Book Recommendations: What I've Read Recently
Last week, I revealed that I have been on a fiction reading hiatus. Actually, my language was a bit stronger—I told you I had decided to quit reading fiction. You can read the post if you haven’t already, and you’ll understand why and that I’m NOT suggesting you do the same! It’s simply a personal conviction for this season of my life.
While I have not read fiction in well over a year, I have, however, read plenty of other books that have pointed me to Jesus, helped me grow in my faith and understanding of what I believe and why I believe it, and have expanded my love for and awe of God. (I’m not kidding...I’m not just saying that because it sounds good.)
I thought I’d quickly share a few of these books with you. This is not a book review post, nor will I give you an in-depth description of each book. I’m simply letting you know about some of the books that have impacted me greatly, and I think they would be worth your time to read.
There is one book in this stack that I do actually think every Bible-believing Christian should (and I say should as graciously as possible) read at least once in their lifetime—probably more. Actually I remember saying those exact words while I was reading it at the beginning of 2020. We’ll get there in a few minutes.
I’ll link the books for easy access, and I’m going to include a quote from each book that stuck out to me. (I’ve started writing quotes from books that I read in a notebook. It’s nice knowing I have a running list to go back to and read when I need some inspiration or encouragement.)
6 books to add to your “to be read” list:
Free of Me by Sharon Hodde Miller
“It’s not about you can be freedom. The friend who rejected you, the parent who hurt you, the boss who insulted you, the neighbor who was rude to you—it’s not about you. Their brokenness, their temper, their cold, piercing words; none of that was about you, but them. When your house isn’t as big as you’d like it to be, or your ministry isn’t as successful, or your name isn’t as well known, thank goodness it’s not about you. Your marriage, your calling, your life here on earth, none of it is about you. It’s all about God, from the start to the last, and that is some of the best news on earth.”
None Like Him and In His Image by Jen Wilkin
These two books are two sides of the same coin in a sense. The first addresses the attributes of God that belong to Him alone and we are to live in light of them. The second brings to light the attributes of God that we are called to imitate as followers of Jesus and how that changes the way we live. (This is theology written in a way we can more easily understand and apply to our lives!)
From None Like Him — “When we lose sight of the majesty of God, we invariably fill the gap in our vision with the fable of the majesty of someone else. We revere a spouse or a leader. We worship our children or a friend. We even give reverence and awe to ourselves. And this is complete folly. Not only is it unwise to give our worship to someone other than God, it is the very definition of irrationality. And it’s an exhausting business.”
From In His Image — “For the believer wanting to know God’s will for her life, the first question to pose is not “What should I do?” but “Who should I be?” . . . The order in which we ask them matters. If we focus on our actions without addressing our hearts, we may end up merely as better behaved lovers of self.”
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson
This phrase — a long obedience in the same direction — may actually be one of my favorite phrases ever. This is our walk with Christ, our lives as believers and disciples. This book walks through the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134), and would make a great companion to read alongside these Psalms.
“Will we let God be as He is, majestic and holy, vast and wondrous, or will we always be trying to whittle Him down to the size of our small minds, insist on confining Him within the boundaries we are comfortable with, refuse to think of Him other than in images that are convenient to our lifestyle?”
Mama Bear Apologetics by Hilary Morgan Ferrer (and others)
Don’t let the title mislead you—you do NOT have to be a mom to read this book, nor do you need to fully understand apologetics. This is an important book for the culture we live in today as Christians. I’ll be revisiting this one often.
“Truth is powerful, and the most potent lies are wrapped in partial truths. If a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, then partial truths help the lies go down.”
Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves
Alright, this is the one, friends. This is the book I think all Bible-believing Christians need to read. We all have questions about the Trinity, right? This book attempts to answer them…or some of them. Truly, I had never heard, read, or been taught much of what is in this book—not because it’s unbiblical, but because this topic is often intimidating and difficult to accurately and aptly teach. The subtitle of this book is “an introduction to the Christian faith,” and it’s never too late for an introduction—no matter how long you’ve been a Christian.
If you choose one book from this list, might I strongly implore you to choose this one? Yes, it may be slightly more dense of a topic or more “heady” than what you normally read, but it is worth it. Read it slowly if needed. Ask questions. Talk about it with others. Stick with it. The topic of this book—rightly understanding the Trinity—is that important.
“Jesus tells us explicitly in John 17:24, ‘Father,’ he says, ‘you loved me before the creation of the world.’ And that is the God revealed by Jesus Christ. Before he ever created, before he ever ruled the world, before anything else, this God was a Father loving his Son. The most foundational thing in God is not some abstract quality, but the fact that he is Father.”
I hope this is helpful, and I hope you found a book or two to add to your list. If you are new to reading books about God and the Christian faith, just start with an open heart and a desire to learn more about Him. How wonderful is it that He has gifted many men and women with the ability to teach us and point us toward Jesus with their words? We’re not alone in this journey, and we can learn from each other. I, for one, am very thankful.
Hey, maybe you have a book recommendation or two? I’d love to add to my ever-growing “to be read” list! You can comment on this post if you’d like with any book recommendations you may have, and others may even add them to their lists, too! Happy reading, friends!