12/11/2023
Readers should stop chasing a “shiny, perfect,” and ultimately unreachable “future you” and embrace the person “God created you to be,” according to this charismatic guide from pastor Furtick ((Un)Qualified). To become one’s truest, most authentic self, believers should work to align their mindset with “God’s vision for you” by coming to understand that “joy is my job,” that “I’m not stuck unless I stop,” and that “with God there is always a way, and by faith I will find it.” Elsewhere, Furtick astutely argues that self-acceptance can coexist with personal transformation: “You are loved as you are, but you don’t have to remain there.” He weaves in candid reflections on his own battles (“Accepting Jesus took a moment; accepting me is taking a lifetime”) and acknowledges that becoming one’s truest and most faithful self is an ongoing project. While readers seeking concrete tips may grow frustrated with Furtick’s pensive prose and tendency to rehash the same general takeaways, those hungry for spiritual succor will welcome his advice to stop “measuring yourself against an... unrealistic version of a person God didn’t create you to be,” and instead “step into what God already sees.” This inspires. (Feb.)
