As a Man Reads – The Power of Books

WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE

Are you experiencing good success?
Are you a reader? 
What are you reading?

As a Man Reads – The Power of Books

Growing up, I was not a reader. I read mostly comic books for entertainment purposes, in part because my parents did not encourage me to read, nor did they give me incentives to read. 

This had a negative effect on my personal development and imagination. After dropping out of college and starting my own business, I realized how limited I was in the use of language and general understanding of concepts that were essential for me to become successful. 

And so, I began to discipline myself to become a reader. I started with motivational books and biographical books, later moving on to business books and later, history books. I became an avid reader out of necessity because I did not want to be poor. Reading has been key to my personal growth and development.  

My oldest daughter is an avid reader. Contrary to my younger years, libraries were her favorite place to visit, and books were her favorite “hiding place” while growing up. Her confidence in the use of words at an early age was amazing. This has given her an academic advantage, as well as helping her to become an effective communicator at an early stage of her life.  

Whether you are like me, not growing up as a reader, or whether you are like my daughter, with reading being a vital part of your life since early childhood, I want to encourage you that becoming a reader can transform your life. We are greatly influenced by everything that we read. Show me a man who reads, and I will show you a man who has knowledge. 

Readers have a competitive edge in the use of language and the command of words, and that is why “leaders are readers.” Reading expands our imagination, cultivates our intellect, and powers our dreams. Reading gives us confidence, shapes our worldview, and enables us to learn new things.  To some extent, we are what we read.  

But as powerful as reading is, the content that we read is even more important than the act of reading itself. When I became a reader, nothing accelerated my development as a leader as much as reading the Word of God. Reading His word enabled me to tap into the mind of God, and to gain unique insights into subjects as diverse as the formation of the universe, eternal success principles, and God’s plan for my life, in a way that nothing else could have done.
  

Before I became a Christian, I read books that taught me the best practices of successful living and business. While the content was good, it was limited because it was not possible to learn Godly wisdom or eternal truths from those books. When praying to His Father, Jesus made the simple but powerful statement, “Your Word is truth” (John 17:17). It was reading God’s Word,  the Bible, that took me beyond natural knowledge and into the realm of supernatural knowledge and eternal truth. It gave me a unique perspective on life and an eternal competitive edge in the business sphere. 

I’m often asked about the college I graduated from and the degrees I’ve earned. It is the reading of books, particularly the reading of the Word of God that has made me into the man I am today. When the Lord was preparing Joshua to succeed Moses, He instructed him to read His words day and night. Why? So that he would prosper and have good success in all that he did (Joshua 1:7-8).  

How is your life and business? 
Are you experiencing good success?
What are you reading? 

Remember leaders are readers, and readers of the word of God have the greatest competitive advantage of all because they gain eternal perspective.

My prayer for you today is that God will give you the grace to meditate upon His word day and night so you may have an eternal advantage in life and business to realize His purpose and plans for your life in the marketplace.  

This devotional was taken from the book The Buck Stops With You, by Patrice Tsague and Gabrielle E. Tsague. To learn the other 8 virtues to take control of your life and realize your destiny, click on the button below to purchase the book: