Where Do Christian Books Fit In?

Seeing that we have the Bible, do we need Christian books as well? Will every Christian not be better off spending more time in the Bible only? Are we wasting our time reading the books of modern Christian authors? Or, should we rather read more of them and encourage others to do the same?nnChristian books can be used by God in a big way. Let’s first consider the relationship between these books and the Bible, and then see what makes Christian books so useful.nnThe BiblennThe Holy Bible is the Living Word of God. It is true in all respects. I believe mine from cover to cover. Every Christian should spend time in God’s Word every single day. We should meditate on it, apply it to our lives and teach it to others.nnBefore you read any other Christian material on any given day, make sure that you have spent time reading your Bible (and praying!) earlier that day. Remember that having a relationship with God is two ways. You speak and then you listen. You listen for as long as it takes for God to give you your instructions for that day.nnAfter you have done that, I encourage you to read Christian literature rather than normal fiction or secular books. Let’s see why I think this is a good idea...nnYears of experiencennChristian books are normally written by Christian authors that were schooled in theology and ministry. Some of these guys serve as pastors at large congregations, and some others run full-time ministries for God. I think it would be fair to say that they should have a good relationship with God, and live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.nnTherefore, when these authors see a need in the world, and address it through a topical modern book, we would be wise to listen. You can learn from these men and woman, and they might just write a book on a topic that has been bothering you...nnIt is time that we start appreciating that these guys are actually used by God, and their books are some of the fruit that they bear.nnThe value of researchnnFurthermore, Christian authors have a lot of time on their hands. They are most probably in full-time ministry in one way or another (as I stated above). They can use normal working hours (for the rest of us) to dig in to the Bible. This enables them to research a certain topic very exhaustively – find all Scripture on the topic, compare different verses, uses dictionaries and encyclopaedias to strengthen their views. You get the point.nnYou and I can then gain their insight earned through very hard work (sometimes for numerous years) simply by reading the book. I am sure our heavenly Father would approve...nnA letter to the RomansnnThink about the Bible book of Romans. This is a letter written to the Christians in Rome during the life of Paul. When reading the letter again recently, I picked up how much of it is not necessarily applicable to modern day Christians in a Western Society. The theory behind Paul’s claims is still timeless and should be noted.nnJust as there were certain hot topics in the days of Apostle Paul, in the same way we have topics that need to be addressed in modern Christianity and the church of today. If Paul was alive today, I bet he would still be writing books (or letters) and I am even more convinced that we would be reading them.nnConclusionnnThe Bible is God’s spoken word. We should listen by reading it daily and by reading the whole book many times during our short stay on earth. Fortunately, we have the additional blessing of modern Christian books. nnThese books can be used by God to transform lives, to correct misconceptions, to give practical advice and to simply strengthen our faith. We should be reading them.nnThe next time you have to choose between a secular book and a Christian book, make the wise choice and pick up that Christian book. You will not be sorry!