Live Life to the Max

You know I consider myself ordinary, average, and that’s why I named my blog I’m No Superstar as I explained in a post a few weeks ago. But I do believe we ordinary people (and there are a lot of us) can make an extraordinary difference in our world. I’ve been trying to get the message out through this blog and some articles I’ve written for Christian magazines. I’ve even (unsuccessfully) pitched a book on the topic for years.

Now, thanks to a free book I received from Thomas Nelson via booksneeze.com, I am confident that the message will get out to a far wider audience than I could ever reach. After all, I’m no Max Lucado.

Outlive Your Life has all the hallmarks of a Lucado book: The witty wordplay—”He walked on water but never strutted on the beach.” The retelling of a Bible story so vividly, you think you were there—I especially love the retelling of Saul and Ananias. The alluring alliteration—”We—who came to Christ as sinful, soiled and small—accomplish things.” The personal illustrations.

But this book includes a premise I have to admit I didn’t expect to see in a Lucado book, the idea that, as Max tells it, “God has given this generation, our generation, everything we need to alter the course of human suffering.” The way for us to outlive our lives is to use them to make a difference in the world today, so others who live after us, have better lives.

Taking an unusual approach to social justice, Lucado uses the first 12 chapters of the book of Acts to illustrate how and why God wants us to impact our world. Short chapters (6 to 8 pages, plus a prayer of application) provide for easier digestion and time to ponder. A discussion guide at the end contains not only questions, but a few practical action ideas to push us in the direction of outliving our lives.

And to put his money where his mouth is, Lucado is giving the royalties of this book to World Vision, which will use it to drill wells in northern Uganda. So buying the book helps you to already outlive your life. Go for it! And feel free to tell me what actions you’re taking to outlive your life.

 

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