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.

Book Review: God Loves Me More than That by Dandi Daley Mackall

Inspired by Ephesians 3:17-19, God Loves Me More than That helps kids to see "how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ" through whimsical illustrations and rhyming text.  Dandi Daley Mackall presents the abstract notion of God's great love in concrete, kid-friendly terms.  God's love is "deeper than a treasure chest beneath the sea / deeper than a wishing well could ever be" were the favorites at our house.  A great read-aloud and jumping off place for discussions about God's love, children (and adults) of all ages will find something to love in this book.


Disclosure:  I received this book free from the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group's Blogging for Books program. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt

I chose to read this book because I wanted to take advantage of the publisher's Blogging for Books program and it seemed to be the most promising title available.  I wasn't expecting much besides a free book and an opportunity to blog about it.  Little did I know that the truths within would set my mind reeling and my heart yearning to live out my beliefs in a radical way.


From a literary stand point, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream is well-written and well-documented and at the same time personal and passionate.  I appreciate the organization and the fact that the author provides endnotes for scripture and other references throughout the book.  David Platt thoughtfully guides us to see how we've allowed the American Dream to reshape our view of Christianity and then lays before us a bold challenge to rediscover and embrace the Biblical expectations that God has for us. 


Surprisingly, this book contains no breakthrough ideas or new-fangled interpretations.  Each point that is made is one that well-read Christians will have encountered before in the Bible.  What makes Radical unique and powerful is not that David Platt has anything new to say, but rather that he is actually saying it.  His straight-forward, no-nonsense approach to sharing the very basic truths of the gospel force us to examine exactly what we believe and how those beliefs shape our lifestyle.  


Platt debunks common Christian cliches ("God hates the sin, loves the sinner" - nope), challenges our sincerity (are we worshiping the Jesus of the Bible or ourselves?), and makes convicting comparisons (slavery of yesterday to present-day materialism).  He also reminds us of the simplicity of our purpose: to make disciples of all nations; to "plainly, humbly, and quietly focus our lives on people," and suggests practical ways in which to live out this purpose.


Perhaps what caused me to appreciate this book the most is the fact that the author and his church are daily walking the talk.  After learning that God expects his people to care for orphans, Platt's church took it upon themselves to make sure every child in their county had a loving home.  They contacted the appropriate agencies and found that there were 150 kids on the foster care waiting list.  In response, 160 families from The Church at Brook Hills adjusted their lifestyles and welcomed children into their homes through foster care or adoption.





Radical is a quick read, but not necessarily an easy one.  If your heart is at all open to God, you will be challenged and inspired to action.  I highly recommend it and would love to discuss it with you, so please...read on!


Disclosure:  I received this book free from the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group's Blogging for Books program. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

The thought of a jealous God is unsettling...

...but even worse would be a God who feels indifferent about me. I'm glad he loves me enough to want me all for himself.

Mercy triumphs over judgement!

I love that this verse from James 2 reads like a newspaper headline. I don't think we see too many exclamation marks in the Bible (I could be wrong about that), but this statement surely deserves one. When I'm up against a standard of absolute righteousness set by the law (vs. 8), and even one seemingly inconsequential sin makes me a sinner (vs. 10), I am incredibly thankful that God's mercy trumps judgement and gives me freedom that I don't deserve.

I can easily accept that, but putting it into practice is more difficult. I need to work on expressing a mercy like God's to those around me, even when it goes against my follow-the-rules-and-serve-the-consequences nature.

I want to "speak and act as one who is going to be judged by the law that gives freedom" (vs. 12).

Keeping up with the Joneses*

I've been thinking a bit about friends of mine who are very, very good people. They are the kind of people I look up to, and they have many qualities that I'd like to cultivate in myself. I love to watch their family members interact...the dynamics in their home are what I'd like to be a part of every day in my own home (at least from what I see as an observer of their lives). The one huge difference between them and us is that they are not Christians.

This difference really bothers me for a couple reasons, one of which is this: they are better people than we are. They contribute more to society, raise their children to be more well-rounded, polite, intelligent, creative individuals, and even seem to be more grounded in their beliefs than we are. Some would say that all of this doesn't matter because they don't know Jesus, but I have to disagree. Their lives right now matter, and they are doing more with what they've been given than I am (even if we don't agree on who gave us what we have in the first place).

Some might also say that this family isn't truly happy, that they don't have real joy, but again I disagree. Of course, I can't know their emotions, but I really think that they are enjoying life and each other more fully than I do on a daily basis.

Sometimes I think I should share my faith with them, but there is no way that I could do so with confidence. Sure, I know what I believe, but how could I ever expect them to trade the life they have now for the one I'm living? Not that my life is bad, but I doubt that they would find it fulfilling.

