ABOUT THOSE BOOKS

As you sit on your beach chair this summer with a book, whether it's light and fluffy or something deeper you prefer, hopefully you have chosen your summer reading material well - but if you are still not sure, here are some things to consider...

ABOUT THOSE BOOKS

I have read lots of books that I thought were good at the time, but looking back, they have faded from my memory. After many years I’ve learned that there are lots of Christian books out there. Books by people that I now see were incomplete at best and incorrect at worst. A book might help us in the short term, but in the long run the best way to learn how to have a deep relationship with God is through His Word, which has stood the test of time. You won't necessarily find that in a book (unless it’s God’s book – the Bible).

For example, there are lots of books about what our purpose is, but there is only one way to live a life that fulfills our purpose for being on earth, and that is to worship and love God, and live for Him. Today, so many people are trying to find THEIR purpose on earth, and find THEIR passion or gift. While God has good plans for us, the thing is - we must pursue HIM with passion, not OUR purposes or OUR gifts and OUR passions, as some books are saying.

Some popular books claim that you will be changed after reading them in a certain number of days, or after a certain number of steps. That is more than a bit presumptuous. God works on his time schedule, not ours. He can change a life in a day or a week, but most often it takes a year, or years, and sometimes a lifetime.

Books will blow away like pages in the wind, but God’s word will last forever. So many of today’s books have an infrequent mention of the important things emphasized in the Bible, like the holiness of God, sin, the cross, our human flesh and old nature, God’s commands, His sovereignty, and even absolute truth. In their place, other concepts are substituted that won’t interfere with a ‘good self image.’ If there is more focus on things that leave you with a warm, fuzzy, feel-good message, emphasizing YOU, or what God can do for YOU, then that book won’t help you in the long run.

By the way, regarding the title of one popular book about finding your purpose, well, it’s been said that cattle are driven and sheep are led. Jesus referred to us as His sheep, and sheep are led by the Shepherd.

Bottom line
–YOU DON’T NEED A BOOK TO FIND YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE –
FIND IT IN CHRIST

"Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day." Psalm 25:5


[Source: a compilation of advice paraphrased and borrowed from various miscellaneous sources]