It's Not About Me by Max Lucado

This book wasn't what I was expecting. In some ways I was disappointed and in other ways it exceeded my expectations.

I was disappointed that the book didn't go any deeper than it did. In many of his other books, Max Lucado writes in a way that draws the reader into deeper and deeper understanding or inspiration by using simple illustrations and examples, so those books are deep but they're not complicated. I'm talking about titles like No Wonder they Call Him Savior and Six Hours One Friday and Just Like Jesus. It's Not About Me isn't complicated.

The book is divided into two parts: God-Pondering and God-Promoting; the first part talks about what God is like and the second part explains how everything we can make out to be about us is actually about Him and how everything that happens to us, whether good or bad, can bring glory to God. And that's really what it's all about: our lives are about bringing glory to God.

I don't disagree with that. Not at all. But--and before I go into this, let me just say that my expectations are a little unfair; I mean, I was expecting something else and I was disappointed that I didn't get it. Big deal, right. It doesn't make Max Lucado a bad writer--what I was wishing for was a book that showed God and His grand scheme. The kind of book that isn't about me and how I can fit myself into God's grand scheme and finding God's will for me and all that. I wanted a book that really just says, "Look, what God is up to is so much greater than what is going on in your life" and totally skips over all the parts that talk about what that has to do with me and focusses on what God's plan is. Because God is up to something! Anyways.

Instead I found that the book was a little me-focussed. I mean, for a book called It's Not About Me ... it was about my message is about Him; my salvation is about Him; my body is about Him; my struggles are about Him; my success is about Him ... and these are all important things to realize, don't get me wrong, these are things that we need to be taught. I just think that they could have taken up a lot less space in the book. Because, when it comes right down to it, God doesn't need us to promote His glory! It's something we do because it's the only thing we can do; also, God asks us to.

So, enough of my opinions. The book did what it set out to do: it teaches that it's not about me and about my glory, it's about God's glory; my job is to reflect God's glory. It did it in typical Max Lucado fashion: with uncomplicated illustrations and easily understood examples. Great job. And the writing was exactly what I've come to expect from Max Lucado: it's what will keep me reading his books for some time to come. The book was just a little fluffy for my taste; that's all.