Book Review: Outlive Your Live by Max Lucado

Are you ready for a challenge? If you are satisfied with your life, content to continue on your own agenda without paying attention to the world around you, don’t read this book!

But … if you want to know more of Christ, if you wonder what it would be like to step out of your shell and into a life lived fully for Him, this is an excellent “beginner’s manual”. Max Lucado gives us glimpses into the lives of a number of people who made that choice, acting on their convictions, and reacting to the difficulties of those around them. The men and women of Outlive Your Life decided to serve their generation as God intended, and so became useful to Him, bringing Him glory, and leaving behind a legacy of faith in action.

This is not an easy read, or a “feel good about yourself” book: it convicted me of how often I fail to grasp opportunities I am given, of how I miss a chance to live wisely among the unbelievers with whom I come in contact every day, of how far short of Christ my compassion towards others falls. The challenge is front and centre: choose to make a difference, to stand for Christ no matter what it costs us. Lucado uses the stories of both Biblical and modern day Christians, to show us the tools, the “secrets” we need to grasp in order to live lives of purpose ourselves. Read this book slowly, read it carefully … it will change your life, if you let it. It these demanding and difficult days, each of us can decide to follow the faith of those who have gone before, outliving our own lives, and leaving our own legacy of active faith to speak of Christ long after we are gone.

Great book!

Book Review: The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews

If you believe that your decisions and actions today have little influence on the future, this is the book to change your mind. Andy Andrews takes us back to a couple of little known events, one a story of courage in the face of overwhelming odds, and the other a tale of valuing human life above personal possessions. In each instance, Andrews opens our eyes to the literally world-changing repercussions of one person’s choice to stand on his or her convictions. The heroes of the initial events never saw the far-reaching results, but we can be amazed by them.

Andrews’ book is visually beautiful, and challenges us to live lives of permanent purpose, realizing that each and every action matters. He says, “You have been created as one of a kind. You have been created in order to make a difference.” He is correct: our lives do matter. We have been placed here and now; our very personalities are not a “mere accident or quirk of fate”, but the very handiwork of the Universal Creator. Unfortunately, Andrews fails to acknowledge the sovereignty of God, or recognize that His purposes will always prevail. Our choice is indeed to make a difference: to act with courage on what we believe is right before God, joining in the work He is doing.

Great book; startling revelations when we are shown the long view; I enjoyed seeing how one thing let to another, and another, with a final result that was far from what I expected from the initial story.