Last Updated on July 9, 2021 by ellen
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A Beautiful Defeat
Author: Kevin Malarkey
ISBN: 978-1400206391
Genre: Non-Fiction, Religion
Release: July 8, 2014
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
192 Pages
Goodreads | Author’s Website
About the book:
Total surrender to God: the surprising key to experiencing the sense of peace and purpose you crave.
There is a gnawing feeling inside all of us that says we could be better. If we would just be more organized or work a little harder, we’d finally have the rich and fulfilling life we want.
But the message of the cross is different.
The message is not one of God saying, “I died for your sins to work as a consultant to help you achieve the life you’re determined to have.” Jesus died to reconcile us to God so that we can die and give our lives to him and to others—a total surrender that is truly a beautiful defeat!
Perspective and peace in the midst of the stormy chaos of life are always available to the person who lives a surrendered life. The result is a rich existence basking in the pleasure and approval of God.
A Beautiful Defeat by Kevin Malarkey
Finding time for God in a busy life can be a challenge. We all know that we are supposed to surrender our lives to Him to be good Christians but it’s just so much easier to take control and push our lives in the direction WE want instead of listening quietly to determine the direction He wants our lives to go. A Beautiful Defeat reveals that the key to really feeling God’s presence in your life is surrendering to Him. It’s not us. We don’t need to do more or push harder. We need to listen and then surrender our lives to Him.
I read a fair amount of Christian non-fiction and one thing that regularly disappoints me about the genre is that they are often written by Pastors. I was very pleased to see that A Beautiful Defeat is written by a regular person – just like me – someone who still struggles with following God and finding their path. The book doesn’t encourage you to be perfect because, after all, we can’t be perfect no matter how hard we try. It encourages us to stop trying to be perfect and instead to surrender our lives to God.
I found A Beautiful Defeat by Kevin Malarkey to be very easy to read. His tone was interesting and I found the information easy to relate to my life. If I had questions about something I read, there were always Scriptural passage references for me to turn to in the Bible. If you enjoy books about Christian growth, I recommend A Beautiful Defeat by Kevin Malarkey.
Ellen is a mom of a 25-year-old son and 30-year-old daughter. She is Grandma to one adorable toddler. In what little spare time she has, she loves to read, watch movies, and check out the latest toys and games.
Really interesting read. I think this is a book my mother would love!
I know I enjoyed it!
This sounds like it will be really engaging. I could use a book like this to read.
I need easy and entertaining when it comes to books. Sounds like this might be a great read for me.
Hope you try it, Lisa!
I like that you shared you found it easy to read. Sometimes books like this can be difficult to get through.
I agree, Emily. This was really a good book.
I think I need to read this!
I put this one on my wish list. I too think we need to make more time for God in our lives. I totally understand that voice that says you need to be better. I need to read this book!
I totally agree, Deb. Hope you have a chance to read it.