Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Question of the Week #29

I can't remember if I've asked this question before (or one just similar to it), but it's certainly relevant for me right now!
How do you balance reading Christian books--bibles, nonfiction, fiction--with your other reading? Does your Christian reading get pushed to the side at times? Why or why not?
My answer:

I'm really struggling trying to find time (and energy!) to read Christian fiction. I set the unrealistic goal (well, mostly unrealistic goal) of reading two Christian books a week. Christian fiction or Christian nonfiction. I thought--for better or worse now--that since I read about seven to twelve books a week, that it shouldn't be a problem for two of them to be Christian. It sounds reasonable enough on paper. I'm not sure why this isn't working out for me. Is it a matter of my priorities being out of sort? Or is a matter of putting too much pressure on myself? Or is it a matter of me trying to wear too many hats? I'm definitely feeling out of balance. Trying to read review copies that publishers (and a small handful of authors) have sent me, trying to read books I own (mostly classics), trying to participate in a few blog tours a month, trying to read library books.

3 comments:

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

If I read at night, I do my Bible and devotional reading first. I try to read one chapter a day. Then I read what else I want until it's time to turn out the light.

Becky said...

I do my Bible reading first as well. Depending on where I'm reading and how absorbed I become (or how distracted or fidgety I am) determines how much Bible reading gets done a day.

I used to have the mindset that I would do my Bible reading last, so that God would be the last thing I thought about before I went to sleep. However, I noticed that 99% of the time I was too tired to read the Bible and concentrate on it that way.

It's made a big difference to switch up my thinking.

Annette said...

I read my devotional reading as well as Bible reading in the morning.
I have more of a problem keeping up with secular books, as I would rather read Christian fiction and or Christian non-fiction.
I also have teaching material to keep up, I will be teaching on James chapter 1 this Sunday.
I have several irons in the fire so to speak. I too Becky do too much, I know I would not be happy though without challenges in the reading area!
Annette