All In by Mark Batterson- a Book Review

I had the pleasure in April and May to participate in a four week study of All In by Mark Batterson, with some of the ladies in our church. Anytime you gather 40-50 women who know going into it the radical nature of a study and they share their passion to live wholly surrendered lives for Jesus...you know good things are going to happen.

God does not disappoint.

I'm familiar with Batterson's first book, In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day. It was the impetus to the Holy Spirit's vision for our family participating in an event where we fasted for famine victims in 2011. I've heard of The Circle Maker and am presently reading (and being greatly challenged by) the 40 day devotional that goes along with the book. My copy of The Circle Maker just arrived today.

I'm not one to jump on the latest Christian "hot ticket" item. I am a skeptic at heart. Fads and tricks to perform in order to get God to perform the way I want Him to are usually exactly the sort of book I keep my distance from.

But here's the thing...when an author says our desire to do big things for God is backwards because He is the One who will do big things...our only "job" is to be consecrated (set apart) for Him...I will sit up and listen!

This is no fad. It's as old as the Scriptures themselves (and even before they were written). This is why in the labels I tagged the Shane Claiborne/Tony Campolo phrase of "Red Letter Living". Since the dawn of time, God has been drawing all men to Him. Once Jesus left and sent the Holy Spirit, He has been the one calling us...drawing us...asking us to set ourselves aside, and as Batterson puts it frequently throughout the book, 'go All In and All Out for the All in All.'

I was deeply challenged by this book at precisely the right time when my apathy was beginning to scare me. I knew He was drawing me deeper...and I knew I was resisting it. Quite frankly...fear was keeping me captive. 

I'm thankful for Holy Spirit to lead Batterson to write a book that would ask me to "lay down my Isaacs" (my fears, failures, future and doubts) and to remind myself (as my friend Becky says) "live what I say I believe". Anything less and there are some idols that need to be purged.

The purging has begun, physically, spiritually and mentally and as I dive into The Circle Maker to learn more about fervent prayer for the dreams God gives and against the fears my enemy creates, I just keep repeating the same phrase that began the first day of the All In study: "I'm all in God, whatever that means and wherever it leads...I'm all in!"