Practical:-2
Benefits of Reading
Bro. Suraj Inamdar, Mumbai
“…and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.” (Luk. 4:16 NASB)
Mr. George Martin has rightly said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies”. When we were teenagers, elderly people would always advise us, “Read to succeed”. During our school vacations, most of us have spent many hours in libraries reading books, magazines and novels. Fortunately, as we aged, so did our reading habits.
Reading is a very good and beneficial habit. Youngsters need to inculcate this habit in their lives. Nowadays, this modern young generation can be seen as obsessed with physical and outward appearance, and they are seen to be more than willing to spend a fortune on those things. But they are not half as excited or willing to read even one book. The effect of this is that their emotional and intellectual growth is stunted. Reading is very important for our personality and character development.
There’s one complaint from all around that in today’s modern world, the increasing influence of Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, etc. has reduced people’s habit of reading. Christian youths, too are affected by this. Their reading habits are below satisfactory. Today’s youths have an excuse for jobs and studies for an escape.
Many of them don’t even read the Scriptures for days at a stretch. Paul advised young Timothy, - “Until I come, give attention to…. ‘Reading’. (1 Tim. 4:13). Paul also requested Timothy to bring the books and parchments (2 Tim. 4:13c). Paul, even in his busy schedule of gospel and ministries, preserved his fondness for reading.
The scholars have fashioned a list of Benefits of Reading:
1. Changes the Mentality.
Books make one travel the entire world while sitting at their homes. Stephen King said, “Books have a unique magic”. Books expand our hesitant and narrow hearts. Not only does reading help in developing our brains, it also teaches us valuable life lessons. Books help us to know and learn about the hardships and troubles of the greats and the smalls of the world, which motivates and guides us to face our life problems with more positivity.
2. Helps overcome Loneliness.
Loneliness is one of the serious problems of today’s age. A report claimed that loneliness is one of the main causes of death in many senior citizens. Every single person is busy in his or her life and work. The ones, who are not busy, are lonely. Many of them face the question of how to get rid of loneliness. “Books” can be a good solution to loneliness.
Dr Ambedkar said, “Due to a lack of friendships with people, I befriended books. As I kept reading on and on, I forgot about my loneliness”. Famous English author, Ernest Hemingway said, “There is no friend as loyal as a book”.
3. Improves Concentration.
Research has concluded that Mobile Phones, Tablets etc. have reduced man’s concentration. While reading a book, our vision is focused on the pages for a prolonged time. If you have little kids, hand them attractive books and try to develop a love for books in them starting today! Parents have caused a long-term loss for their kids by handing them a mobile phone from a young age.
4. Improved Vocabulary.
Spoken language, Conversation skills, and writing skills, all can be improved only by reading. Reading helps us to improve our vocabulary and get trained in any language.
In conclusion, inculcating reading habits can lead to overall improvement in your personality. Your mental and emotional health improves too. If you’re still a stranger to this wonderful habit, grab a book today and start reading! G&P
