Mr Lucado is a story teller…but before we allow his gifts to fill us, let me point out how he has designed this book to lead us into a deeper relationship with God. Here’s a picture of the Table of Contents, and if you will be patient with me for a moment, let me show you what I had missed the first 2 or 3 times I read this book. BTW, I try to intentionally set time aside to reread it every now and again, because it is such a good, and quick, way to get my perspective adjusted when it goes astray. So when my life becomes more about “me” than God, I need to return to my Lord and make the shift Mr Lucado speaks about, all over again.
So here’s the brilliance of the way this simple book is set up. First, Mr Lucado talks about the problem with humanity, and gives us a quick fix…now it is “quick” because it is so simple, and once he points it out, it is hard not to get what he is saying. Yet he is fully aware that it is a life long process.
Second, this great author points us to God, the only one who can truly, and permanently, transform this problem with humanity. Only God can make what is dead come to life, so, rightly, we must start with God! He is the author and finisher…some versions say the perfecter of Faith, (see Heb 12:2) so if we attempt to begin this journey with MMI, we will fail every time. We must start with God. This New Life is founded on, and is maintained with, and furthermore, is enhanced by God. He must be our center. That means all we think, say and do must be filtered through God and His Word, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit Who lives within our heart. It is when we dismiss God, and try to do things with our own, limited, understanding, that life gets filled with bumps and bruises. And so to spend the first half of this book talking about the countless amazing attributes of God, is the reason why this book is so powerful.
Lastly, with that firm foundation, Mr Lucado turns to you and me. In light of the Goodness of God, we can see our lives differently. We can see how “my” message, Salvation, body, struggles and successes are all about God. They are to point to His glory and love and grace and mercy and so on and so on. You see, our lives are not just about “us.” Remember we are one team. What happens to one of us should affect the rest of us. And God, of course, is our Perfect Infallible Coach, Who has the whole game plan and knows every player intimately, and in addition, has already set the winners apart from those that will remain lost.
Again the way this book is set up makes it all comprehensive, as well as applicable. And if all that was not enough, there is also a Bible Study at the back of the book to help us get even deeper into this most important principle: God must be preeminent in our lives because He IS preeminent!
Can you tell I love this book? I do pray you will invest your time and resources to really understand what God, through the talents and gifts of Mr Lucado, is telling us here. It has the power to set us free!
2023’s Got A Minute? Book Club
January: The First & Best Book Ever: The Bible
February: Love Is In the Air: “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts” by Gary Chapman
March: Spring Growth: “Secrets of the Vine” by Bruce Wilkinson
April: Living the Resurrected Life: “The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life” by Dr Charles Stanley
May: My Spiritual Mom: “Making Good Habits Breaking Bad Habits” by Joyce Meyer
June: Spiritual Dad: “It’s Not About Me- Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy” by Max Lucado
<>< Peace, Diane
