Book Review: Everything by Mary DeMuth

The book Everything: What You Give and What You Gain to Become Like Jesus by Mary DeMuth will challenge Christians. She addresses the head--thoughts we think, the heart--who we are, and the hands--how we live in her three part book.

For me a key chapter was "Forsake the Seven-Letter Word That Demolishes Everything." That word was "control." Mary admits, "Control satiates me. It calms me...I'd rather live a controlled life than let Jesus take me on unfamiliar roads."

So true. We all love control, whether we admit it or not. We become angry when our perceived "rights" are violated. God whispers continually to us, "Am I everything?"

Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness..."

The seven-letter remedy to "control" is "abandon."

"He asks us to abandon our control so that He can reign in our lives and grow us."

The chapter "Embrace Holy Inebriation" was interesting. I agreed with the concepts of what she was saying. Though I have a difficult time with comparing holiness to becoming drunk, the Apostle Paul did compare it in Ephesians 5:18, saying, "Be not drunk with wine... but be filled with the Spirit." It's something to think about.

I disagree to an extent with the advocacy of being "true to ourselves" (page 88). I would rather say "true to who God made us to be." Without Him we are nothing, and this world likes to focus on "finding ourselves." God is the only One Who can show us who we were (sinners), who we are (saints in light), and what we can become (more and more victorious and joyful in Him)! I agree that at times we need to look at the reason why we have acted or act a certain negative way in order to correct it. But only through Christ is there ever any answers. It's not about us. And I truly believe that is what Mary is trying to say in her book.

"Choose to Heal" was a very good chapter as well. Mary cites the story in John 5 where Jesus basically asks the man at the Pool of Bethesda, "Do you want to be well?"

"Jesus wastes none of our stories, even our tales of woe. He transforms them into epic adventures where we dare to face our past for the sake of our present." I would add, "...for the sake of Him Who has healed us." Again, it's all about Him!

There were many other great chapters I could touch upon, but I would recommend this book in general for a Christian who desires to walk more closely with Jesus.

*The reader should be advised that the author uses various versions of the Bible. I would recommend the reader look up the verses in the KJV. (There are verses that just do not read the same. This is what really concerns me about using various versions...but that's another topic altogether!)