Saturday, June 18, 2011

Weekend Book Review: It's Not About Me: Rescue From the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy

As human beings living here on this earth, we have managed (actually since the beginning of time when Eve took that first bite of the forbidden fruit) to believe that this life we each live centers around us. Selfishness and self-satisfaction run rampant in our world. Many have the attitude that it is all about them, and even those who do not live openly self-absorbed lives still have moments of selfishness and probably think and live more selfishly than they even know.





However, Max Lucado's book, It's Not About Me: Rescue From the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy, challenges us to look at our human existences in a different light. He insists that our life is not really about us at all, but, rather, the glory of God. Could we all just shift our perspective for a moment?

What if we could look at those moments of trial and testing as an opportunity to bring glory to God's name? Lucado challenges the readers to ask, "How can I bring glory to God through this situation?" rather than, "How could God let this happen to me?" This may be easier said than done, but really if we believe God's Word, that says multiple times in different ways that all things that happen to His children must go through His permission first, and also that He works all things for good for those that love Him, then we are faced with the reality that, yes, even the bad things in my life can be used for some good purpose to glorify God.

This book was an encouraging reminder of these things. I myself know that I have the tendency to worry about the future and what it might hold. And I often have to remind myself that whatever happens, only happens because God permits it. And if God permits it, then it is good for my life and will be used for His glory. It's very easy to get wrapped up in the here and now, and much more difficult to remember that "these light and momentary troubles" (according to the apostle Paul) pale in comparison to an eternity in Heaven and the eternal joy we will experience there.

I found this book, like all of the other books of Lucado's I have read, to be enjoyable. He writes in a very narrative style, providing real-life and parable-like stories to drive home the points, which is also how I have found most of his other books to be written. This made the book interesting and easy to read.

This book doesn't dig in deep; you'll have to look elsewhere if you're looking for a book like that. However, sometimes we have the tendency to complicate things that should be rather simple and straightforward. Things like the concept that we were put here on earth for the glory of God.
This book reminded me in a very light-hearted manner, to see my challenges, trials, and "thorns" in life as ways to show God's glory.

*I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson publishers in exchange for my honest review.*

1 comment:

Monica said...

I love Max Lucado because he doesn't complicate things but he doesn't "dumb" it up either. I also have a book from Thomas Nelson that I am working through. You should join us at 5minutesforbooks.com the 4th Tuesday of each month for What's on your nightstand. Just a place where we share what we have been reading and what we are going to read. Thanks for the review! I will be looking for it!