Take a photo of a barcode or cover
i was tempted to give this book 2.5. it was pretty basic and shallow for a book about emotions/inner life. he mentions his wife, Geri, a lot and i should have read the book she wrote instead. i read it with a bible study group which provided some depth at times but that depth came from the women in the group.
i ended up at 3 stars because it was refreshing and somewhat healing to hear an older, white, pastor man acknowledge that emotions matter and stuff but also, the bar is in hell?
anyways, i was really hoping for more from this book. it had some bright spots along the way but felt
so basic and i was just eager to finish it and be on my way
i ended up at 3 stars because it was refreshing and somewhat healing to hear an older, white, pastor man acknowledge that emotions matter and stuff but also, the bar is in hell?
anyways, i was really hoping for more from this book. it had some bright spots along the way but felt
so basic and i was just eager to finish it and be on my way
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
I found the subtitle and even cover design a bit unfortunate, as it would have been seriously off-putting to me had the book not been given to me by a good friend. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found the direction, answers, questions, and points within to be very helpful in attempting to live a life of health and sanity and experience healthy, life-giving relationships. I feel like he "dumbs it down" at times, but I understand that his audience might be otherwise put off by some of the terms he uses, terms and ideas more synonomous with ancient Christian practices. I will be adding this book to my home library shortly!
Book was good and very insightful. I would not recommend the audiobook as the reader was very blah.
This book impacted me more than I was expecting. I will likely reread it in the future. Highly recommend.
“There are powerful breakthroughs that can take place deep below the surface of our lives when the riches of both contemplative spirituality *and* emotional health are joined together… Together, they form a refining fire in which God’s love burns way what is false and unreal and his fierce and purifying love sets us free to live in the truth of Jesus.”
“There are powerful breakthroughs that can take place deep below the surface of our lives when the riches of both contemplative spirituality *and* emotional health are joined together… Together, they form a refining fire in which God’s love burns way what is false and unreal and his fierce and purifying love sets us free to live in the truth of Jesus.”
For Scazzero, the highest marks of spiritual maturity are getting in touch with your passions and emotions, letting them guide you, and throwing off the awfulness that must inevitably exist in your family upbringing and anyone who might not affirm you you wholeheartedly as you follow your dreams.
The worst things you could do conversely, are to turn out like your parents in any way, to question whether your emotions at any point are in line with the truth of Scripture, or to get too attached to other people to the point that you care what they think. Or to work in a job that you sometimes don't find enjoyable or rewarding (because, in Scazzero's view, that isn't God's will for your life, since otherwise it would line up with the "seeds of goodness" -- things you enjoy -- that God put in you).
After all, as Scazzero says, "Jesus was not selfless", so neither should we feel obligated to be selfless. "Find the door of your heart", he quotes, likely out of context, "you will discover it is the door to the kingdom of God."
The full quote from Scazzero doesn't paint a better picture:
"Living your God-given life involves remaining faithful to your true self. It entails distinguishing your true self from the demands and voices around you and discerning the unique vision, calling, and mission the Father has given to you.11 It requires listening to God from within yourself and understanding how he has uniquely made you. Knowing your personality, temperament, likes and dislikes, thoughts, and feelings all contribute to your discovery. John Chrysostom, the golden-mouthed preacher and archbishop of Constantinople, described our work as follows: “Find the door of your heart, you will discover it is the door of the kingdom of God.”"
He spends a while trying to paint Satan's temptation of Jesus in the desert as trying to get Jesus to buy into a lie that Jesus wasn't good enough or loveable enough, so that he can then apply that to all of his readers, encouraging them that they're already good enough how they are and perfectly loveable. This seems at odds both with the Biblical account of that event (wherein Satan tempted Jesus with the very same pursuit of self-fulfillment and prosperity that Scazzero advocates in this book, trying like Scazzero to lure Jesus away from His redemptive purpose of selfless sacrifice for the lost), *and* with the rest of that same chapter that tells you to pursue change in your life by listening more to your emotions and shedding off any responsibilities that you don't enjoy (since if they were God's will for you, they'd be enjoyable, so if they're not enjoyable, they're not God's will for you).
