Your God Is Too Safe

Many of us see the Christian life as a guarantee of health, wealth and ease. The only problem with this line of thinking is the Bible! God has much bigger things in mind for His people. In Mark Buchanan's book, "Your God is Too Safe", he urges us to live for God – to move from the safe, impersonal doldrums of Christianity in what he refers to as "the Borderlands" to a deeply intimate relationship with God where He dwells in the "Holy Wild". Buchanan guides us on a journey to discover who God really is and how He desires us to live our lives – not stuck on the edges of His kingdom, but in the middle of the greatest adventure ever known.

The title is a bit of a reminder of the J.B. Phillips book, "Your God is too small" where Phillips was expounding the idea that our view or perception of God was way too small. In this book Buchanan is saying our perception of God has become way too comfortable. We concentrate on all the comforting aspects of God's character and forget the aspects that we find confronting.

Mark begins the book by explaining how after he had been a Christian for a few years he got bored with Christianity. He was going through the outward routines of Christianity but there was no joy or life in it. The first part of the book looks at the things that causes this to happen.

The second part of the book looks at what the Christian life should be like when we show more live it like God intended. How to develop the practice of knowing that we are constantly in God's presence. How spiritual disciplines shouldn't make us weary but rather make us more alive and more joyful.

I enjoy the way Mark Buchanan uses stories to bring new insights to old truths. show less

Buchanan is one of the most gifted speakers and writers I've encountered. God has wonderfully gifted him with the ability to cut the bible open, and lay its contents bare. He's made me feel like I've never read the passage he's talking about before, and after sitting with his teaching in insight, I doubt I'll ever read them the same way again. God's gifts to his people are so rich and beautiful - thank you Mark, for letting yours shine forth.

if you want a Wild at Heart that is orthodox and deep (er), here it is. I love this book.