Students, Christmas break is almost here. You are probably busy trying not to forget all of the information that you crammed in late-night study sessions for your end-of-semester tests. And the last thing you want to do is to read a book over Christmas break. But you should consider committing to read at least one book during your break. Before you laugh at me, at least think consider these reasons why:
1. Your soul needs to be fed. Though you are taking a break from school, you should never take a break from feeding your soul. Christmas break is a great opportunity to meditate on the truths of Scripture and the beauty of Christ. Just imagine the growth you might experience if you read a good book every time you have a school break over the next six years. You will be a different person!
2. Christmas is war. No, I don’t mean you should be rude to cashiers who say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” I do mean that Christmas is the celebration of Christ coming to establish His forever Kingdom. He came to defeat sin and death. The world and your own heart would love to take you captive and distract you from that. Sitting down and reading about Jesus is spiritual warfare.
3. You have the time! You’ve probably used the excuse during the last semester, “I just don’t have the time to read.” Well, you don’t have that excuse now! So, challenge yourself. Do hard things. Take up and read.
So, where should you start? Here are three books I would commend to you.
Happiness by J.C. Ryle. We are told that Christmas is supposed be a time marked by joy and happiness. J.C. Ryle writes this short book, only fifty pages long, to clarify what true happiness is and how we can find it. This is the shortest and simplest book on the list.
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper. In this 120 page book, Piper invites us to reflect on different truths about Jesus, such as His wisdom, power, and mercy. His goal is that we would both better understand Jesus and enjoy him more. This is a devotional book that you could read chapter-by-chapter over a few weeks.
This Changes Everything: How the Gospel Transforms the Teen Years by Jaquelle Crowe. This book is for students who are ready for something a little more probing. It applies the truth of the gospel to different aspects of a teenagers life, such as their identity, their church, their sin, their relationships, and their schedules. If you’re ready to take your faith seriously, this is a great resource.