He then goes on to advise that you ignore anyone who doesn't agree with your pursuit of enjoyment and self-realization (*especially* if they're your family), stating that it's necessary that you outgrow those dissenters by way of a process he grabs from pop psychology, unable to find it anywhere in Scripture:
"Murray Bowen, the originator of the term differentiation, emphasizes that in families there is a powerful opposition when one member of that system matures and increases his or her level of differentiation. He argues that even a little growth can cause a reaction in those closest to him or her. In the same way, I have seen repeatedly that when anyone makes a change in themselves (becoming their true self in Christ), a few people around them often get upset. Bowen describes the opposition in three stages: Stage One: “You are wrong for changing and here are the reasons why.” Stage Two: “Change back and we will accept you again.” Stage Three: “If you don’t change back, these are the consequences” (which are then listed).21 At each season of our journey with Christ, whenever Geri and I have taken steps to more clearly define who we are and who we are not in Christ, there has always been a consequence. It will happen with you too. But keep making changes. Be willing to tolerate the discomfort necessary for growth. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s power to continue. You are doing something that has never been done before in your history!"
Finally, most of the way through that chapter, he makes his way at last to reference the Bible a second time (after many appeals to secular psychologists and Jewish rabbis)....but only to take an entire chapter out of context in a way that would make the most chintzy of Philippians 4:13 football jerseys look like sound exegesis:
"Hebrews 11 tells us that some people conquered kingdoms. Others were sawed in two for their faith. Only God knows your future. Yet you can be sure of one thing: your life, like [Chuck] Yeager’s airplane, will shake in the process of you maturing into the person God intends."
Hebrews 11 is a chapter recounting how salvation came to all of the Jewish patriarchs not by their own works, nor by anything within themselves, but by the work of God (who then gave them the faith in God alone to act in obedience to God, even when that required self-sacrifice).
Scazzero instead frames it as "if people tell you no, don't listen to them! After all, Moses and Abraham and Rehab didn't listen to the haters either!"
And that's really a succinct summary of the book: the gospel it preaches is one of following your dreams and your feelings above all else, and salvation through ignoring anyone or anything that would have you do something you don't enjoy. There are no "one-another" commands here aside from "affirm one another's feelings", much to the apostle Paul's chagrin; rather, you shouldn't get too attached to anyone outside yourself, except to agree with them when they tell you "you're doing everything right, keep going!"
Scazzero, like Osteen before him, swaps heaven for happiness, and the cross for "centering" on oneself, and along the way maps out -- and then sells workbooks, DVDs, and speaking gigs for -- a path to that promises you'll gain the whole world, and trains you on how to silence any concerns about losing your soul.
The worst things you could do conversely, are to turn out like your parents in any way, to question whether your emotions at any point are in line with the truth of Scripture, or to get too attached to other people to the point that you care what they think. Or to work in a job that you sometimes don't find enjoyable or rewarding (because, in Scazzero's view, that isn't God's will for your life, since otherwise it would line up with the "seeds of goodness" -- things you enjoy -- that God put in you).
After all, as Scazzero says, "Jesus was not selfless", so neither should we feel obligated to be selfless. "Find the door of your heart", he quotes, likely out of context, "you will discover it is the door to the kingdom of God."
The full quote from Scazzero doesn't paint a better picture:
"Living your God-given life involves remaining faithful to your true self. It entails distinguishing your true self from the demands and voices around you and discerning the unique vision, calling, and mission the Father has given to you.11 It requires listening to God from within yourself and understanding how he has uniquely made you. Knowing your personality, temperament, likes and dislikes, thoughts, and feelings all contribute to your discovery. John Chrysostom, the golden-mouthed preacher and archbishop of Constantinople, described our work as follows: “Find the door of your heart, you will discover it is the door of the kingdom of God.”"
He spends a while trying to paint Satan's temptation of Jesus in the desert as trying to get Jesus to buy into a lie that Jesus wasn't good enough or loveable enough, so that he can then apply that to all of his readers, encouraging them that they're already good enough how they are and perfectly loveable. This seems at odds both with the Biblical account of that event (wherein Satan tempted Jesus with the very same pursuit of self-fulfillment and prosperity that Scazzero advocates in this book, trying like Scazzero to lure Jesus away from His redemptive purpose of selfless sacrifice for the lost), *and* with the rest of that same chapter that tells you to pursue change in your life by listening more to your emotions and shedding off any responsibilities that you don't enjoy (since if they were God's will for you, they'd be enjoyable, so if they're not enjoyable, they're not God's will for you).
