"You Can Be Everything God Wants You To Be" by Max Lucado

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Max Lucado, You Can Be Everything God Wants You To Be. Thomas Nelson: 2010, 128pgs.

Max Lucado presents writes that we are created for unique purposes by God and that we can find out what these purposes are by examining our 'tool bags.' That is, by studying our gifts, talents, passions, the things which drive us, the things which absorb our attention, and the things we are naturally good at. He recommends we follow the "S.T.O.R.Y." model (Strengths, Topics, Optimal conditions, Relationships, Yes!) and that we be careful to follow our designer and not our greed. Lucado lays this out as the way to live a fulfilled and satisfied life in which we do what we were made to do.

Within this book, as with most of Lucado's work, his strength, and weakness, is his simplicity. His message is simple, and therefore highly accessible. But it is simple, and therefore leaves much out. His points are simple, and therefore both memorable and easily understood. His points are simple, and therefore highly repetitious. I have no qualms with his arguments, presented, as they so, so gently and clearly. He speaks truth, even if it is limited and leaves much out. However, life is not as simple as Lucado presents it. We are a mix of God given design and sinfulness; built-in, or hardwired, design with culturally determined identity markers. Therefore, life requires discernment of a more disciplined kind than Lucado lays before us. Nonetheless, what he offers is a right starting point which much of the world, and the church, need to hear.

Full Disclosure: Thomas Nelson provided me with a free copy of this book to review.

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