Ordering Your Private World [Paperback]

Gordon MacDonald (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 14, 1997 | Series: Gordon MacDonald Bestseller Series

Is there a genuine inner life, a private, inner world that each of us possess? The Scriptures and the experiences of the great saints say that there is and that the inner life can be ordered and regulated. Where people live with disorder within, there is anxiety and little growth, but where the private world is constantly realigned to the image of God, there is remarkable personal development and Christian witness.

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (May 14, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785271619
• ISBN-13: 978-0785271611
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,233,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Order Your World by Ordering This Book, December 29, 2001

By 

Julie A. Saffrin (Excelsior, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ordering Your Private World (Paperback)

McDonald's book is one I reread every January. It puts me back on the track of ordering my life again after the chaos of the holidays. If you have a tendency to procrastinate, to overload your calendar, or you easily lose sight of how to structure your time, this book will be the greatest gift (if you take the time to read it) you ever give yourself.

One of the more profound things McDonald addresses in his book is being honest enough to say you can't be all things to all people. In fact, he cites examples in the Bible to say that it should never be our goal. "Called people know exactly who they are not," McDonald says. There is freedom in those words for the person who thinks he or she must do everything. He uses John the Baptist as an example. When John is asked in Scripture who he is, he says he is not Christ. McDonald says, "Knowing who he was not was the beginning of knowing who he was." John knew the role of his life and ministry and because of it, was able to do his job of acting as "forerunner to Christ."

Through a chapter by chapter study guide at the back of the book written by Leslie H. Stobbe, the reader can examine his or her life by answering questions. In many ways, I found the study guide's questions sent me on a journal experience as I read the scriptures suggested. The study guide is gentle, yet you can go as indepth as you want to.

What I also like about McDonald's advice is that he truly gives examples of how to order your world. How to order your office, create files, etc. that really will simplify your life. He doesn't pulpitize the reader, rather he provides examples from his own life where he failed too and how he was able to change.

Buy this book and change your life. This will not be a book you put on your shelf or bury in your nightstand drawer. This will be a book that you will underline in, write in, and use as a resource to keep you on the track of succeeding in organizing your private world.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captaining the ship from the bridge., October 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Ordering Your Private World (Paperback)

ORDERING YOUR PRIVATE WORLD By Gordon Macdonald Reviewed by Lindsay Woods

In this book, Gordon Macdonald looks at an aspect of our lives that is commonly overlooked, often with devastating results. He speaks of an area of our life apart from the external. If we think of our public life being filled with work, relationships and different achievements, them we might think of our private world a where we spend time with God and become spiritually refreshed.

Gordon likens it to a bridge on a ship, where we assess our life for signs of impending crisis, or burnout. Where we access all information, on our current state. Our motivations, relationships, spirit, and calendar are all checked.

He discusses the danger of unchecked motivation. One of the things he looks at is the person who is driven to achieve their goals, how to recognize them, and the things that suffer in their pursuit. He uses a case study to illustrate the point, detailing an individual who's aims were wealth, and prestige - external things. A person with no use for internal qualities like wisdom. The results being that he was receiving counsel to save his marriage.

Gordon looks at the contrast between driven people and called people. The latter recognizing that they are stewards of the life that God has given them, and that any position that they have is from God therefore they needn't strive to achieve or equally to maintain.

Our usage of Time is examined. Criteria for evaluating effective time usage, and guidelines for improving productivity. Symptoms like broken deadlines, dislike of work and self, and lack of intimacy with God point to poor time organization. Time is a gift from God, that must be used carefully. Gordon suggests that it must be budgeted much like money, and for the most part the budget adhered to. We must learn to do the most important things, not necesarily the most urgent. We should spend most of our time doing what we are best at.

We need to at training our minds, in both knowledge and wisdom. Our minds should be sharp, going beyond accumulation of information, but working with that information in order to be able to answer to hard question that people face. We do this by listening, reading and studying.

Gordon also looks at the importance of hearing from God, and the necessity of time spent in silence to be able to. He suggest keeping of a journal as a means of expression to God, keeping track of progress and answered prayer.

He finishes by looking at restoration and the need for a Sabbath rest. This is differentiated form leisure. Leisure is the pursuit of interests, past times, whereas rest is actively getting spirit refreshed. Having a set aside with plenty of time for prayer, reading, walks, etc.

I found this book held my interest. I particularly wanted to learn about ordering my time, as I don't seem to have much surplus. The section of the book dealing with this was very useful in suggesting the idea of budgeting time, in advance. I have started using my diary much more, to plan ahead. The main thing I am working on at the moment is sticking to the plans I make. This is not always straightforward. I am budgeting more time for prayer and reading, and fitting a Sabbath day into my calendar when my job takes over a Sunday.

Also along the same lines, is the fact that my time can be swallowed up with my doing things that I am O.K. at, but which prevent me from giving more time to things that I am best at. I am trying to work out which things I should be letting go of at the moment.

A lot of the things that he talked about seemed to be very sensible and helpful. I am working on applying them to my life.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life-changing book that you will want to read again & again, December 7, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Ordering Your Private World (Paperback)

Other than the Bible, Ordering Your Private World has been the most influential book on my life and I read it (or reread favorite parts) at least once per year. All five sections of this book have influenced my life for the better: motivation, use of time, wisdom and knowledge, spiritual strength, and restoration. MacDonald starts out by dealing with our motivation in how we use our time. He contrasts the life of the driven person with the life of the person who is called - and share distinct things about their life that you will notice. For example, a driven person is preoccupied with acquiring the symbols of accomplishment - while the called person focuses on good stewardship of what they have. Once MacDonald deals with the differences between being driven & called, he deals with the use of time and shares some symptoms of poor time management. One of the most practical sections of the book, "MacDonald's Laws of Unseized Time" follows these symptoms - as the reader is shown how to budget their time for good use. Once that you see how to recapture the use of your time and control it - Gordon then discusses the last three sections - on wisdom and knowledge, spiritual strength, and restoration. One of my favorite parts of this book - are the memos that are at the beginning of every chapter. I will close with this one: "If my private world is in order, it will be because I am convinced that the inner world of the spiritual must govern the outer world of activity."