What I thought about Max Lucado’s “Fearless”
8 09 2009One of the amazing things of writing on a blog and being a campus minister is that every once in a while, I get the privilege and honor of being able to read certain bits of literature before most of the general population. And so, I recieved a copy of the brand-spankin’ new Max Lucado book "Fearless" a couple of weeks ago. I’m not typically a Lucado fan, but I have to admit, I enjoyed it.
The fearless website - www.thefearlessbook.com - gives a good description of the book:
"Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reasons for fear.
They’re talking layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, turnovers at headquarters, downturns in the housing market, upswings in global warming. The plague of our day, terrorism, begins with the word terror. Fear, it seems, has taken up a hundred-year lease on the building next door and set up shop. Oversized and rude, fear herds us into a prison of unlocked doors. Wouldn’t it be great to walk out? Imagine your life, wholly untouched by angst. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? If you could hover a fear magnet over your heart and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity, or doubt, what would remain? Envision a day, just one day, where you could trust more and fear less.
Can you imagine your life without fear?"
Mr. Lucado is a fount of wonderful anecdotes that describe whatever is going on. From the spiritual life of Woody Allen to the time he personally got to ride in a fighter jet, this book gives some great examples of common fears we all face every day. Of course, you haven’t ridden in a fighter jet, but you have been in a situation where things seem like they’re going out of control, but in reality there is someone who knows exactly what’s going on leading the way. Check out Matthew 14 where the disciples are on the boat and Jesus is sleeping.
One thing that I have noticed about the way that Mr. Lucado writes is that it is very easy to read, but it never seems to hit the same super deep spiritual notes that some other authors I’ve read have hit. Not that this is bad – often times it’s the simple truths that change us the most. And this book is packed full of them. Each chapter gives some practical advice on how to deal with the different fears we may come across during our lives. In times such as these, when the world is freaking out about everything, this book does a great job of giving some perspective on an otherwise chaotic world.
Should you read it? Sure. It’s good. My biggest gripe is the price, but that can be allayed in a multitude of ways. More importantly, be sure to pay attention as you read it, as it would be a waste of good time to read something this good and not remember any of it, kind of like getting a t-bone steak at a McDonalds drive thru. It’s just wouldn’t be right.
-K
Categories : Evangelism, Reflections