He then goes on to advise that you ignore anyone who doesn't agree with your pursuit of enjoyment and self-realization (*especially* if they're your family), stating that it's necessary that you outgrow those dissenters by way of a process he grabs from pop psychology, unable to find it anywhere in Scripture:
"Murray Bowen, the originator of the term differentiation, emphasizes that in families there is a powerful opposition when one member of that system matures and increases his or her level of differentiation. He argues that even a little growth can cause a reaction in those closest to him or her. In the same way, I have seen repeatedly that when anyone makes a change in themselves (becoming their true self in Christ), a few people around them often get upset. Bowen describes the opposition in three stages: Stage One: “You are wrong for changing and here are the reasons why.” Stage Two: “Change back and we will accept you again.” Stage Three: “If you don’t change back, these are the consequences” (which are then listed).21 At each season of our journey with Christ, whenever Geri and I have taken steps to more clearly define who we are and who we are not in Christ, there has always been a consequence. It will happen with you too. But keep making changes. Be willing to tolerate the discomfort necessary for growth. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s power to continue. You are doing something that has never been done before in your history!"
Finally, most of the way through that chapter, he makes his way at last to reference the Bible a second time (after many appeals to secular psychologists and Jewish rabbis)....but only to take an entire chapter out of context in a way that would make the most chintzy of Philippians 4:13 football jerseys look like sound exegesis:
"Hebrews 11 tells us that some people conquered kingdoms. Others were sawed in two for their faith. Only God knows your future. Yet you can be sure of one thing: your life, like [Chuck] Yeager’s airplane, will shake in the process of you maturing into the person God intends."
Hebrews 11 is a chapter recounting how salvation came to all of the Jewish patriarchs not by their own works, nor by anything within themselves, but by the work of God (who then gave them the faith in God alone to act in obedience to God, even when that required self-sacrifice).
Scazzero instead frames it as "if people tell you no, don't listen to them! After all, Moses and Abraham and Rehab didn't listen to the haters either!"
And that's really a succinct summary of the book: the gospel it preaches is one of following your dreams and your feelings above all else, and salvation through ignoring anyone or anything that would have you do something you don't enjoy. There are no "one-another" commands here aside from "affirm one another's feelings", much to the apostle Paul's chagrin; rather, you shouldn't get too attached to anyone outside yourself, except to agree with them when they tell you "you're doing everything right, keep going!"
Scazzero, like Osteen before him, swaps heaven for happiness, and the cross for "centering" on oneself, and along the way maps out -- and then sells workbooks, DVDs, and speaking gigs for -- a path to that promises you'll gain the whole world, and trains you on how to silence any concerns about losing your soul.
Excellent book on spiritual maturity, this entire book walked all over my life and spoke to where God needs me to move next. Can't wait to put The practice of Daily Office to use.
Very helpful guide for pursuing Christ's likeness and maturity in him. Most of evangelicalism would find some of these concepts and inclinations foreign but they are actually true to the way of Jesus and would be a tremendous good for our lives the life of the church and the life of the world.
My favorite part of this book was the section about false peace-makers. "False peace-makers pretend what is wrong is right. True peace comes from loving yourself, others, and God enough to disrupt false peace." It is so common (especially for Christians) to become passive aggressive or to act like everything is fine because they "don't like confrontation" and then later the relationship is destroyed and the other person has no idea why. I loved when this book discussed how we shouldn't pretend we are doing alright if we are not. As humans we are made to relate to each other and it is best to go through things with other people. Just because we are Christians doesn't mean we have to have everything together all the time and that we have to only talk about the positives. We are going through positive and negatives throughout our entire lives and secluding ourselves by telling people we are doing well so they can't help us or relate to us is the work of the enemy. I rated this book 3.75 but am rounding it to 4.00 because it has a really good message. In general, the book had a lot of concepts I had heard before but a few that I hadn't and I appreciated the unique ones.