"Most of us aren't in danger of ruining our lives. We're in danger of wasting them."
Greater by Steven Furtick is a book for those who feel that they are stuck in a rut- spiritually, professionally, relationally, or otherwise. "You can't keep living like this," Furtick writes. "It's not fine for you to settle for going every day to a job you'd prefer to quit, doing decent work, being a pretty good person compared to your neighbor, paying your bills on time, and sporadically reading your Bible as though it's your guide to the great things God did in other people's lives in the past. Baseline living is not okay."
Furtick begins by defining a "greater" life. A greater life is not mediocre living or being stuck in spiritual survival mode. It is not being controlled by complacency. It is not having vague, unrealistic aspirations. "Greater" as defined by Steven Furtick is "the life-altering understanding that God is ready to accomplish a kind of greatness in your life that is entirely out of human reach." Whether it be making a huge, life-altering change or simply stepping it up by coming at your current situation with greater passion from a fresh perspective, Furtick explains that God is calling us to be greater with Him through His Spirit within us.
Furtick suggests that the reason many of us are so stuck is because we try to do it on our own, and consequently we pick the wrong place to begin pursuing the greater things God has for us. From training yourself to hear God's voice, to knowing how to respond to His promptings, to preparing yourself for the inevitable setbacks, Furtick walks the reader through what it looks like to seek a "greater" life. He draws on the biblical story of Elisha to illustrate his proposals throughout the book. While I found this particular comparison worked on some levels, it seemed completely random at other points which is really my only criticism about this book.
Overall, Greater is an empowering book that challenges you to take a look at the life you're living and determine if there's anything about it that is setting it apart. It touches on stretching your limited resources and making significant impacts with your life starting today, rather than making endless plans for tomorrow that you never get around to. Furtick states that when you begin to seek this greater life, God will "give you the confidence to know that nothing is impossible with Him, the clarity to see the next step He's calling you to make, and the courage to do anything He tells you to do."
My rating: 4/5 stars
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
