Overview
First of all, I love any book that unironically quotes “Twilight” for the sake of demonstrating Biblical principles. I could never have seen anything beneath the Bella-Jacob-Edward love-triangle, but I love that Alisa Childers did. Live Your Truth (and Other Lies) is one to have on my shelf.
In all seriousness, this book is a wonderful breath of fresh air. When I saw the big words in the title “Live Your Truth”, I was expecting a prosperity gospel self-help book, but what Childers wrote debunks all of it, starting with the subtitle “And Other Lies.” The author does a great job of pulling out current cultural trends that feed into self-love and momentary positivity, while also tearing down each one with Scripture. This book is timely, to-the-point, and robust. I especially appreciated the conversation on language and the true meaning of “self-help.”
What I Liked
This book is rooted in the Bible, with the first page alone shifting focus to Jesus as the foundation of our self-worth. The author’s voice is relatable, but Childers doesn’t shy away from hard facts: “Although this quote sounded nice, it was not biblical. It was actually a lie…a happy little lie.” Not to mention she strikes a solid balance between recognizing the need for self-care but from the right perspective, such as finding ourselves in Christ instead of swinging like a pendulum with our ever-changing culture.
Every assertion is founded in Scripture, which encouraged me to go back into the Bible for myself. Each chapter has an interesting hook and extremely relevant to many modern issues. If I don’t expand more on specifics, it’s only to encourage you to read it for yourself!
Rough Patches
Maybe it is the length of the book, but I felt that it could have explored some concepts in more depth. Even so, it’s a great reference read. The principles presented in the twisting of language, for example, is timeless. It may be more relevant now with the changing of definitions of words such as “girl” and “boy” or even “Christian,” but it ultimately hits on something common throughout history.
Final Thoughts
I will be buying this for my bookshelf. I have it digitally thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, but I will be purchasing it to reference and share. It is right up there with “Intoxicated with Babylon” in terms of confronting the worldly mindset that is infiltrating the Christian church.
In terms of Worldview, this book stands at 5/5.
Though it doesn’t technically have a Story, the readability, author’s voice, and engagement are also a 5/5.
