A Resilient Life: You Can Move Ahead No Matter What [Hardcover]

Gordon MacDonald (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 7, 2004

At a young age, Gordon MacDonald recognized that he had inherited a "quitter's gene," and because of this-and an influential track coach-he began a lifelong quest for answers.  "Why," he had to ask, "do some people finish what they start, persevere in moments of adversity, push themselves in the direction of their potential, and often make their greatest contributions in the latter half of life?  Why do others expect to retire from life when they reach their senior years?"  The key element in those who don't quit is resilience. Those who have it, MacDonald insists, have gathered all the lessons from life-successes and failures-to build a foundation of strength and character, preparing them to face anything.

Using examples from the Bible, from his own life, and from the lives of contemporary people, MacDonald identifies the characteristics of resilience, leading readers through the self-assessment needed to develop them. The journey is demanding and humbling, he reminds us, but the rewards of living well are immeasurable.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. MacDonald offers sage advice to Christians in middle age and beyond, asserting that the greatest contributions God has for believers come during the second half of life. The prolific author and pastor tells how a high school track coach instilled values that laid the foundations for effective adult living. This wizened man taught the teenage MacDonald principles that have stayed with him for a lifetime: run with vision, look backward only to learn from mistakes, cling to self-discipline while giving distance to self-indulgence and find satisfaction in joining with others to make great things happen. MacDonald (Ordering Your Private World and The Life God Blesses) listened well to his mentor and sadly realized that he had inherited a "quitter's gene" from his family. In this book, he characterizes resiliency as being committed to consistently finishing strong. Those who nurture a big-picture view of life, he says, leave the weight of the past behind, discipline themselves to go the distance and run with a "happy few" who best embody the truest expression of lasting friendship. MacDonald's guide to embracing resiliency is especially practical as he describes running the entire life race with gusto, urging fellow Christians to enlarge their minds, harness their emotions and trim their egos. With a passionate yet humble voice, MacDonald's self-help guide is a classic, riveting read.
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (June 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785271511
• ISBN-13: 978-0785271512
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #782,890 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No Quitters Here, February 12, 2005

By 

Glenn H. Teal (Spokane, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Resilient Life: You Can Move Ahead No Matter What (Hardcover)

Gordon MacDonald does it again with his latest "A Resilient Life". The heart of the book is the powerful chapter on practicing repentance followed by many practical insights on staying in the faith race over the long haul. MacDonald writes as a guy who has been there -- a pastor once fallen - now restored. The power of his words is intensified by the witness of MacDonald's life. God used this book to speak powerfully to me -- what more can I say? Highly recommended.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "A Reslient Life" Offers Hope and Something to Aim For, December 1, 2005

By 

Patrice Fagnant-macarthur (Springfield, MA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Resilient Life: You Can Move Ahead No Matter What (Hardcover)

Gordon MacDonald, a sixty-something pastor, offers a lifetime of wisdom in "A Resilient Life." Freely admitting that he was born with a "quitters gene," he credits the influence of his high school cross-country and track coach with helping him onto the road of resilience. MacDonald defines "resilience" as the "toughened condition of both the body and the mind" and goes on to describe many characteristics of a resilient person.

Perhaps most importantly, MacDonald offers hope. He is a firm believer that the second half of life is when God often has people make their greatest contributions, and that we are called to serve well into our senior years. Even if one's life to date has been less than ideal, "the Christian worships a God who can (and does) take the life of any person, turn it inside out, and use it to build a piece of His kingdom."

MacDonald emphasizes that building resilience is a daily pursuit. It requires a regular self-assessment, the discipline of spiritual pursuits, and making the most of one's talents. It also takes place within whatever stage of life we find ourselves in at the moment. One of the most valuable sections of "A Resilient Life" is Chapter Seven: "Resilient People Foresee the Great Questions of Life's Passage." MacDonald interviewed several senior citizens (including people older than himself) to get a full picture of the big questions of life at each age. He comes up with a fairly comprehensive list. These questions shape our lives and the answers we come up with help make us who we are at every stage.

Another important chapter is Chapter 9: "Resilient People Listen for a Call from God." A call "is an acknowledgment that one is accountable to God for the discharge of his life's duties." God calls each of us to fulfill our role in His plan. He gives us the tools we need to make our own particular contribution to the world. It can be difficult to know what God is asking of us, but when we are on that right road, it will generally be confirmed by others. There are also the results. When we answer the call, we help to make the world a better place. MacDonald also emphasizes that not everyone is called to do something that will attract attention. "Men and women have obeyed God's call and become martyrs. Others have undertaken unspeakably difficult and discouraging tasks and barely survived. Many more have lived the relatively common life between home and job. They hammer nails, sell widgets, create software or fix things. But in the process they make a difference in the existence of the people around them. And they, too, are called."

"A Resilient Life" offers an in-depth look at the characteristics that make up a resilient person, a person ready to be faithful for the long haul. While we are all works in progress and very few will possess all of these characteristics, this book gives us something to strive for.


Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur is editor of The Spiritual Woman Newsletter [...]

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keep on running~!, March 24, 2005

By 

Isaac - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Resilient Life: You Can Move Ahead No Matter What (Hardcover)

When I first read this book, I was exhausted and decipated. No matter how important my goals were, I simply wanted to drop everything and jump on a boat to a nomad island.
But this book taught me an important word. RESILIENCE! How foolish I was to think that these times of difficulty are reasons for me to give up~!
Now I know that difficulty is an opportunity for me to reach a new height~! I will now run forward, instead of walking, to make sure that I am resilient enough to be all that I am made to be in Christ our Lord.