BOOK REVIEW: “With” may be 2011’s most important new book!

The question took me by surprise.

“Did you ever serve in the military?” the woman had asked me.

“No I haven’t,” I responded.

“Oh. Well you have such good, straight posture, I thought you might have served in the military,” she explained.

That was the first time I ever had someone mistake my posture for being the product of military training.

That interaction reminded me of how people take note of our posture, physically or otherwise. Our posture says something about us. And nothing says more about us than the “posture” we take in relating to God.

In his new book, “With,” (published by Thomas Nelson), Skye Jethani uses four simple prepositions to describe the postures we usually take in relating to God. In doing so, Jethani provides some of the most profound biblical teaching about relating to God that I have read in years, resulting in what may well be the most important book for Christians to be published in 2011.

With biblical clarity and a seamless writing style, Jethani describes how many Christians, churches, and ministries have entrenched themselves in a posture of life under, over, from, or for God, with each posture resulting in missing the mark.

Jethani writes, “… many come into Christian faith with great expectations. They have heard stories of jubilation and salvation, of the power to overcome this world and experience the divine in inexpressible ways. But once inside the ancient halls of Christianity many are disappointed. Where is the light, where is the illumination? Our hearts seek God and the goodness, beauty, justice, and peace we’ve been told he provides, but he often remains hidden behind the shadow cast by an evil world.”

Why?

Because of the faulty posture we take in relating to God.

Jethani adds, “My concern is that we are inoculating an entire generation to the Christian faith.” Out of that concern, he goes on to unfold through the chapters of “With” content formulating the subtitle of the book that serves as our challenge: “Reimagining The Way You Relate To God.”

It’s not a difficult concept. Correcting your posture with God can be identified in yet another preposition: with.

Reading this book will impact you as you see yourself in one or, more likely, a few of the postures the author describes. But by the end of the last chapter, those who truly long for communion with God will be re-imagining how they will relate to Him going forward.

Scotty

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”