ve been blogging since 2009), and I write regularly for a leadership magazine, but books allow you to go deeper on a topic, which in turn allows you to think at a deeper level.
This seems counterintuitive in a world where attention spans are shrinking, and people are used to reading catchy, tweetable phrases. But at the same time, a gap is growing in how deeply we think. Don’t get me wrong…some 200-page books could easily be condensed to 30 pages. But others are worth every single page turn.
As a pastor, it behooves you to read good books so that you can deepen your thinking, sharpen your theology, grow your leadership, and speak from both the heart and the head. In addition, some books (certainly not all) have a way of enduring the test of time. Some authors today will be talked about a hundred years from now because of the depth of their wisdom and their ability to communicate in a deep and transformational way. Pastors should glean from this wisdom and benefit from the deeper thinking it produces.
3. Distant Mentoring
If I asked you which authors you’d love to mentor you, I’m confident you could give me at least a couple of names. It might be a leadership guru, another pastor with a deeply mature faith, a marriage expert, or someone that shares a similar passion to yours. But for most of us, we’ll never have a personal relationship with our favorite author. Perhaps we’ll hear them speak at a conference, or maybe we’ll even meet them at an event, but is unlikely we’ll ever be mentored by them, unless of course, we broaden your definition of mentoring.
Most people box their definition of mentoring into intensive mentoring (a growth-focused relationship that’s up close and personal). But the truth is, you also need distant mentors. Distant mentors are people who mentor you from a distance through their videos, podcasts, teachings, and yes, books.
Here’s the truth: if you were able to have a face-to-face meeting over dinner with your favorite author, most of the wisdom they would give you is probably in a book they’ve already written. The good news is you can buy that book with the money you would have spent on dinner. It’s all a matter of perspective. Rather than viewing books as a 200-page reading assignment, see them as one-on-one meetings with your favorite authors.
This is also valuable when you read biographies of people from previous generations. I have a friend who—before he reads a biography—lists the questions he would ask the person if they were alive today. Then, as he reads their biography, he looks for the answers to his questions. It’s a great way to benefit from historical mentors, and it’s a practical way to benefit from distant mentors.
4. People Connections
I love reading business books and leadership books. A big reason is because of my passion for leadership and organizational development. If you regularly read my blog or listen to my podcast, my passion in this area is obvious. However, there’s another benefit to reading business and leadership books: they help me connect with the business leaders in my church.
By reading books in this category, I learn the language of business leaders. I discover ideas, best practices, lingo, and how business leaders think. So, when I sit down for a cup of coffee with a high-capacity business leader, I’m able to connect with them on a deeper level. In fact, there have been many times when I’ve been able to offer some wisdom, recommend a book, or provide some helpful ideas based on what I’ve read.
In addition, I’ve been able to attract business leaders to small groups I’ve hosted in our church that offered quality leadership material. A habit of reading good books will enhance your ability to connect with people who read (or would benefit from) those same books.
5. Habit Multiplication
A couple of times each year I’ll host a small group for 6-8 leaders that meets once per month for 4-5 months. In this group, I assign a book to read each month, and then we meet together to discuss our most important takeaways and to share how we plan to apply it to our lives. In addition, we’ll have a short leadership lesson (or a video teaching from a respected pastor or leader), as well as a time of prayer. It’s a great way to mentor or disciple a handful of people at a deeper level.
I’m always amazed by the response to these groups. In addition to the deep discussion and genuine growth, it’s not uncommon for several in the group to say, “I haven’t read this much since I was in school,” or “I’ve never read this many books in an entire year.” I had others come back to me and say the group helped them to start (or re-engage) a habit of reading.
The same has happened with our staff. I’ve often said, “If you’ll read one chapter a night before you go to bed, you’ll easily read at least two books per month.” That thought prompted one team member to start reading more. Others have told me their book reading goals for this year, and another is listening to books on Audible because of his long drive each day.
Pastors, when you read good books, you can inspire others to do the same. Your book reading habit is more than a personal practice; it’s a habit you can multiply in others as you help them catalyze their growth.
6. Sermon Preparation
Every week pastors prepare sermons, and every week people expect them to be good. It’s one thing to prepare one good sermon, but it’s another thing to repeat that practice every seven days. That’s why reading good books is so valuable for pastors.
So, how do you leverage book reading for sermon preparation? I have a habit of doing two things when I read a book. First, I love physical books, so I always read the book with a pen in hand. Anytime I read a quote that I love, content that is very insightful, or stories and illustrations that make a great point, I will highlight them with my pen.
Second, after I read the book, I hand it to my assistant who puts every quote into a digital file and makes a copy of every story or illustration. For example, if I read a great story about “forgiveness,” I’ll highlight it in the book, and then my assistant will file that story under “forgiveness.” I may not need that story now—or next year—but one day I’ll need it for a sermon. If I don’t file it, I’ll probably forget about it. By having an intentional system for capturing what I read, I have a file waiting for me when the need arises.
I’ve practiced this for nearly 30 years, and it has benefited my sermon preparation nearly every week. Whether you use my system (which I’m sure I borrowed from someone else), or you create your own system, be sure to implement a way to harvest what you’re reading so it will benefit others.
These are six benefits as a pastor that I’ve experienced from reading good books. I’m sure there are more, but I’d encourage you to embrace them as well.
