Stretch Your Perspective | Review of All That's Good

About the Book (from Moody Publishers)

“And God saw that it was good…” 

Look out over the world today; it seems a far cry from God's original declaration. Pain, conflict, and uncertainty dominate the headlines. Our daily lives are noisy and chaotic—filled with too much information and too little wisdom. No wonder we often find it easier to retreat into safe spaces, hunker down in like-minded tribes, and just do our best to survive life.

But what if God wants you to do more than simply survive? What if he wants you to thrive in this world and be part of its redemption? What if you could rediscover the beauty and goodness God established in the beginning?

By learning the lost art of discernment, you can. Discernment is more than simply avoiding bad things; discernment actually frees you to navigate the world with confidence and joy by teaching you how to recognize and choose good things. When you learn discernment and develop a taste for all that's good, you will encounter God in remarkable new ways. Come, discover the God who not only made all things, but who will also make all things good once again.

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My Rating

Spring/Summer

My Review

One of my favorite nonfiction books is Humble Roots by Hannah Anderson (which I read in 2017); its style and topic really resonated with me. So her next release was definitely on my radar!

All That's Good is another great, thought-provoking read, this time on the topic of discernment. While the theme didn't affect me quite as much or feel quite as cohesive as in Humble Roots, I still found a lot to relate to and to challenge me in these fresh pages.

I enjoy the way the author tells a story. In this book, she uses each seemingly random story of something from her life (be it something she loves or something she's observed) to illustrate a different facet of discernment—a daunting word that she breaks down into helpful life lessons. The bulk of the book is based on Philippians 4:8, reminding us of the things we should be thinking about and looking for in our lives.

This is a book that calls believers to see and participate in God's work in the world, rather than hiding from the evil and hardships around us. It shows us that characteristics like "pure" and "honorable" aren't as simple (or as easy to pursue) as we tend to think. The author's challenge is to engage—to learn how to recognize God's goodness around us and to embrace it, share it, and let Him shine through us. This isn't a hunt for an earthy (impossible) utopia; this is growth in this life and pursuit of Christ now and forevermore.

All That's Good is a starting place, an encouraging resource to stretch our perspectives and help us dwell on and live out God's goodness in ways we might not have realized we could or should...or in ways we often choose to ignore. For readers like me who are more introverted, some of the challenges and reminders in this book might be a bit painful, but still important to ponder.

*With thanks to Moody Publishers and the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.*

**Images in this post courtesy of Moody Publishers.