Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Review: Fearless

I don't consider myself particularly fearful. I've tried rock climbing and rappelling and kayaking and whitewater rafting. I'm not thrilled by amusement park rides anymore because they're just not scary. I've traveled globally by myself. I still want to skydive. I pretty much avoid extreme danger and embrace the rest.

But isn't life itself dangerous? Max Lucado's Fearless provides fresh insight on why we can live life fearlessly, in spite of the danger...

My Review

"The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else." So goes a favorite quote from a favorite author of mine, Oswald Chambers. Max Lucado's book definitely supports that perspective.

If you've appreciated Max Lucado's writing style in the past, you're sure to appreciate this book, as well. He mixes in contemporary news, personal stories, fresh parables, historic tidbits, quotes, and biblical insights to create a powerful, yet intimate message. Discussion guides at the end of the book assist with group study.

This book made me realize I DO have some fear issues. I fear running out of time and missing deadlines - I'm constantly stressing about how much I need to do.

A new fear of mine with Esmé's arrival is the fear of not protecting my daughter. I feared miscarriage, then prematurity, then SIDS, then choking and falling down the stairs and water left in the bathtub. As each stage is passed, there is a new and greater parental fear, it seems. And even if we get past matters of life and death, there is the fear that I'm not doing the best I can as a parent...

And each of these fears may seem legitimate, until faced with the truth Jeremiah espouses: "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion."

Or in Martin Luther King's words less than a day before his assassination, "I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

It's all a matter of perspective. Even what man intends for evil, God can use for good. So if we trust Him, what's there to fear?

Maybe the fear is that God isn't. Max Lucado even addresses that one...

For more information about this book, check out thefearlesstimes.com. And you can now purchase this newly released book at Thomas Nelson or Amazon.

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Thanks to Thomas Nelson for a review copy of this book.

3 comments:

ShEiLa said...

Oh dear...
my list is going to just keep getting bigger and bigger.

I am familiar with Max Lucado and I guess I just need to visit Amazon and get it ordered... even though I have yet to begin the book I have awaiting... The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks... fearless sounds like something I absolutely need in my life. I can so relate to your statements about parental fear.

I just love your blog... I have learned so much.

ToOdLeS.

Brooke said...

i think that i found the thomas nelson link through your page and love it! :) i reviewed fearless too. thanks for the hookup!

Amy said...

another one to add to my longlist.are you on goodreads?