In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado
Non-fiction. 240 Pages. 5 Stars
Synopsis:
Get caught!
Life is full of fumbles and stumbles. Fraught with opportunities to make mistakes, occasions to feel guilty, and the drive to “do it yourself.” The pressure to be self-sufficient is high, but it isn’t the life God offers.
The way of the world will direct you to try harder and work smarter so that you can take care of yourself and even make yourself successful. But the way of the cross will point toward the place where you stop striving . . . stop pushing . . . stop every self-initiated effort—so that you can fall into the boundless, liberating, refreshing grace of God!
Just imagine being love-driven instead of self-propelled. Imagine abandoning your life to Jesus instead of trying to save yourself. Can you imagine exchanging your fears for that peace that passes understanding? Being relaxed and free instead of stressed-out and anxious? If you can imagine enjoying God instead of trying to repay him, then you can imagine grace.
So go ahead! Jump off the cliff of self-sufficiency. Leap out of legalism. Walk off the pier of guilt and condemnation. That’s the only way you’ll land in the strong arms of the Father who loves you . . . the Father who catches you—every time—in the grip of his grace.
Twenty years after it was first released, this message of hope and freedom is as relevant and life-changing as ever. And this beautiful 20th Anniversary Edition, which features colorful callouts and imagery, is the perfect addition to any personal library.
My Review:
Max Lucado has a gift for worming his way into your heart with really simple concepts and genuine enthusiasm. I love his works and this has quickly become my favorite of his. In this absolutely stunning book, Mr. Lucado puts grace on center stage and then delves into what makes grace so beautiful.
I love his easy-going writing style. The book is written like a conversation among friends. He’s just a normal guy like you and me and he’s very open about his own marks and messes. He doesn’t have an attitude problem or an above your head voice. Mr. Lucado is kind and gentle. His concepts are easy to grasp and explained simply, though I never once felt like a dum-dum. Max Lucado never talks down to you; he only meets you where you are and brings you up to speed the way a true teacher ought. And dork that I am, I really, really liked the formatting of the book; it’s so well organized! The concepts just fall into place one after the other.
I adore his analogies! I am a believer and I read this book to strengthen my faith and deepen my understanding and even though grace is not a new concept to me, there were a few very distinct points in this book that positively and quite literally stole my breath. Grace isn’t a new or even very difficult idea, at least for me, but the way Mr. Lucado presents it is unique. At one point, he tells a story about picking up his girls from a summer camp. He builds up the expectation. He arrived early and did everything he could to be ready and still had time to spare. By the time the camp allowed parents in, they were a swarming mob ready to see their kids. Just as I’m getting fully engrossed in his antidote, Mr. Lucado turns the story on its head and says simply: That’s how God feels about you.
Now maybe this shouldn’t have been such a shock to me, but they way he compared the instances in his life to our heavenly father, over and over again, truly spoke to me. This book gave me a new perspective on grace. Yes, I’ve known it was there and there for the taking, but it never occurred to me to think about how joyful grace is. This book brought me wonder and awe when I thought about grace. Not just taking for granted that grace is a thing, but truly finding joy in God’s grace.
Mr. Lucado really digs in deep here. He defines grace and then explains why it’s so crucial to the Christian faith. He shows the different ways people approach and react to grace, and he tackles some tough questions. What is grace? Why does it matter? What sets it apart from others? Why would God give me grace? What can separate me from God’s love? Can God truly love me? What about him? What makes grace so beautiful? What happens when I screw up? How do I give grace to others? And so much more.
The book excellently breaks down several passages in Romans, takes a deeper look into what Paul says, and sheds light on concepts many Christians may have lived in so long that we’ve become desensitized to them. In the Grip of Grace is wholly inspiring, simply enchanting, and completely attainable. Easy to understand, but still suffused with a divine inspiration that should leave our cheeks sore from smiling. My heart danced, truly danced when reading this and I certainly intend to read it again.