It's Not About Me: Rescue From the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Blame the bump on Copernicus..." (more)
Key Phrases: Pony Express, May God, Red Sea (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For nearly two decades, evangelical preacher Lucado has been writing about God's inexhaustible grace, and his books have been snapped up by readers hungry to know they are loved, accepted, forgiven and saved. In his latest book this message, though still present, has moved to the background. A Copernican revolution is in order, Lucado says: it is time to understand that life revolves around God, not ourselves. The God he describes is neither Santa Claus nor a kindly, reassuring grandpa. He is a God of glory and holiness, eternal and unchanging. "To seek God's glory is to pray, 'Thicken the air with your presence; make it misty with your majesty. Part heaven's drapes, and let your nature spill forth. God, show us God.' " Our role, once we have seen God's glory, is simply to reflect it. We do this by proclaiming his message, using our bodies the way he intended, trusting him in the midst of suffering and acknowledging him as the author of our success. Even our salvation "showcases God's mercy. It makes nothing of [our] effort but everything of his." Sterner generations of Christians memorized the answer to the first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism: "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever." Lucado brings this concept to life with his trademark breezy style, good humor, homey anecdotes and passion. His fans may be surprised by this new emphasis, but they will not be disappointed.
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Product Description

THERE REALLY IS MORE TO THIS LIFE THAN YOU'VE BEEN TOLD

We've been demanding our way since day one...

"I want a spouse that makes me happy and co-workers that always ask my opinion."

"I want weather that suits me and traffic that helps me and a government that serves me."

Self-promotion. Self-preservation. Self-centeredness...

"IT'S ALL ABOUT ME."

They all told us it was, didn't they? And we took them up on it. We though self-celebration would make us happy...

But believing that has created chaos-noisy homes, stress-filled business, cutthroat relationships. We've chases do many skinny rabbits, says Max Lucado, that we've missed the fat one: the God-centered life.

If you want to shift into high gear with purpose, this is it: Life makes sense when we accept our place! Our pleasures, our problems, our gifts and talents...when they're all for the One who created us, we suddenly gain what we've been missing and find out what we've been seeking.

Let Max Lucado show you how to make the shift of a lifetime. How to bump your life off self-center. How to be changed and experience the meaning-charged life you were meant to have. Your discovery starts here.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; 19th Printing edition (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159145042X
• ISBN-13: 978-1591450429
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,520 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #2 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Protestantism > Amish
  #4 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Authors, A-Z > ( L ) > Lucado, Max
  #46 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality > Inspirational

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Living a Life of Purpose, April 19, 2004

By	V. L. Wilson "Louisa Rehman" (Millville, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Max Lucado is the master of inspirational writing. I love the tricky title "It's Not About Me". After all these years - most of us thought it was!

The editorial reviews are so well done, I can do little to improve them. This is a small engrossing book that explores why we are here on earth in the first place - it is to reflect the glory of God. For anyone who has never read a Max Lucado book, and there are several, I recommend this one first. I have read two others and plan to read them all. They are not "preachy" nor difficult to understand. They are written by a humble Christian pastor who never fails to give credit to his wife and children for their support and encouragement.

This book touches a chord in all of us as we often forget our Creator and how much He loves us. Once you are rescued from a life of self-promotion, self-preservation and self-centeredness, and realize you are here to reflect God's glory, your life becomes changed. This book makes a wonderful gift and it deserves a place in your library where you can reread it often.

93 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy read... weighty material, March 13, 2004

By A Customer

I bought this book while out of town on a business trip and began reading it over dinner. By the time I went to bed that night in the hotel room, I had finished the entire thing. I usually am not a fast reader, but Lucado writes so poetically and conversationally that you can't help but keep turning the pages. I've read many books on this topic, some more "scholarly" than this one. But "It's Not About Me" hangs with the best of them. Don't let the big print or the easily read conversational tone fool you. This is a serious book about a weighty matter, and Lucado has done a wonderful job of covering the topic biblically.

I would like to also comment one of the other reviewer's statements. The reviewer named Peniel G.G.G. has made a mockery of this entire system by using the review space to promote his own heretical work. Read his other reviews, and you will see they all say the same thing... "Jesus told me he likes this book. Now go buy my book too." I can guarantee you Jesus doesn't like some of the books he's positively reviewed. I don't know what voice this man is hearing, but if you really want to hear Jesus' voice, read the Bible!!!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's not about me, or you!, September 24, 2005

By	John Wanies "Fides Quaerens Intellectum" (Al-Ain, UAE) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was quite an enlightening work by Max Lucado. It reminds us that our purpose in life does not revolve around us. Max Lucado does a good job of knocking us out of our self-centered lifetyles and into God-centered living. This book is very readable and quotable. He depicts our purpose in life of mirroring God and living for his glory very efficiently.

My one complaint was that, although I agreed with the main idea of the book, I felt really insignificant after reading it! Not because he ever directly states that we are insignificant, but he focuses solely on turning our focus on God and pleasing him that he fails to clearly mention the truth that in serving God we find fulfillment, meaning, joy, peace, and all the other things we seek in life. Along the lines of filling the void in our lives by following Christ, I recommend the book "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Pipper. "Its Not About Me" is also amazing though, I definately recommend its purchase!