Immunization for man's reading faculty: Choosing what to read.

Galatians 6:7; Ecclesiastes 12:12; Daniel 9:1-3; Habakkuk 2:2.

“When one reads good books, it is like having a conversation with men of good breeding who lived in the past”. Renes Descartes (a seventeenth century French philosopher);

Someone also said: “every book carries the spirit of the writer”.

Reading is like having a selective conversation in which the author expresses only his innermost thoughts. As you read a book, part of the writer’s ideas and thoughts are transferred unto you. It is not all the writer’s ideas and thoughts that are noble. This has resulted to many broken homes, divorce, fighting, religious conflicts, political crisis and so many other mischief.

You, from hence forth, need to choose what you read. Bad books will corrupt you and consequently condemn your soul to corruption. Beware and be warned. Be not deceived: “evil communications corrupt good manners” – 1 Corinthians 15:33.

1.     THE POWER INHERENT IN READING.

Reading is potent. It is the key that unlocks various kinds of knowledge and skills. Often, what you read directs or redirects your life. A student in a science class is likely to end up as a medical doctor, or an engineer, or a pharmacist, or as a professional in any of the science – related fields; simply because of what he she is reading and studying. Children tend to pursue their parents’ professions that they have immediate access to. When Daniel went through some books, he was influenced by what he read. It stirred him to pray and fast. (According to our test) This consequently changed the life and history of his people.

2.     CAUTION AGAINST READING OF BAD MATERIALS.

“Whatsoever a man sows, that is what he shall reap”.

 When you read bad materials, you feed yourself with wrong pieces of information and consequently wrong knowledge. Feeding your thought and life with wrong information and knowledge will land you in an undesirable situation. As a person, avoid materials that contain traits you wouldn’t want to be part of you. E.g. romance, pornography, divorce, quitting jobs, dropping out of school, cultism, wrong religious teachings, and so many others. They will pollute you and also lead you to confusion, regret, and condemnation.

The initial implications of such materials are as follows:

·         The fictional deceptive stories will cloud your vision of reality;

·         They will stir up strong feelings and curiosity which could end up in wrong relationships;

·         They will change your perspective about issues;

·         They will aid you make several wrong decision.

These will surely axe your strength down in everything. I know of a beautiful woman happily married with her husband, blessed with great kids. She incidentally met one of her youth day lover of whom she fell in serious love with but couldn’t get married to him. They both had a nice chat, perhaps a drink at a bar close-by.

Due to a book she read by an author (of which I will not mention the name). The book advices people in relationships (that is in marriage) to quit if they find any other person they love more. Any I wonder if marriage is just any other ordinary relationship, or just a meeting between two people to produce children. After reading the book, the woman jumped at the guy at his proposal for another marriage, and this prompted her to leave her husband and those lovely kids. Oh, what a wrong idea shared into her! But unfortunately, the man she supposedly loved more and went after never loved her same way. He just wanted pleasure because he is a flirt. After using her, he dumped her and she was left stranded with nobody to turn to except the husband she had left.

Even as the husband forgave her, peace has not been really in the family as it once was. WHAT DO YOU READ?!!! Pause* and Ask yourself this question. We need to be careful. 

3.     COUNSEL FOR GOAL ORIENTED PEOPLE.

As they say: Readers are Leaders. Show me a great inspired individual with exceptional qualities among peers, and then will I point to you a great reader.

But you must ensure that you read the right materials. The materials you read must positively offer you one or a combination of the following: (I) inspiration (ii) information (iii) good education. So these are my advice:

1.       Be selective of what you read;

2.       Avoid novels that arouse immoral feelings or lead to unrealistic expectations;

3.       Read Christians literature, science and good history books;

4.       Read more of the bible and bible-related publications, example like the one you are reading all this from now; Subscribe to get our publications weekly via email address.

5.       Carry out a thorough survey of the book you wish to read. Check out for the title, preface, foreword, table of content, “about the book”, and more importantly ‘about the author’. You must know his intent for writing the book. When you suspect that the content will not help you positively, drop it immediately please. Don’t gamble with your knowledge! The human brain is like a computer data base. The moment a virus enters, it spreads until it overtakes all its activities. This is the anti-virus you need to stop that wrong flow of information.

Remember, readers of good materials are leaders. Therefore, read to empower yourself positively so as to live a successful and valuable life. Joyce Meyer wrote on her twitter page: “ignorance should be feared more than the devil” Be wise and accept this immunization.

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I remain your humble professional life coach, mentor /counselor, inspired by the holy-spirit.

Samuel C.A. James