Somehow, I wish my faith were more inspiring. I wish it was my faith that drove me to be a better person in practical, everyday ways. I'd like to see the church challenging believers to learn and grow and think for themselves, within the framework of faith. Instead, I sometimes feel that we Christians are just cookie cutter images who lack any real depth or drive in life.

This keeps coming to my mind: if this other family and mine both faced overwhelming tragedy, who would survive? Somehow I think that they would work through it and come out stronger on the other side, but I'm not sure that I would. Ugghh. I need to develop my faith so that it can sustain me as well.

And that is just it...my faith, my relationship with God, is underdeveloped. At least this other family has put thought and time and effort into what they believe; so much so that it permeates their lives. I, on the other hand, go to church and read my Bible and pray, but fail to do so regularly enough or with enough passion. Not to mention that their are other aspects of my faith (meaningful relationships with other Christians, to name one) that are missing entirely.

While I know this isn't a competition to be as "good" as the Joneses*, I'm hoping it will provide some motivation to grow in my faith.

*names have been changed to protect the innocent

Profound Thoughts (for me)

"God is science fiction."

Okay...I know this is not at all accurate, but in trying to explain how I couldn't explain what I don't understand about God, it seemed like the perfect explanation.

"Life is doing the dishes."

And changing diapers, and making dinner, and folding the laundry. Sometimes it's difficult not to view everyday tasks as chores to get through, but they are much more pleasant when I acknowledge that this is life, and I can enjoy this moment.

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

I'm SMILING as you read this...

Earlier this week at work I was involved in an "incident" with an unhappy customer. (Incident is such a scary word...but it is the one we use to describe an out-of-the-ordinary, better-let-the-manager-know-about-this kind of happening at our library.) I'll spare you the details other than to say that the person was not very happy, and seemed to think I was rude to her. My guess is that her perception of me was not entirely accurate because she was already upset by other issues. However, all day today at work I was really aware of my words and vocal inflection and facial expressions and body language...I was a little concerned that someone else might get the wrong message from me if I wasn't careful.

Okay, I was being unreasonably paranoid about this, but it's been good to think about how easily I can be misread. A smile can seem like a smirk, a failure to respond to a routine greeting can appear to be disinterest or disdain, and who knows what people think when they see my furrowed brow as I am deep in concentration. Just the other day, a co-worker passed me on the way into work and said, "smile...it's Friday." Hadn't I been smiling? I was happy enough. Why did she think I wasn't? I guess my face just didn't have a natural smile that morning.

Now I know that I shouldn't be so concerned with what others think of me, but at the same time it does matter. If I am to "be Christ" to those around me, I have to become more aware of what message is being sent by my actions, words, and even my facial expressions and body language. It's good to think about these things and to really focus on being genuinely friendly to others...I just hope that I get over the paranoia soon.

A Few Thoughts...

I've decided to stop thinking about why I should be a Christian, and how to be a Christian, and what difference it makes and all of that, and just do the simplest thing I can think to do - read the Bible. I might find some answers, and I might not, but I think that's okay. Maybe some other day I'll worry about all of the philosophical stuff, but for now I think I'll just give in to the fact that I've been a Christian for as long as I can remember, and it seems to have worked out okay so far. Lately I had been thinking that it was just as easy to not be a "real" Christian, but I've realized that without a daily relationship with God, the only thing constant in my life are my mood swings and my inability to grasp what is really valuable. Then, I read someone's thoughts about loving others in the way that God loves me, and I realized that I've lost touch with what God's love is like. How can my love for my husband be a representation of God's love when I haven't allowed myself to know God's love, or learned how to practice it? So... I dug out my Bible - The Message version just for kicks, and started in Matthew. Already, I have discovered several truths that speak directly to me (my thoughts are in parenthesis):

"It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth." (Sure, food will keep me alive. But in order to really live life to the fullest, I need to hear all that God is saying to me.)

"You're blessed when you get your inside world - your mind and heart - put right. Then you can see God in the outside world." (Pretty obvious... and yet, I often expect God to show up in the world around me, even when I'm not purposefully seeking him out in my own life.)

"Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!" (Just like I hate having the blinds closed in my dark little living room when it is a perfectly sunny day outside...I don't want to miss out on the brightness of life just because I don't bother to open my eyes. And opening my eyes doesn't mean figuring everything out. It just means believing...simple as that.)

"Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with sure-fire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life - to God! - is vigorous and requires total attention." (So, I have to put some effort into this relationship. But I think that God responds to even my simplest efforts, like reading a little bit of his Word.)


And a few things that offer a practical challenge for my everyday life...

"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults..."

"Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them."
(This is basically the golden rule that we've all heard about a bazillion times. However, I had always thought of it as a reactive kind of thing. This paraphrase helped me to see it in a new, proactive way.)