Books are wonderful things. I've loved them ever since I was little. They can teach us so much. The trouble is, there are so many out there these days that it's often hard to know what to pick. Knowing what sort of book to make is even harder. Thankfully, as with every other aspect of life, the Bible gives us some guidelines to follow. I'm sharing them with you today because I see so many other young people in the same position I was once, devouring and even writing books with the word "Christian" tacked on to the genre, without giving much thought to how Christ-like the content actually is. My hope is that by doing so, I can prevent someone from doing as much damage as I did to myself before I changed my course.
In Philippians 4:8, Paul gives a list of qualities that should be present in the things we think on. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." I think it would help in the long run if we analyze what we choose to read and write about by this sound advice.
- "...Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest" The very first rule of thumb is that we must think on, or in this case read about, what is true. Indeed, why do we do any less? In Colossians 3:9, we are told not to lie. Well, fiction, even "Christian" fiction, isn't true, and therefore is a lie. Many people like to say that Jesus spoke in parables which weren't literal and therefore untrue, so it's all right to read and write fiction. I've used the same argument myself in the past, but sadly it falls flat. Most of the parables Jesus told were taken from events that were going on at the time, or had happened recently. The only exception is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, which He told to the Sadducees and others who held to the notion of life after death, as many do today. With this parable, Jesus used this idea as a vehicle for the truth He wished to share. (See Christ's Object Lessons, page 263).
- "...Whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure" The Greek word for just is dikaios, meaning equitable, or right, fair. The word for pure is hagnos, meaning clean or innocent. Allow me to use this portion of the verse to include something else we need to watch for in our reading besides truth. It is purity. Yes, content must be pure, but that will be addressed further on, since the next part is somewhat a reiteration and enlargement on that thought. When I say purity here, I'm not only talking about the overall message of a book, but something people might class as nit-picky. Can you guess? It is purity of language, clean language. As Christians, we must not excuse the reading of anything with vulgarity in it, even if it is true and the theme is good. You become what your eyes feed upon, and the devil doesn't care if his opening wedge is a "little" cuss word; he can work most successfully with those so- called "little" evils. Of course, this limits our selection of suitable reading even further, but you will experience a blessing for being so selective, trust me.
- "...Whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise," Just because something is true and swear-free doesn't mean it's proper mental food. It must also be good overall. This doesn't mean we can never read or write about anything sad or bad, for even the Bible chronicles some things that in and of themselves aren't good or innocent--but we need to ask ourselves when doing something like that whether it would eventually lead to something better and draw us all closer to GOD. For example, we could read about Hitler and the Third Reich; it's true, but is it lovely? Do the chronicles of his wicked deeds strengthen my relationship with GOD? No. On the other hand, we could read about the martyrs of old, or even our persecuted brethren today. It is true that the things that happened to them were awful, but the purpose of these acts being recorded is to show the extent to which they suffered and how they were still able to stand for Him regardless. Their example can inspire us to do the same. It can strengthen us by reminding us that He just as He strengthened them, He will strengthen us if we ever need to face that as well. That is what makes such a book praiseworthy.
In reality, you could sum up these determining factors in one simple question-- provided you answer it honestly without the least bit of fudging: "Would Jesus be happy with the books on my bookshelf, with the drafts in my notebook (or on my computer)?" If the answer is no, don't be discouraged. Ask Him to forgive you, and to show you a better way so that you can think on things that are pleasing to Him, and lead others to do the same.
Blessings,
Jean
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