BOOK REVIEW | Jesus Take All of Me: Learning to See God as Beautiful in Every Part of Life

In turn, this leads to an issue of evangelism. If Christians basically live and value the same things as nonbelievers, then why would a secular person think they need God?

The first chapter begins with a story that I have always loved: Charles Bland, a man who pushed a wheelbarrow across a rope over Niagara Falls. The crowds love him, they’ve seen him do it, they know he can. But when he asks someone to get in the wheelbarrow, there were no takers. The takeaway is that Christians often assent to the faith—they say they fully believe—but they aren’t willing to get in the wheelbarrow. This first chapter explores “The Beauty of God.” We should not love God because we get good stuff from him. We should love him for being the Sovereign Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. Hynd explores how God is powerful, intelligent, creative, the source of all that is good. He is life, justice, and the true expression of love. We can see this in history, in creation, and in life itself. It’s about our perspective.

The next chapters focus on ways to focus and maintain this perspective. “Living with Heaven in Mind,” “It’s All About Motivation, Baby!” explore this perspective with stories, scripture, logic, and practical ideas.

Next, Hynd looks at specific ways we can adopt this perspective and then act on it through different areas of our lives. Each chapter focuses on one of these areas: our time, our jobs/work, love life, kids, friends, money, and emotions. Along the way, he contrasts a modern life based on “Christian Materialism” (his term) with a life built around the theology and practice of faith as found in Scripture.

For example, his discussion of “preparing for retirement” flips the modern idea on its head. The American Dream is to save up enough so we can live enjoyably in our “golden years.” Behind this, writes Hynd, is a belief that this life is all there is. Work is a necessity, but something to eventually get rid of. Christians, however, should live as if this life is not the final word. We do not have to avoid work because all life is a blessing from God—even the difficult parts. Again, he is not suggesting that retirement is bad.

That is not what we’re talking about. What we are talking about is the attitude that says, “I don’t need to do any work any more unless I feel like it because I’ve put in my time already.” That is not a Christian idea. God has left you on this Earth so that you might continue to image Him in your work and be a light and a witness here of the Earth to come, not so that you can sit back on your sailboat and relax until you run out of time. No, what is running out is the time that sinners have in this world to repent. What is running out is the time that you have to live out the mission for which you were created, before you get to live it out in a perfect world which will be far better than this one anyway. What is running out is not your recreation time, but your work time for God’s mission.

From the chapter entitled “Jesus Take My Job.”

Likewise, in the chapter on friends, he quotes the rap song “Wild Things,” suggesting that Christians should adopt a similar attitude then, like the protagonist in The Wizard of Oz. To follow down the road of God, even when it is dark and dangerous. Do all of our friends look just like us? That was not the road Jesus took (even though he had a close set of friends who shared his vision as best they could.) We can be with broken people (like Jesus did), in places that others might not expect Christians to be. We are not afraid because God is with us, and we have a mission.

The chapter on our emotions is an excellent way to end the book. We are often slaves to our emotions: we feel left out, or unsuccessful, or mistreated, or broken ourselves. Enough for a secular person to be depressed or disheartened, to take it out on others, or even to give up. But God values us because we are his children, not because of those other things (even if they are true). Even in the midst of severe failure and selfishness, we can remember that God still loves us and is for us.

There is a lot of practical advice in the meat of this book, supported by scripture, and sound theologically. God desires our hearts and minds, not our list-checking of beliefs (“I desire mercy, not sacrifice” from Micah comes to mind).

Summary and recommendation for Jesus Take My Life

The writing is readable and enjoyable. Hynd writes clearly, and argumentation punctuated stories (personal and historical) works quite well. It is a fun read with a serious purpose. The entire book flows smoothly, each chapter building on the one before, enabling the reader to follow easily.

Hynd set out to describe how he sees the problem of modern Christianity—true throughout history—as adopting the values of the modern culture. His critique is sound, and it is not preachy—there is much here about his struggles, making the goal of the book all the more practical.

Hynd closes the book with a list of beloved fictional characters who counted the cost before they set out on a difficult and dangerous journey: Frodo Baggins, Batman, Bruce Willis in Armageddon,” but also some historical people: Mother Theresa and Jesus, for example. Stories of people who gave up things for others, who stayed positive and focused. They knew the cost, but did the right thing anyway. Can we do the same?

I appreciate this focus on attitude because quite often, a spiritual life is about that. It is not whether I have a big house or not, whether I have a good retirement plan or not, it is how I see it, what I value, and my attitude towards it. This is harder to follow than just a list of “dos and don’ts” because it gets to the core of who we are. If we orient our life around “things,” we are not following God, even if we say, we believe. Orienting our life around God is what brings meaning, value, and purpose to life—regardless of what that life looks like to the outside world.

I can’t end this review any better than using one of Hynd’s closing paragraphs because it perfectly sums up his purpose of the book and its literary quality:

“We’re all Christian Materialists (or just materialists) to some extent. We are all broken sinners in need of saving, and those of us who have been saved are still works in progress until that awesome day. Let’s decide right now, though, that we will continually become more aware, and repent of, our materialism. Let’s decide right now that we will pursue God’s heart in the whole of our lives, no matter the cost. Let’s decide right now that our King is beautiful, not just useful.”

I always like to include critiques of a book, but I did not find much wrong with it. There are many good books coming out today addressing “what is wrong with Christianity” today. This is one of the better ones I have read. I highly recommend it.

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Mark received this book as a review copy from the author, to read and write an honest review. For more, visit www.jesustakeallofme.com which includes practical video content to help you apply what you’ve learned in the book and a place to sign up for an email list to receive the videos via email each week.