Several years ago, I was preparing to head into the mission field. Life was fast, white-knuckle, and often a unique mix of exhilaration, sleepless nights, and a lot of prayer!
One thing that God used to anchor me through that season of transition was a good book. Actually, there were several!
If you’re in a season of transition, looking to deepen your walk, or just want a good read, consider checking these out. There are tons of great titles out there, but these were really meaningful to me.
Book 1: Adversaries into Allies- Win People Over Without Manipulation or Coercion by Bob Burg
Faced with the task of persuading someone to do what we want, most of us expect resistance. We see the other person as an adversary and often resort to coercion or manipulation to get our way. But while this approach might bring us short-term results, it leaves people with a bad feeling about themselves and about us. At that point, our relationship is weakened and our influence dramatically decreased. There has to be a better way.
One of my favorite quotes from this book was, “Most people don’t commit to things; they commit to people. And they typically commit to people who they believe care about them.“.
If you’d like to get it on Amazon, here’s the link.
Book 2: Daring To Live Life On The Edge- The Adventure of Faith and Finances by Loren Cunningham
Every Christian can enter into the adventure. What is important is not our vocation, but whether we are committed to obeying God’s will in our lives. If you are willing to step out in faith and trust in God, doing whatever it is He has asked you to do, then you will see His provision. Once you have experienced this, you will be spoiled for the ordinary.
One of my favorite quotes from this book was, “He would rather teach us His ways, and see our character grow and our faith increased, than to immediately provide for our needs.”.
If you’d like to get it on Amazon, here’s the link.
Book 3: Alleviating Poverty/Advancing Prosperity- An Essential Guide for Helping the Poor by Steven Downey
Poverty is stubborn. Since World War II an estimated 2.3 trillion dollars has been spent on international aid, yet half of the population of the world survives on less than on ten dollars a day. Too many of our poverty fighting efforts focus on the symptoms of poverty and not its root causes. The mindsets and attitudes that keep people in poverty often remain unchanged.
Alleviating Poverty/Advancing Prosperity explores the current state of our fight against world poverty in an effort to rethink our strategies and the nature of poverty itself.
One of my favorite quotes from this book was, “If you try to accomplish real growth and fulfill deep aspirations by chasing money alone, whatever you happen to achieve will be in vain.”.
If you’d like to get it on Amazon, here’s the link.