If you’re a Christian reader, you may have heard the term “reading with discernment” tossed around, or something like it. Read carefully. Choose your books wisely. And this is good advice. The problem is… it’s vague. What does it mean to read with discernment?

Ultimately, I think reading with discernment will lead to different readers choosing different books. There is no one-size-fits-all result when it comes to reading with discernment. But there are a few principles to keep in mind as you consider what reading with discernment means for you and how you can choose your reads wisely.

Expose the Works of Darkness

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” – Eph. 5:11, NKJV

The world is broken, and fiction reflects that. We cannot—indeed, should not—avoid brokenness or darkness in the stories we read. When we try, we end up with stories that show only a disjointed piece of life and we can even grow blind to brokenness as we distance ourselves from it more and more.

We ought to read books that reveal brokenness, and our hearts ought to break for it. We ought to be repulsed by that darkness and to grieve for the brokenness.

This brokenness is often contrasted by hope in Christian-authored books or thrown into sharp relief for its lack of true hope in secular fiction. Both can teach us important things about the warped nature of the fallen world and the importance of the hope we have in Christ.

Reading with discernment should involve awareness of darkness and brokenness, and an intentionality toward exposing it—whether that intention has been made on the part of the author already or whether you as the reader can make use of a story to that end in your own life and/or for someone else.

Know Your Weaknesses

I don’t believe in avoiding content just because it’s uncomfortable; sometimes discomfort is critical for realizing the importance of something. However, some things really should be avoided. First on the list of things to avoid would be anything that will cause you to stumble.

If reading coarse language tempts you to use that language, avoid books with bad language. If reading about physical relationships (whether sexual or merely romantic) causes you to lust, avoid reading about physical relationships.

 “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” – Matt. 5:29

On a similar note, some things just do more harm than good. If graphic violence makes you sick, avoid it. If bad language serves no purpose in a book, you’re better off avoiding it. God can work through brokenness for our edification, but if brokenness is no more than broken… it’s not helpful for our sanctification.

Worldview issues can also fall into this category. If you don’t feel well-grounded on a topic, it might be better to avoid books that could nudge your thinking before you know what Scripture says.

Personally, I avoid most biblical fiction about actual Bible figures and most books about angels or demons. There are some exceptions, and as I grow firmer in my scriptural understanding I may venture further into these topics, but for now I focus elsewhere.

Knowing where your worldview is weak is an important part of reading with discernment.

Know What to Always Avoid

Glorification of sin, or books that dwell too much on depravity. Books hopeless enough to drag you into depression. Books that mock the gospel. These are a few categories that have no edifying value–at least not enough to outweigh the negative influence on your mind.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” – Php. 4:8

It’s important to use discernment when deciding what to read so that we don’t just throw out anything that could be bad—or read anything, willy-nilly, without concern for the spiritual consequences. Both ditches are a problem. But reading with discernment doesn’t mean that everything should be nuanced to death. There are still books out there that are simply spiritually unprofitable, and some that are outright spiritually harmful. Reading with discernment should put those in a “don’t read” camp for all believers.

Don’t avoid discomfort, but don’t put yourself in a mentally or spiritually compromising position, either.

That’s my advice for reading with discernment. Hopefully those points help you in your pursuit of wise reading! Questions? Anything you disagree with me on? Comment below and let’s discuss!

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