'Fearless' by Max Lucado: Book review

"Fearless: Imagine your life without fear"

Wow, what a book! This couldn't have come at a better time for me. This book is a reminder to Christians everywhere that God is still in control and His plan is working to His divine specifications! We are never promised not to have trials. No, we are warned they will come! As Max so eloquently states, 'Fear not' (and it's variants) is the most common Christ-issued imperative!

I have 2 favorite chapters in this book. The first one is the first chapter called 'Why are we afraid?' It certainly helps to gain an understanding of where fear comes from. One of the statistics he gave was that 'ordinary children today are more fearful than psychiatric patients were in the 1950's.' (The Report Newsmagazine Jan, 22, 2001)

He then goes on, discussing letting faith be your default reaction to threats instead of fear. Take the story of the great storm that rose up when Jesus and the disciples were all in the boat out on the Galilean sea...he says, "...this story sends the not-so-subtle and not-too-popular reminder: getting on board with Christ can mean getting soaked with Christ! ... Christ-followers contract malaria, bury children, and battle addictions, and as a result, face fears. It's not the absence of storms that sets us apart. It's whom we discover in the storm: an unstirred Christ."

He also explains that fears cause us to raise doubts about Jesus' character. "Fear corrodes our confidence in God's goodness. We begin to wonder if love lives in heaven. If God can sleep in our storms, if His eyes stay shut when our eyes grow wide, if He permits storms after we get on His boat, does He care? Fear unleashes a swarm of doubts, anger-stirring doubts. And it turns us into control freaks. Fear at it's center is a perceived loss of control." "Fear drains us dry of contentment." "When fear shapes our lives, safety becomes our god. When safety becomes our god, we worship the risk-free life. The fear filled cannot love deeply, it's too risky!"

Time after time, Jesus called us to courage. Matt. 10:31, Matt. 6:25, John 14:1-3, Luke 24:38. These are just a few examples. Matt. 8:26-27 "He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!'"

My second favorite book hits pretty close to home. I must admit having some issues with disheartening direction things seem to be going lately. It is called 'What if things get worse? Fear of global calamity' Jesus has equipped us with "...far-sighted courage. He listed the typhoons of life and then pointed them to the end. Trust in ultimate victory gives ultimate courage!" This book is just filled with encouragement for believers and biblical reminders that we will face storms and it's likely to get worse instead of better. But don't be fearful because it's all part of His divine and providential plan, even the ugly and painful persecution which seems to be on the rise! Max says, "Nature is a pregnant creation, third-trimester heavy. The universe is passing through the final hours before delivery. Painful contractions are in the forecast." Matt. 24:6-8

I highly recommend this book. Max Lucado is an extremely talented writer and I feel blessed to have this book in my library to give me strength and encouragement..not just for me but for those around me too! We all need to be reminded of what God's Word says about this life and the next. Order Fearless today and let me know what you think about it's message to you! "Imagine your life without fear!"