Book Review: Just like Jesus by Max Lucado

I love reading books by Max Lucado. I imagine him being a soft-spoken gentleman with a very close relationship with God who delights in pointing others to Him.

This book is such an amazing book for anyone who is in doubt or not fully convinced that it is possible to be like Jesus. Max starts and ends this book by stating that “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. More than anything, He wants you to be just like Jesus.” What an amazing revelation.

The layout of the book is a very interesting one. Max starts each chapter with a scripture, which the reader is to ponder. Then he encourages the reader step by step on ways to be like Jesus. I would not go into all the steps as that would defeat the purpose of the review, but I would highlight points I found noteworthy.

The fact that you are loved right where you are is a relief as you can be rest assured that His love does not decrease with lack of performance or mistakes. You are loved right where you are. This revelation makes one realise that as we are shown mercy and love, it is our responsibility to show that same mercy and love to others around us irrespective of how they have grieved us. As Max puts it: “Relationships don’t thrive because the guilty are punished but because the innocent are merciful”.

He also lays emphasis on the fact that having a constant relationship with Jesus (by spending time with Him and studying the scriptures) is the first step to being like Jesus. The tools needed for this are a regular time and place, an open bible and an open heart. With these tools, you are ready to be like Jesus. Being like Jesus is a process aided by these tools.

The beauty of it is that we can be just like Jesus because we have been wired to do so from the beginning of time. We need to tune in until we get to a point where separation from God is definitely death.

Bulletproof

People around me know about my love for the song “Titanium” by David Guetta and Sia. You should Google the lyrics; perhaps you would understand why I am besotted with the song.

It puts things in perspective for me: I have nothing to lose if things come at me because I am bulletproof. I have the willpower to withstand all difficulties because I know who I am and who is in me.

It takes a lot of strength to stay on track when plans do not work out or everything  seems to go wrong. The moment you decide to be happy no matter what happens, everything seems to go downhill.

Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane is a good example. 

The week before, He had been praised and welcomed on a donkey with people spreading out palm leaves and chanting songs of praise. A week later, He was in the garden, dreading what He knew must happen but having the resolve to go through with it as God had given Him the strength to despite the fact that one of His own would betray him and the others would disappear.

In the garden, He prayed fervently for God to provide Him a way to escape being sent to the cross, but He looked at the bigger picture…if He did not go to the cross, then we would all be damned. So He decided that He had nothing to lose by going to the cross but a lot to gain.

The point I want to make is this: whatever adverse situation you go through, do not consider what you may lose but what you would gain. It is with that perspective you would go through it with your head held high and a smile on your face.

Book Review: 20,000 days and counting

I am one of those readers who find it difficult to read a book by an author I am not familiar with. I tend to go for the John Maxwells, Max Lucados and John Grishams of the book world.

What attracted me to this book was the cover (and the title of the book to be honest). It struck a chord with me and I was captivated from the beginning of the book till the end.

Robert begins each of his chapters with quotes that make the reader stop and think. I actually made notes on each of the quotes. Even though some were ones I already knew, he compelled me to think about them.

There are lots of lessons to learn from this book but what I chose to focus on was his statement “what if you considered rejection to be a crucial part of your search instead of an obstacle?” Now, that wowed me.

I have faced rejection repeatedly and it has not been a pleasurable experience. That statement made me realise that the rejections I have faced could have been pleasurable if I had a different perspective. Hear me out. Once you make up your mind that you would move on and be happy in spite of any rejection, you are bound to take more chances and succeed.

He said “nos do not intimidate me. I eat nos for breakfast”. That made me literally get up from my table and think of all the steps I had not taken because of the fear of the nos.

He concludes by saying “ you have to take chances to make your dreams reality. Face your fears head-on and move rapidly. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Make lots of them! Your odds for success will increase with the number of decisions you make.” There are steps he recommends to do this and it is advisable to create time to follow them.