As a girl who grew up on stories and now finds joy in the few-and-far-between moments she can seize to read for pleasure, I'm honestly surprised that I haven't written this article yet.
Since coming to school here at Liberty University, I have realized that as college students, we don't read nearly as much as we should, and this makes my bookdragon heart sad.
And I get it. I get that some of us love books, and some of us don't. I get that we're all so busy that, most days, picking up a book that isn't required reading or our Bibles is laughable. I get that most of the time, when we do have time to chill, it usually involves Netflix and/or friends.
I get it, but I also believe that it is so incredibly important for us to be reading things outside of what we have to know for class. We need to be reading things that interest us, things that we don't have to worry over, things that we can learn from and laugh at and ponder on and identify with.
And, of course, there are books that we as Christian college students simply must read, if we haven't already read them.
(Note: This is a very short list that is part of many more books that I love. It is also specifically non-fiction; I could write up a whole other list of fiction books that ought to be read. Also, if a few of these books aren't very interesting to guys, then my apologies; perhaps some of these resonate more with me than they would with you.)
1. "Mere Christianity" / C.S. Lewis
If your professors haven't already told you: read C.S. Lewis. I would definitely start with this one; he explains and defends all the beliefs Christians have in common, and it's amazing. Plus, there are so many golden quotes, like this one-- one of my favorite apologetic pieces of all time:
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Other Em-Recommended works by Lewis: "Weight of Glory," "The Great Divorce," "The Screwtape Letters," and "The Chronicles of Narnia."
2. "The Hardest Peace" / Kara Tippetts
I'll admit it: this book is a hard one to read. Kara passed away from cancer early last year, and this book is a chronicle of her journey through it-- and her struggles in facing cancer while still finding joy and peace in the Lord. It's a hard book, yes, but such a beautiful portrait of her strength of character, and the grace He gives us all. This book brought me to tears and challenged me, and I'm so thankful for it.
“It takes courage, humiliating courage, to step aside from your own sovereignty and imagined control and begin looking for the gift that comes unmerited. Yes, I'm talking about grace. Grace by my definition is the gift that comes unearned. In a world of unbelievably able bodies, where new diets are fashioned every day to keep my brand of story away, it is hard to realize you may be living in the middle of the best story ever told. That the story of breast cancer could possibly be a good story? A great story even? It would be easier to shake my fist at the test results and scream that this isn't the right story, but to receive—humbly receive—the story no one would ever want, and know there is goodness in the midst of its horror, is not something I could ever do in my own strength. I simply cannot. That receiving comes from the One who received His own suffering for a much greater purpose than my own."
― Kara Tippetts, The Hardest Peace: Expecting Grace in the Midst of Life's Hard
3. "Passion and Purity" / Elisabeth Elliot
Oh, this book. I adore it. If you want a book that will challenge you to surrender all things to the Lord -- even the good and beautiful things He has placed in your life, such as love for another person -- then this is definitely the one for you. This book taught me that sometimes God says wait even after He brings the much-anticipated good to your life and that, ultimately, we are called to choose Him above all else. Elizabeth's writing is so real and poignant all in one, and she's the kind of woman whom you would want to sit down and chat for hours with about heart-stuff and trusting the Lord. Reading this book is a good alternative to that.
“If we hold tightly to anything given to us unwilling to allow it to be used as the Giver means it to be used we stunt the growth of the soul. What God gives us is not necessarily "ours" but only ours to offer back to him, ours to relinquish, ours to lose, ours to let go of, if we want to be our true selves. Many deaths must go into reaching our maturity in Christ, many letting goes."
― Elisabeth Elliot, Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ's Control
4. "One Thousand Gifts" / Ann Voskamp
A warning in advance: Ann writes with extremely flowery language, and although I didn't mind it, I realize that some people do. But if you're a soul who thinks in imagery and metaphors, you'll love this. Even if you aren't, please give this one a go; it's quite convicting and inspiring, challenging us Christ-followers to live with thanksgiving. Ultimately, this book is about finding joy in all things, and watching how that can change a life-- and it's wonderful.
“Humbly let go. Let go of trying to do, let go of trying to control, let go of my own way, let go of my own fears. Let God blow His wind, His trials, oxygen for joy's fire. Leave the hand open and be. Be at peace. Bend the knee and be small and let God give what God chooses to give because He only gives love and whisper a surprised thanks. This is the fuel for joy's flame. Fullness of joy is discovered only in the emptying of will. And I can empty. I can empty because counting His graces has awakened me to how He cherishes me, holds me, passionately values me. I can empty because I am full of His love. I can trust."
― Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
As I said, there are many other excellent books that Christians ought to read, but these are a few that have shaped me and that I would personally recommend, especially for college students. Now, go forth and read the lovely and convicting things!
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