With thousands of great books out there among the millions of titles available, reading the same book more than once has never made much sense to me. I skim through books I've read in search of some particular points, but I don't re-read books -- except, of course, when I do. Right now I'm re-reading Tender Warrior by Stu Weber. I'm pretty sure this is the third time I've read it, and, other than the Bible, it's one of the few books I've ever fully read more than once. There are other books I'd enjoy reading again, but they always stay on the self because there's always a never-read book on my desk or nightstand.
Tender Warrior holds a special place in my life journey. It was a gift from a friend, but I can't recall why he thought an agnostic like me would be interested in a biblical view of manhood. But I promised him I'd read it, and I did. That was some 14 years ago, and here's the biggest, most important thing I learned from it: My authority isn't the highest authority. Men who lead with real authority and influence always live under real authority and influence. With this realization, I then had to decide under what authority I would place my life. Having long studied the major religions of the world, I knew all of them were lacking but one: Faith in Christ.
But Tender Warrior isn't one of those books written to convert heathens like me to the Way. It is, most of all, a wonderful description of biblical manhood -- the tender warrior. I know that if I live out the principles in this book, I'm a better man for it and my wife and family gain. And I know I need a constant remember of what those principle are. So I should re-read this book far more often than I do. The lessons are based on timeless truths, so they never get old.
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