“No one is born a reader; it is an act of discipline”. What affected the reading culture of many of us is our background. I attended a Nursery and Primary School (though I finished from a public primary school) where we were taught to read everything we see: sign boards, papers, labels etc. I was always in the first three positions, with that I was always awarded with a prize on the prize giving day which is usually a story book. When I finished reading the stories in the books, I wanted to read another one and that would drive me to go buy more. That means I have to save my transport fare and lunch money to buy story books. That was how I developed the reading culture.
Many of us especially Africans didn’t grow in a book friendly environment but it is not too late to develop the book culture today. I have heard many Christians say: they don’t believe in books. It is more shocking to hear Ministers say the same thing. We are not talking about your school books in this context but general books that can add value to you.
Bishop Oyedepo says he is not ashamed to say he is a product of books. Books are glucose I must tell you, it produces instant energy. You don’t need to grind glucose with your teeth and your body need not undergo a prolonged digestion, just lick and be strong! There is no singular invention that started with a person and ended with the same person. Every inventor goes to understudy what some persons have done in the time past. The Wright Brothers were not the only ones in the race of making it possible to fly on air but they succeeded because they applied the “rules of the bicycle”. While other researchers were looking for strong engine to make an object fly on air they looked into “the method” that made the frail bicycles carry men without falling and achieving balancing at the same time. They went further to read the writings of a man who attempted the same thing.
Books are priceless and the time given to it are never wasted. It is good you while away the time as some say, but please not excessively with videos and entertainments (those things are not entirely bad) but invest your time in reading. Buy books and use your time to read them. There are people who have libraries of books which they never read. Apostle Paul is a reader as well as our Lord Jesus Christ, emulate them.
May the Communion of Holy Spirit be with you