★★★★★ 5
The most practical Christian book I've ever read!
Format: Paperback
I found this book on a whim from a comment a review on Amazon. And I'm so thankful that God lead me to it. Are you tired of reading Christian authors who just recite a bunch of trite, spiritual platitudes? I was. So many Christian authors nowadays lay out elaborate, idealistic metaphors about how we should be living our lives. They use flowery rhetoric to inspire. But they don't tell you practically or biblically how you can change your life to reflect these ideals. Until I read this book, I hadn't found an author who could provide direct application of the Scriptures to my circumstances. This book does that and more.
My main takeways from the book are 1) How a person reacts to his/her circumstances is a direct reflection of his/her heart and 2) Change in how you react to the circumstances or "thorns" in your life ultimately depends on heart transformation by Christ. All too often, our natural inclination or reaction is to blame others for what we are going through, be it our spouse, God, a co-worker, etc. How often do we turn the microscope inward? Rarely. The reality is life is hard. You will have trials. How YOU choose to respond to the trials is the key. So often, preachers and books call for specific modifications in behavior such as memorizing Scripture, avoiding temptations, etc. Of course these modifications are not bad in and of themselves, but they do not provide lasting change.
If you do not believe that the Bible is the ultimate Word of God, then this book is not for you. The entire book is bathed in Scripture. Not just snippets, but big chunks with full application and analysis. Another unique aspect of the book, is that the author fills the book with numerous real life examples that you can relate to. In other Christian books I've read, the author may give you one or two isolated examples, which are so unique that nobody can relate to them. Perhaps you won't relate to all of the examples in this book, but I guarantee that at least two or three of them will hit home. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all people who are wondering how they can change themselves for the better using Scripture as the basis for their change.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2010