Max Lucado

First sentence: God knows everything about you. He knew you'd have happy days, and He knew you'd be sad. So He gave us each other, and I'm so very glad. God put us together. He made us a home. I hope you'll always know that...just in case you feel alone.

This Christian children's book--picture book--stars bears. It is essentially your basic parent loves child super unconditionally picture book. There are so many--mostly from a "secular" perspective and others from Christian publishers. This show more is that kind of picture book with a few God mentions thrown in.

I will try to clarify. This picture book has "book ends" if you will that bring God into the story. Yes, it is about parental love. But it adds on a further element that tackles God's omnipresence AND the practice of prayer. Both are good for children (and adults) to know and put into practice. So it does go beyond the stereotypical sugary-sweet parents love unconditionally picture book. (Have you noticed that *these* almost always, always, always star animals--bunnies, bears, etc.?) show less

The author, Max Lucado, introduces this collection of pretended "spiritual" edifications for each day with a story of how he travels with his children. "I keep all the tickets in a satchel. When the time comes to board the plane or train, I stand between the attendant tand the child. As each child passes, I place a ticket in her hand. She in turn gives the ticket to the attendant. God does the same. He stands between us and our need, waiting to help us." So, the author is sort of...like God! show more Offering grace and "timely help". Heb. 4:16. While I yearn for grace on a daily basis, my horror at Lucado's presumptuous lack of standing to place himself IN the place of divine dispensation is only increased by examining his feeble attempt to enrich us, apparently on his way to his country club golf course--of which he boasts. Ah, well.

Lucado empowers us to "choose" love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. He fortifies each of these choices/goals with his little talks drawn ostensibly from quoted verses of Scripture. But there is a constant and very irritating dissonance between the two. For example, he claims "God Listens", but cites Psalm 142:1. That Psalm is not about God "listening". None of the Psalms are. It is about David begging God to smite his enemies. He wants God to protect him from the "gins of the workers of iniquity". Nothing about God hearing any of this.

Lucado cites the prophet Joel 2:13: "Come back to the Lord your God, because he is kind and shows mercy." Wow. While the quote is accurate, it is entirely out of context and highly-selective. Joel is all about blowing the Trumpet of Alarm, and how the Lord is raising up a large army to desolate everything and everyone! The Lord is annihilating us, which is simply not an example of just "Getting our Attention".

I love the author's trouble taken to collect Scripture verses. His effort to collect a body of the most important and inspirational parts, and the effort to apply them to our lives, is appreciated. But it is proof to the contrary of the content and his expressed intent.

As a book, It is revealing, utterly revealing. We see in one volume how empty and mercantile the Lucado series of 13 other books of "inspiration" are, which he flogs with this one. He cites only his own works, using this to republish.

I take it this is the best he can do and has done from the other 13 books. [Now the number is over 50 volumes floated on the surface of Faith-based monetization.] The buyers are Christian "Believers", now shorn again, as the victims of a predator: Lucado is preying. show less

This book provides an answer for the worries of daily life, and Max Lucado writes with a distinctive voice: funny in some places, serious in others, and comforting throughout. I laughed out loud in a few places, and I was delighted as his ability to take an austere topic, specifically a Bible passage, and relay it with both respect and hilarity.

My only complaint is that although the book addresses aspects of secular life that may cause fear, such as deaths, alcohol addictions, financial show more struggles, wars, illnesses, and unemployment, he fails to address fears that come from faith life. In fact, he tends to write the issue off entirely, saying that if you aren't sure that you have accepted God, then you haven't. I disagree, as I think that it's much more complicated than that. However, in pretty much all aspects of life except this one, this book can be (and is) a great source of comfort.

It takes only a few minutes to read this book, and Lucado draws on his own family history, on a Biblical parable, and on several verses of comfort from the Old and New Testaments. Well worth the read. show less

Max Lucado’s Tame Your Thoughts aims at a simple but ambitious goal: a life made better by better thinking. He frames the problem in familiar, pastoral terms—guilt, anxiety, self-criticism, and a creeping sense of dissatisfaction—and argues that renewed minds are possible with God’s help.

The book is organized around a three-part “tool kit.” Lucado calls readers to practice picky thinking (guarding what you let in), identify UFOs (an Untruth that becomes a False narrative and show more leads to an Overreaction), and uproot and replant unhealthy patterns with God’s truth. From there he walks through common “thought ruts,” including anxiety, guilt, lack of joy, lust, overwhelm, pain, fear of God’s rejection, and that nagging “can’t get no satisfaction” feeling. The structure makes the book easy to dip into while still building a cohesive case.

Lucado’s storytelling is the glue. He opens with an extended illustration about the White House situation room, tells a vivid story about an elk freed from a tire around its neck, and returns repeatedly to biblical narratives like Moses at the Red Sea and Daniel in the lions’ den. The result is a devotional tone that feels gentle but purposeful, with Scripture doing the heavy lifting.

I appreciated how practical the framework is without pretending to be a clinical manual. Lucado even acknowledges that progress may require professional help, which keeps the book grounded. The short chapters, reflection questions, and Scripture database at the end make it easy to revisit specific themes when a particular struggle flares up.

If you are looking for a deeply technical treatment of thought patterns or a step-by-step therapy guide, this is not that. It is a pastoral, Scripture-centered encouragement to “take thoughts captive” and replace lies with truth. For readers who want a warm, hopeful, and very Christian guide to mental habits, this is a helpful and uplifting read.

I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by the author. Lucado’s warm voice and clear delivery added to the experience, making it feel like a personal conversation. The pacing was comfortable, and his emphasis on key points helped reinforce the message.

I appreciate the publisher also providing me with an ebook version for reference, which made it easy to revisit specific passages as I was preparing this review.

Overall, Tame Your Thoughts is a thoughtful and encouraging resource for anyone looking to align their thinking with their faith. Max Lucado’s compassionate approach and practical tools make it a worthwhile addition to the Christian living genre.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher via NetGalley audiobook and NetGalley ebook. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. show less