You don't have to be perfect

You don’t have to be perfect before you reach out to Jesus.  In fact we don’t seem to have any record of Jesus using perfect people to further His mission. In Unshockable Love: How Jesus Changes the World through Imperfect People  (Baker Books, 2013, originally published as Mud and the Masterpiece) John Burke paints a picture of how Jesus uses very imperfect people in a number of very impressive ways.

The book is a combination of bible stories, biblical truths, and stories of people like you and me. Many of the names have been changed, but there are also a number of people who allowed their stories to be shared under their own names. These are stories of how transformation occurs when people accept the help and the love that Jesus wants to offer.

And the title says it all. One imperfect person who experiences God’s grace has the potential to touch many more lives.  Much of this book is taken from the author’s experience at Gateway Church in Austin Texas. A lot of the ‘rest of the story’ part of people’s post baptismal lives include serving in or leading one of the many programs or regularly scheduled activities.

Ordinary people, recipients of God’s grace, do extraordinary things. We’ve all seen it happen, but many of us might not have realized what was happening.  But this is not just a book about a program that works in Burke’s culture and context; this is about growing and developing relationships that include Jesus. 

I like the book because it challenges the reader to reach out to those who may or may not have experienced Christ’s love before. Reach out, share that love, build the relationship, and then watch the Kingdom grow as more and more lives are touched. 

This book seems to build on another book “No Perfect People Allowed” by the same author.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.

5/5