Rating: 10/10
Where to Read: Kindle, Paperback

My thoughts

This book is simply wonderful. Alisa Childers has offered a great counter-argument to a culture that on one had said we should believe whatever we want, as long as it agrees with the prevailing cultural narrative. Manu of the true statements the culture says is true sound great in the movies. However, they do not match the realities of life. Instead of admitting this, it seems many are willing to double down and go even harder in the wrong direction. Alisa does a masterful job hitting all this straight on, while still doing so with grace and compassion. I found myself feeling like she and I were in a conversation rather than reading a book. Alisa will not only give you great apologetic insight but also give you an idea of how to declare these truths in a kind way. This book is very helpful. You will find yourself agreeing and feeling you have been thinking this all along. You just were not sure how to say it.

Quick Summary

What are the Lies? Of course there are more than ten lies in the world, but in this book she has chosen to focus on these popular ones:

Live your truth.
You are enough.
Put yourself first.
Authenticity is everything.
YOLO
God just wants you to be happy.
You shouldn’t judge.
You’re the boss of you.
Love means agreeing.

The seven main ways to be deceived:

Question what God actually said.
Twist what God said.
Paint God like the mean bully in the sky who uses fear tactics to keep you from having any fun.
Persuade you to trust yourself more than you trust God and his Word.
Catapult your life into darkness and chaos.
Convince yourself that darkness and chaos are actually good things.
Rinse, recycle, repeat.

Bullet Point Takeaways

Know the real thing.
Be willing to suffer in small things.
Follow truth no matter what.

Who is this Book For

Everyone, seriously. Unless you are under a rock somewhere, this book can help you see the world through a Christian worldview lens.

Goodreads Bio

Are you tired of feeling like you have to check social media to find out what you're supposed to think? Are you weary of the latest self-help books that promise to set you free but only imprison you with laundry lists of studies to consider, positive affirmations to recite, and Facebook groups to join?

We've all seen the memes that populate the internet: live your truth, follow your heart, you only have one life to live. They sound nice and positive. But what if these slogans are actually lies that unhinge us from reality and leave us anxious and exhausted? Another Gospel? author Alisa Childers invites you to examine modern lies that are disguised as truths in today's culture. Everyday messages of peace, fulfillment, and empowerment swirl around social media. On the surface, they seem like sentiments of freedom and hope, but in reality they are deeply deceptive. In Live Your Truth (and Other Lies), Alisa will help you to:

Uncover the common lies repeated within progressive circles
Hold on to the soul-restoring truths that God's Word offers
Be empowered to live the way your Creator designed you

Being the captain of your own destiny and striving to make your dreams a reality is a huge burden that you were never meant to bear. Discover true freedom instead.

Quotes

"You are enough’ is a message that enslaves people to the false idea that they are responsible to be the mastermind of their current circumstances and future realities—even when they feel overwhelmed. It burdens them with the obligation of being the source of their own joy, contentment, and peace.”

“You are not enough, but when your trust is placed in Jesus, his enough-ness is transferred to you.”

“The self can’t be both the problem and the solution. If our problem is that we’re insecure or unfulfilled, we’re not going to be able to find the antidote to these things in the same place our insecurities and fear are coming from.”— Allie Beth Stuckey

“When we dedicate our lives to serving God and others, we are not like a car running out of gas. We are more like a house with solar panels.”

“The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances.”— Elisabeth Elliot

“Authenticity is not unimportant. It’s not wrong when defined correctly, but it’s not everything. Do you want to know what is everything? God’s holiness. That’s everything.”

“Heaven is not escapist. Worldliness is escapist. Heaven is home.”

“Popular culture tells us that happiness means controlling our circumstances in a way that allows us to have those good feelings as often as possible, and if we don’t experience those good feelings, we should change our circumstances. Are you unhappy in your marriage? Get a divorce. Feeling down? Get drunk. Overwhelmed by motherhood? Take to social media to vent about what little monsters your kids are.”

“Biblical happiness doesn’t come from having stuff, feeling good about our circumstances, or even finding romantic fulfillment. Those things feel good, but they can’t bring ultimate happiness. In some cases, they may even distract us from real happiness. True biblical happiness is knowing deep down that no matter our circumstances, we were lost and now we’re found. We have experienced the love of Christ, which always brings encouragement and comfort.”

“Scripture actually commands us to judge but to do it carefully, rightly, humbly, and without hypocrisy.”

“In our culture, to claim that there are differences between men and women has become taboo. Sadly, we’ve taken all the strengths that men typically possess and made them the standard of goodness and value. Because of this, women feel they need to fight like a man, compete with men in the workplace, and achieve all the things men do. But why is no one making womanhood the standard of goodness and value?”

“Take, for example, the claim that women are “too emotional.” Why do we automatically believe this is a negative stereotype that must be toppled in order to crush the patriarchy? Could it be that God actually hardwired an emotional intelligence into women because they are literally responsible for bringing all the new humans into the world? Could it be that they need to be naturally intuitive and nurturing, with sharp instincts designed toward the survival and flourishing of individuals? Instead of viewing this as a weakness to be overcome, I praise God for the beauty of his diverse creation.”

“The fruit wasn’t something good that was being withheld but something incredibly destructive that God was protecting Adam and Eve from.”

“Satan wants us to view God’s commands as barriers that keep us from enjoying the things we are entitled to. In reality, God is protecting us from what will harm us.”

“Already we can see the precious value assigned to women from their creation. From the language used to describe God’s divine activity to the man’s response and the woman’s role, the Bible ascribes a value to woman that was unique in the ancient world.”