Book Reveiw: Restless Because You Were Made For More

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

 

I can tell a book is going to be really good when I've highlighted nearly the entire introductory chapter. If you follow me on Instagram, you also know that I was one of those annoying people who occasionally posted pictures of highlighted portions of this book as I was reading it. But really, I couldn't help myself. This book is too good not share with everyone I know. 

I've never read a book or Bible study by Jennie Allen before; she was a new name to me. I quickly felt like she was a dear friend who cared deeply about helping me couple my passions with God's plan. In the beginning, Jennie writes about a call to dream. She puts forth the idea that everything in our lives- even the most seemingly boring element (like our location, vocation or situation) of our lives could be part of a greater purpose. She writes, "This is a book about God. And this is a book about us and God. And this is a book about the moment we close our eyes and see God. This is a book about facing the God of the universe and answering to him about the life and resources he gives us while we are here.... This is a book about changing the world and changing diapers." (pg. 5)

That last line caught me off guard... changing the world and changing diapers. While this book is not solely about motherhood (its applicable to all seasons of life, young and old), it has helped me to see that even though much of my time is spent caring for my littles, that is no excuse to check out from my calling to be a Kingdom Worker. In this most recent season of motherhood, I've struggled to find a purpose outside my family. Not that I think there has to be a purpose outside my family-- that is the most important ministry my husband and I have-- but as Jennie describes so beautifully throughout this book, there is a restlessness in my heart for more.

Restless is broken down into 3 parts: The Call, The Threads and Living on Purpose. Loosely examining the life of Joseph, Jennie takes each reader on a person journey of self-discovery and gives simple, concise steps on how to apply that awareness to a Heavenly use. I say she loosely examines the life of Joseph because I was honestly expecting a bit more exegesis on the life of Joseph. Joseph is one of the stories of the Bible that has facilitated the most profound breakthroughs in my personal life, so I was hoping for a bit more depth in this area, but it was all still solid teaching- even if it didn't go quite as deep as I'd hoped it would. 

Each section has in-depth journal prompts that help to weave together the people and places of your life in hopes of finding a clearer path to your purpose. I read and journaled through this book on my own, but think it would be highly beneficial done as a group (which is strongly encouraged by Jennie). She also weaves stories of her own friends, and their journeys of discovery as they worked through this Restless Project. She writes, "What if the darkest moments of your life god intended for good: And what if the purest moments of bliss contained your greatest contributions to this world? God speaks through story because that is how we best understand the most important things." (pg 91)  Whether you are restless and searching for purpose in your life, or you have a clear idea of what God has called you to, this book is a great tool that would benefit any Christian. It is one of the most personally challenging books I have read lately, with a call to action that can't easily be overlooked or breezed through. Get your highlighter ready and read Restless Because You Were Made for More

I received this book from BookLook Bloggers for review. However, all opinions are my own.
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