The Bible is given to us to be a book to live by. It could never be surpassed and is always full of new surprises. I have certainly known this to be true in my life and it continues to be true. What I appreciate so much about the book Identity Theft: A Crisis in Character is that, after many years of enjoying learning and believing things from the Bible, it pointed me to a defined focus and gave me more depth to my understanding of the how's and why's of what I believe. I've known that Jesus Christ is the focus of the Bible, but to pursue that focus in myself was completely soaked in impossible. My focus was sabotaged by discouragement, guilt, confusion, faintheartedness, shortsightedness, etc. It was like the book helped me find a new pair of glasses that allowed me to gain the focus. Identity theft? The concept didn't make any sense to me...It sure does now, and I am so excited!
Here are some thoughts below. If any of them seem familiar to you, I highly recommend you READ THIS BOOK!! It is not very long.
- If you've been a believer in Jesus Christ for years and find yourself frustrated that you don't feel like there's a whole lot of God's glory shining through your life, you would get so much out of this book. How many of us are frustrated that when we personally compare ourselves to people of other faiths, our lives don't really seem very different, or even seem lacking in comparison?
- If you are a parent who knows how awesome your kids are and loves your family deeply, but find yourself frustrated because you feel like you're on their case all the time, you should really read this book. How many of us are discouraged that so many efforts to express our love fall on deaf ears to our kids because outwardly we seem more often upset with them than pleased?
- If you love and are so thankful for your Savior, but feel shame that you know there are many things He could ask you to do where in response to Him you would be too afraid, pretend you didn't hear, and turn away, try reading this book.
- If you have a compelling desire to teach your kids character traits that motivate them from the inside and last a lifetime, rather than just getting them to do what you want at the time, you would be so excited about what you'd find in this book. How many of us are at a loss as to know what to teach or how to teach our kids character, when we know we have such little handle on it ourselves?
- If when you read the phrase, "BE HOLY, BECAUSE I AM HOLY," you think "Yeah, right. That's on my list of things that will never happen," you would enjoy a change of perspective by reading this book. (If by chance you still feel that way afterward, read my post--Sorry this one hasn't been posted yet. Soon to come.)
- If you know that you have been made in the image of God, but would enjoy understanding some specifics for what that means, you would love this book. When we believe that we are made in his image, it follows that somehow we are designed to be a reflection of Him. Don't guess about the somehow--read the book and learn some HOW.
- If you are drawn to the verse that says, "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness", but find yourself frustrated that you feel stuck in your own little world most of the time, I think you'll enjoy reading this book.
- If you are a parent, particularly of preschoolers, who is frustrated and growing seriously and genuinely concerned that you haven't been able to pin down what "works," you will be excited about the tools you will find in this book.
- If you are a believer and find yourself unclear about your calling in life and feel like you could use a fresh vision of purpose, Please read this book! (If it works out that you still feel this way after you read it, then you should check out my post--Sorry not posted yet. Soon to come.)
- If you know that the word holy means "set apart" but don't really have the practical specifics on how you're supposed to make yourself set apart, read the book and see my post--Sorry, not posted yet. Soon to come. If I were to have tried to explain the word holy before, I would have had to use various general terms like righteousness, glorifying God, etc. Without specifics, though, we can come up with something that makes sense, but it is much harder to come up with something that can happen.
- If when you read the New Testament you see many lists of seemingly unrelated do's and don'ts, you should read the book and my post--Sorry, not posted yet. Soon to come. How many of us feel like you must have to be some kind of a Bible super scholar to understand the reason why God, and the writers He used, put things in there the way they did?
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica
