This book is not a “make you feel
good” book. The message may seem extreme to many and the life she invites her
readers to something unattainable. I, too, had my questions regarding the
possibility to apply what she presents to be a "radical life devoted to
God" in the century and world we live in. I can easily see how this book can
turn into a "text book" and seem hard to live by. However, the life
of the martyrs and the heroes of faith that Leslie presents is something I am
sure every true Christian longs for - total communion with God, a deep
relationship.
One aspect that bothered me a bit
more than the others was her approach to books. She mentioned that nothing
should stand in our way to search fellowship with God - if we have a few
moments of free time, do we read the Bible or pray, or on the contrary, we
engage in something that we see as "me time"? (something she
disagrees with) She said at some point that she sometimes "enjoys reading
an edifying book", but most often than not, prefers to engage in things
that have an eternal impact. I think this is very good, but I love to read, and
there are many books out there that don't necessary fall into the
"edifying" category, good books, books that I plan to read. For
clarification, she calls "edifying" those books which deal with
Christian life and living. This, I think is my biggest turn off from the book.
I agree with what she wrote about the way we should relate to prayer:
"not when we feel like it", but we must train ourselves to spend more
time with God. This sounds off putting, but it's a Biblical truth (see: Paul
the apostle's life and letters to the Churches).
The resources she recommends at
the end and throughout the book, mostly writings of and about heroes of faith
(something that I find extremely useful!), and sermons available at
www.ellerslie.com dealing with various topics talked of in the book, are really
good and welcome. Also, the discussion questions and prompts at the end of
every chapter are great for a small group talk, and mostly for personal
devotion time.
All in all it was a good book, a
great reminder to refocus our attention on what matters in light of eternity.
About the author:
Leslie Ludy is a bestselling author and speaker with a passion for helping women become set-apart for Christ. She and her husband, Eric, are the authors of twenty-one books that have been translated into over a dozen languages around the world, including their widely known classic, When God Writes Your Love Story. Leslie’s bestselling books for young women include Authentic Beauty, Set-Apart Femininity, Sacred Singleness, Answering the Guy Questions, and The Lost Art of True Beauty. Leslie’s newest book, The Set-Apart Woman, equips women of all ages to cultivate a Christ-centered lifestyle.
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I was given a free ebook copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.
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