The first essential part of our reading diet is the Bible, God's own Holy Word. It is more like the water in our diet. Everyone needs to drink. You can live a week or more without food, but you can't live that long without water. So it is with God's Word. In the end, if you can only read one book, make it the Bible. And read it everyday. I know, I know; you are busy. You wake up, go to school, usually you have an after school activity, then dinner with the family, don't forget homework, and off to bed for a good night's sleep. And I did not even mention time spent with friends. It is okay to be busy, but it is not okay to let being busy cause you not to read the Word of God. If it will help, get a small devotional that suggests short passages every day to read and follows with a brief few paragraphs to help focus our thoughts on what God is saying in those verses. Your church might have some for free. If not, a local Christian bookstore will have tons of devotionals. Really, how much time are we talking about here? Five minutes, maybe ten. Of course that ought to be the minimum, but the important thing now is to get in the habit of daily Bible reading. From the Bible, you will be equipped for living a Christian life (2 Tim. 3:16-17). That way we are prepared for whatever life or other books might throw our way.
What else should we "eat?" Fiction books are the most plentiful on the market: should Christian youth be allowed to read fiction? Absolutely. Stories are a powerful way to communicate, and God gave us imaginations. Fiction books reach our imaginations and often help us see things in a different way, or help us remember a truth. Ask yourself if you remember this phrase: "Slow and steady wins the race." You probably have because somewhere when you were a kid someone told you the story of the tortoise and the hare. A good fiction story can do just that, drive home a point in such a way that we will remember it for a long time. And the real good ones might just make you smile and enjoy for yourself along the way.
Just like you have to eat your veggies, you also ought to be reading some non-fiction. A biography every now and then will not kill you. And you know what? These days there are some really entertaining biographies. Read biographies of the saints who came before you. You will be surprised to find out how much the struggles and triumphs of Katherine Zell, David Brainerd, or Augustine will help enrich your soul. To see how God works in the lives of others can lead us to a greater appreciation for how God is working in our own life. They can be convicting, educational, and encouraging. Christian youth ought to be reading some biographies and other non-fiction from time to time.
You know that sometimes your dietary needs change. Athletes before a big game might want to eat pasta for that long-term energy. Sometimes you have a craving, and you just gotta have a Chic-Fil-A Sandwich. So, too, it is with reading. There will be times when you are confronted with something in your life, and you just need to find out the answer. Then go for it. Read it. Are you being challenged about evolution at school? There are some great books on creation. Defeating Darwinism by Philip Johnson is an example, and don't forget the RCUS Synodical paper about Six Day Creation available on the website. Maybe you are struggling with something else like dating or finding God's will for your life. Guess what?! There are great books about those topics too! If you need help finding them, ask your pastor. He can help. And I bet that he would be delighted to help.
Most of you are probably wondering about books that all your friends are reading, those books that take the culture by storm like Harry Potter, Twilight, and Percy Jackson. Are you allowed to read those books? These books are sort of like junk food, not the basis of a diet, and there is no straightforward answer. Well, the first thing to consider is that your parents have the final say. If they think it is not a good idea, then it is not okay. Your parents ought to always be aware of what you are reading. God gave you parents for a reason. The 5th commandment makes clear that we are to honor and obey our parents. That includes what we read. Rule number two is that "all things are allowable, but not all things are profitable" (1 Cor. 10:23). Sure, you can read it. But make sure you are reading these popular books with your brain on. We are to take every thought captive to Jesus Christ. Thus, you cannot ingest these books that the culture loves so much without using your foundation of the Bible to protect yourself from unbiblical ideas that might be trying to influence you or corrupt you. Make sure your reason for wanting to read these books is a good one. Do you want to read it because it might be a book you could enjoy, learn from, or use in a meaningful way? Or do you just want to be like everybody else? Do not make decisions based on what the crowd is doing. That is never a solid foundation for doing anything. As long as these two rules are followed, then you can read these books.
Are there books you should not read? Absolutely. Some things might look like food, but are not really food at all. They are poison. Rat poison is 97 percent sugar, but that 3 percent is enough to kill you. The books that you need to avoid are the books that glorify sin, try to say that good is evil and evil is good, and those books that outright blaspheme God. Don't waste your time on such foolishness. There are far too many good books you still haven't read. And books that pretend evil is good are books that will poison your soul. Don't let them. Avoid them.
One final thought. If a book is causing you to sin, put it down and walk away. This is not like a meal where you have to finish your plate. If a book leads your mind into sinful alleys, then flee temptation! Flee! A book may not fall into one of the specific avoidance categories I listed above, but maybe it just tempts you to sin. We are all tempted differently, and you need to be aware of your own feelings and proclivities. There is no shame in avoiding sin. Sometimes we cannot judge a book by its cover, and what we thought it would be by looking at the outside is not what it turns out to be on the inside. Don't ever let a book tempt you to sin.
Reading is one of the great joys of life. Sadly, it is a joy that people end up neglecting. In the end, we are people who have been given written communication from God. You had better be reading that first and foremost. If you are steeped in His Word, then other books, even fiction books, will be a blessing and not a curse. But we can never take man's word for anything. So read, but read with the Bible as our lens. Then a whole new world will open up to you. In fact, it may just open up to you every time you open the cover of a good book.
