#struggles

Title: #struggles: Following Jesus in a Selfie-Centered World

Author: Craig Groeschel

Genre: Christian Living, Nonfiction,

Publisher: Zondervan

Source: Own

My review:

I bought #struggles a while back. I grabbed it  because of the title and the author. I had read Craig Groeschel before and enjoyed it.

We're busy, but bored.

We're full, but empty.

We're connected, but lonelier than ever.

Our lives are filled with more activities than we thought possible, but we often feel hollow at the end of the day. 

#struggles will resonate with all of us. We live in a selfie world, and some of the stories that Craig shares related to that are heartbreaking. This is an easy read as Craig approaches the subject with honesty and authenticity. 

We aren't designed by God to seek the image of others; we are designed to seek him.

Some topics covered are recovering contentment, resurrecting compassion, and replenishing rest. There are no pointing fingers or preaching at us, but it is a very convicting book. Whether you think you have an addition to technology or not it is a very relevant book.  Even if you are not the one with an addiction, the odds are good that you know someone who is. I highly recommend this book.

★★★★/5

Synopsis (Goodreads): 

We all love the benefits of technology and social media, but even with the incredible upsides, many of us suspect there are unintended negative consequences that are beyond our control. We’ve lost perspective, even perhaps ourselves. 

In this timely and life-changing new book, New York Times bestselling author and pastor of LifeChurch.tv Craig Groeschel encourages readers who are hungry to regain control over their lives and put Christ first again. He walks them through biblical values that all Christ followers know are essential, but are even more important for our maxed out, selfie-centered world. 

The more you compare, the less satisfied you are. The more we interact online, the more we crave face to face intimacy, but the harder it is to find. The more filtered our lives become, the more challenging it is to be authentic. The more information about the pain in the world we’re exposed to the more difficult it is to care.

It’s time to refresh and rediscover our understanding of the biblical principles that life with Christ brings: contentment, intimacy, authenticity, compassion, rest and more. Groeschel taps in to some of the most up-to-date studies on the effects of social media on our emotions and our friendships. And he offers real-life examples of how we struggle with social media, how it masks our real struggles, and how we can reclaim a Christ-centered life. 

With helpful appendices like the 10 Commandments of Using Social Media to Strengthen Your Faith, and Creating Safeguards for Your Digital Devices, you’ll find #Struggles to be just the guide to bring balance and real-life engagement to your everyday life.