Friday, February 8, 2013

Book Review: I AM NOT BUT I KNOW I AM by Louie Giglio


I will be posting book reviews from time to time.  This one is well worth reading...one of those, oh wow!  God is great! I'm really glad I'm His child kind of books.  

I Am Not But I Know I AM by Louie Giglio
In a day when even throat lozenges include miniature pep talks, Giglio’s book is a breath of fresh air.  Wake up humanity – this is really not about you!  Most self-help, self-image boosting books center in on our abilities, our gifts, our talents, our resources, and so on.  No wonder many of those who read such stuff feel like they are endlessly chasing their own tails…because...well, basically, they are. 

Giglio reminds his readers that it is only as we embrace our finiteness and focus our gaze on His infiniteness that we break free from the never ending circles of self-delusion.  The book puts things in the right perspective.  Life continuously throws curve-balls in our direction and, if we constantly try to deal with them in our own limited strength we are going to come to a point when our strength just simply is not enough.  (Using the class IV rapid Zambezi as an example is simply brilliant to make this point!)  But, as Giglio reminds us throughout this short book, God is immeasurable, and so he comes to the conclusion : “I have no idea how small I really am. Or how big God truly is.”  And that, for me, was the central message of the book.  I find my identity, my place in this universe, my self-worth, the meaning and purpose of my life, only once I see myself in the light of His greatness and in the light of His bigger-picture story.  It is then, and only then, that I can truly find rest, have faith, and really exercise trust.  And that is why Giglio’s attempt to redirect our gaze from our smallness to His greatness is so important…it as we recapture an awe for God that we are set free from trying to wade through the cesspools of life on our own.  Again, in Giglio’s own words, “When you cry out all the things that you are not, you’ll know His answer is ‘I AM’”. 

A bonus point:  while this book packs a well aimed, good old punch, it is a fun and easy read.

"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review."

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