

Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (November 4, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031034056X
ISBN-13: 978-0310340560
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (265 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #9,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #8 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Children's & Teens > Teens #8 in Books > Teens > Religion & Spirituality #22 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Education > Adult

I am not the me I want to be. You are not either. Both of us desire to become better people. But what does better mean? And how do we become better? In his latest book, John Ortberg answers both questions with gentle wit and spiritual insight.Ortberg is pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California, and author of several books, including Love Beyond Reason; The Life You've Always Wanted; If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get out of the Boat; and God Is Closer Than You Think--all of which I highly recommend.The Me I Want to Be is about spiritual formation, which Ortberg defines as "the process by which your inner self and character are shaped." Many people use the word spiritual in distinction from, or even contradiction to, physical. Two unfortunate consequences of this distinction are that it separates spirituality from everyday life and then narrowly equates spirituality with the spiritual disciplines. Ortberg rejects this distinction. Your whole life is spiritual, not just the praying, Bible-reading, and church-going part. And while spiritual disciplines are indispensable, they are not the only way God forms your inner self.For Ortberg, a spiritually formed person is a flourishing person. He writes: "Your deepest longing should be to be alive with God, to become the person God made you to be, and to be used to help God's world flourish." Spiritual formation, then, involves your relationship with God, your growth in Christlikeness, and your mission to the world God is redeeming.How do you become a flourishing person? "The only way to become the person God made you to be," Ortberg writes, "is to live with the Spirit of God flowing through you like a river of living water.
I've been on this intimacy journey these past 12 months as God keeps drawing me to Himself. I've read many helpful books along the way and John Ortberg's book is a refreshing practical guide to walking an intimate life with God.Ortberg emphasises we all have a unique journey which is important to reflect on. How many times are we drawn to have our prayer times along the beach, or spend days fasting, or doing such and such, just because we've heard these practical ways have helped others to develop greater intimacy with God? Seek out God in our own individual way, He'll lead us, if we have the desire and the will to find it.Ortberg takes us through various aspects of our life: thought life, temptation, worrying, spiritual life, relationships and work. He adopts a good mix of sound scripturally-based instruction, psychology with research results (yes, there are lab rat results provided in some chapters), analogies, examples and practical steps to step us through how we can enhance each area of our life to draw closer to God.The book starts strong and continues in that vein for the majority of it. I found it flattened out a little through the middle, however, that maybe because he covered similar themes to that which I've spent a lot of time thinking through already. But the book ends with a bang. The last 2 chapters in particular dealing with trials and "asking for mountains to climb" are just superb. The life story of a Evelyn "Granny" Brand is wonderfully inspiring.
The Me I Want to Be Participant's Guide: Becoming God's Best Version of You The Me I Want to Be, Teen Edition: Becoming God's Best Version of You The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God's Best Version of You So, You Want to Be a Coder?: The Ultimate Guide to a Career in Programming, Video Game Creation, Robotics, and More! (Be What You Want) You Wouldn't Want to Be a Shakespearean Actor!: Some Roles You Might Not Want to Play You Wouldnt Want to Be a Shakespearean Actor!: Some Roles You Might Not Want to Play So, You Want to Work with the Ancient and Recent Dead?: Unearthing Careers from Paleontology to Forensic Science (Be What You Want) The MBA Reality Check: Make the School You Want, Want You Business Negotiation: 20 Steps To Negotiate With Results, Making Deals, Negotiation Strategies, Get What You Want, When You Want It, Achieve Brilliant Results, Negotiation Genius, Leadership So, You Want to Be a Comic Book Artist?: The Ultimate Guide on How to Break Into Comics! (Be What You Want) Persuasion: The Art of Persuasion, Influence, and Power To Get Whatever You Want, Whenever You Want So, You Want to Be a Physician: Getting an Edge in your Pursuit of the Challenging Dream of Becoming a Medical Professional Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts - Becoming the Person You Want to Be You Can Negotiate Anything: The World's Best Negotiator Tells You How To Get What You Want Becoming Adult, Becoming Christian : Adult Development and Christian Faith ARE YOU RIGHT WITH GOD?: Discover how to be saved and right with God is not as hard as you think! (Walking With God, Walking With Jesus Book 1) The New Lady in Waiting: Becoming God's Best While Waiting for Mr. Right Outwitting Cats: Tips, Tricks and Techniques for Persuading the Felines in Your Life That What YOU Want Is Also What THEY Want The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow The Heart of Leadership: Becoming a Leader People Want to Follow