A Great Book

I’m reading a great book right now. It’s called Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus. It’s the kind of book that you feel is changing you as you are reading it. I had the chance to read a little more than half of it on the train yesterday. Here are some things I’m taking from it:

- Part of faith is about doing what’s right, no matter what the outcome. Even if the outcome is “bad.” We can’t measure whether we should do something by how good it could make us feel- we need to do what is “right.”  Often faith requires us to step out into what’s right, even as everything is falling apart around us. This was reassuring for me, because there have been some things lately where I have had to step out because I felt it was right, and I still don’t know what the outcome will be.

- Erwin talks about how a lot of time we wait for everything to seem “right” and “easy” before we take a risk for God, when in reality a lot of what we are called to do for God has already been set and we need to just “do.” Love others. Serve others. Love God. etc. This challenges me to keep moving, and not to get stuck waiting for God on things he’s already asked me to do.

-  Live in every moment. In the first chapter he writes about how our lives are full of moments, every day decisions and opportunities, that we overlook and miss. What if we truly lived every moment? Today I was tired when I came home from work, and the kids were asking to play a creative game with me – the kind that take lots of energy.  My first reaction was “no, let’s play video games.” But then I got up and decided to seize the moment. We played an amazing game of clues, spying, walkie-talkies, and treasure.  Awesome.

- Influence vs. Authority.  This is a big one, I’m really ruminating over this. He argues that influence is always more powerful than authority. Authority is about position and people respond out of obligation and fear. Influence is about character and relationships, and people respond out of respect and love. He said many kids respond to peers more than parents because their friends have influence and their parents have authority. It has really made me think about how I raise up leaders, but even more, how I parent. Authority is certainly part of parenting, but I want to have character and relationship with my kids. I want to have influence. I want them, as they grow older, to make decisions in their moments because they’ve been influenced by the life I have lived. Rather than trying to obey my authority, I want them striving to replicate my example.  I really do. Man – I just paused and thought some more. This is really a powerful insight, I need to keep thinking about this :)

There’s more too. I encourage anyone to read it.

Do you have any books that are affecting you right now?