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Last week we began to look at some of the ways we can stretch our minds and make them grow. One way is by listening. Another is by reading.
Reading for knowledge is quickly becoming a rare practice. The visual arts have captured recreation or relaxation time to such a degree that younger people (in particular) today scarcely ever have a book in their hands by choice. Yet, according to Gordon MacDonald, "Nothing substitutes for what can be found when we master books" (p. 107).
It's not so much the exercise of reading that helps us grow, but what we do with what we read that counts. The great British preacher Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, himself a prodigious reader, claimed that the benefit he got from books didn't come from facts and information, but from thinking. A good book was one that made him think.
Gordon MacDonald has found over years of helping fellow pastors that those suffering from barrenness and burnout have almost always stopped reading. "It is almost predictable, he writes, "that if a pastor is struggling with failure in his ministry, he will be unable to name a title or an author that he has been reading in recent days. If he is not reading, the chances are strong that he is not growing. And if he is not growing, then he may rapidly slip into ineffectiveness" (p. 107).
The third way we can grow intellectually is through disciplined study. Some people's work requires them to study. But for others, the discipline of study has to come through such things as "reading, taking occasional courses that stretch our minds, taking on challenges that force us to learn new things, and exploring various disciplines for the sheer joy of learning more about God's world" (p. 109).
The difference between study and reading is really a matter of degree. Study requires a level of intensity and discipline not always required in readying. When you study, you have to master ideas, often for the purpose of presenting them to others - be that in a paper, or an exam or a seminar. It requires you to take notes and organize your thinking. The effects on one's general mental tone are enormous.
I experienced this in the 1990's. After fifteen years of pastoral ministry I found myself struggling to find fresh things to say to the long-suffering congregation I pastored. A shift to Australia, and with that, the demand of teaching in a theological college, proved revolutionary in my personal growth. Studying hard to teach others strengthened my mind and opened up floodgates of creativity.
Interestingly, it's not necessary that you study something related to your work or primary interests to grow mentally. I found the same thing happened when I took a course in pen and ink drawing. The stimulus and excitement resulting from learning a new skill flowed over into other areas of my life. It proved a real tonic to family life as well as preaching and pastoring.
The mind is too important to neglect. Sharpened and toned by constant use, it becomes a mighty tool in the service of Christ.