Book Review: The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Andy Stanley

 

“Direction – not intention – determines our destination.”  This is the truth that Andy Stanley drives home in  The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.  Through anecdotes, scripture references, and plenty of logical reasoning, Stanley guides us to see that even the seemingly small and inconsequential decisions we make each day are in fact steps that lead to a destination.  If we desire to get to a certain place in life or meet specific goals, we must be sure that we are taking the small steps to get there.

I found this book to be full of simple truths that are easily overlooked in everyday life.  I appreciate the author’s ability to present concepts in easy-to-understand terms that can make an immediate impact in our lives.  Take out the scripture references, and this could easily be a book for anyone of any faith who is seeking to reach their goals, but, of course, that is not the purpose of The Principle of the Path.  The concepts presented are firmly rooted in scripture and help us to shed light on our goals and daily decisions in the context of faith.

A few specific ideas that I’m taking away from this book are:

• We often deceive ourselves about why we are doing what we are doing.  Stanley puts it this way:  “We choose with our heart and then give our brains the task of finding justification for our decisions,” and suggests that we instead give our heads the task of discovering the real reasons for our decisions.  In doing so, he says, we will be free from the deceptive power of our hearts.  He also provides three very specific and insightful questions to ask ourselves to get to the truth about the decisions we make.
• Some new insights about Proverbs 3:6: In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.
  • In ALL your ways – not some or most of your ways
  • Acknowledge: to recognize who God is and respond accordingly (submission)
  • Divine direction begins with unconditional submission, not information
  • Choosing a path outside of what God has commanded, even if we sincerely believe it is best, is disobedience.
• “What gets our attention determines our direction, and ultimately, our destination.”   I don’t think of distractions as anything but distractions, but they are, in fact, directing my life.  The good news is that I get to choose where to focus my attention and in doing so will guide my direction, and ultimately, my destination.  I must remember: “We don’t drift in good directions. We discipline and prioritize ourselves there.”

Disclosure:  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.