Review: Worth Living: How God’s Wild Live for You Makes You Worthy by Mary DeMuth

Review: Worth Living: How God’s Wild Live for You Makes You Worthy

Mary DeMuth

Baker Books

2016

This book works on many levels and fails on only a few.  The few for me is the repeated references to a poor childhood life, and I don’t mean poverty.  The author reminds the reader about it more than necessary in the early portions of her book.  Yes, it lends credibility and demonstrates openness, but is it not possible to write this book without it?  OK.  There’s my nit of this book right off the top.  I nearly put it down because of that one repeated reference, though.  She speaks to this issue toward the end of the book.  “If I am telling you my issues for the sake of gaining your empathy, it’s an empty pursuit.  My fulfillment must come not from your sweet empathy but from being Jesus’s beloved daughter…. Slay the drama queen.” (191)  So, if that sort of thing bothers you too, persevere, she knows how we feel on this point.  This book is worth reading.  She hits her stride and goes with it well afterward the opening few pages.

DeMuth touches most of the sore spots in life.  Security, image, purpose, money, image.  What she leads the reader to discover isn’t some new gimmicky approach, but simply taking up what God has said about Himself and those He created in His likeness and believing it.  We choose to act on what we believe whether it’s true or false.  That defines who we are.  Do circumstances shape us?  Yep, but define us—no.  Tough stuff to learn, but it is worth the effort according to DeMuth.

Each chapter ends with some questions for discussion or thought and a Worth Prayer.  One such prayer in particular sticks with me---the one on page 95.  Not flowery, just some plain talking requests.  Check that one out when you’re thumbing through this book deciding whether to buy it.  

  

I do recommend this book.  

I received this book from the publisher in return for a review.