My copy of Audacious, this month’s pick, has the spine a bit cracked and has underlining all through it. For real, this book looks used (and I’m pretty careful with my books, as a rule). When I was trying to think through what I was going to write about it, I considered just transcribing the underlined bits, but that would probably break copyright laws about the percentage of a book shareable without permission.
And friends, I was picking it up at the same time that I was being called to fly across the country to engage in sad and difficult circumstances as my family journeys in a true “one day at a time” situation with my dad as he moves closer and closer to heaven (at a roller coaster sort of pace, with ups and downs that leave us tired, heartsick, and on a bit of an adrenaline rush). I had to pick it up, because I’d asked 50 other women across the country to read along with me.
I wasn’t sure if I had energy to be audacious, honestly.
Apparently I did though. I probably needed it more than ever at this time. There was encouragement for me (and in the midst of some good teaching, some humour that made me snort-laugh), right where I am, in every chapter.
Dear Beth reminded me that:
- I am entirely loved by God, and created to love Jesus audaciously – and that this love changes
everything. Every. Thing. More than any personality test could show, that crazy, audacious, perfect love reveals who I actually am. The real me. I am loved audaciously beyond the love my parents, my beloved husband or my daughter have for me (which is nothing insignificant in measure). In navigating loss, and talking to others who have lost or are losing a parent, I’m learning that our identity is remarkably tied to those who love us (or don’t love us, for that matter). Our identity can, without realizing it, become so tied to performance that we forget that really, we’re the most fully ourselves when we realize we’re fully loved. Tying ourselves to a love that never fails? It frees us, and frees others. That is audacious (and wise). - I am alive. That “verve” that Beth writes about? I think of it as vitality. That lifeblood of a person that I want to be filled with. Talking about probate, Do Not Resuscitate Orders, funeral food, and thinking through obituaries (when there’s a long goodbye like we’ve had, you have LOTS of time to think about these things) can make you forget that you’re still alive. Babies are still being born. Spring is still coming. It can also remind us that we’re only promised today, and tomorrow everything could change. We could draw our last breath here and be more alive than ever in heaven with our next. We don’t know. So for now, LIVE ALIVE. I bought a sign for Dad’s hospital room that says “Effective Immediately, Celebrate Everything.” Celebrating the stuff of life, in the midst of the drama of death? Now that, friends, is audacious.
- Audacious love equips us to love others more. In the midst of all the stuff of life and a broken world, my diligent, responsible personality type can too-easily forget love. And you know what? That week at home, between the hospital and the house of my youth, and vacillating between grief and hope – it had all the stuff necessary to turn me into a full-blown tyrant.
We were, quite literally, robbed on Monday while I was on a conference call at the kitchen table. On Tuesday I had two parents in the same hospital & a school principal on the phone. Wednesday was about organizing a full year of paperwork, on Thursday I was working through some convoluted banking – and just as I had figured it out, THE BANK CANCELLED MY WORK. (For real – they actually called, suspecting I was a “fraudster” and not just a responsible daughter.) I know myself, and those are the sorts of things that can raise my blood pressure to a full boil, and make me into a person I don’t even want to live with. This audacious love, however, is what changes all of that.
This crazy love reminds me that my first call is to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. And I do, truly. I just forget sometimes. That whole-life love is this kind of upside-down gift that doesn’t rob from our love for others, but equips us and frees us to love our neighbours – our spouse, our parents, our kids, our friends (and in my case, the zealous bank teller and the person who now has Dad’s GPS and hospital snack money) – in ways that are totally beyond us. That love helps relieve our adrenal overload and peace beyond understanding, giving us hope that we might actually be able to live in a Holy power that is completely beyond ourselves. That is completely audacious.
And here’s the thing I ended the book with (it’s a bit circular, but hopefully you can follow along with my logic): I may not think I have the energy to be audacious in the moment, but He does. And that is enough to equip me to be truly audacious.
Please visit some of my Ellen’s Picks friends’ homes online to see what they’re thinking about Audacious – they’re great women who you really should know!
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I can totally relate to not feeling like I had the energy, nor the capacity, to read Audacious. However I cracked the spine and began the journey with a trusted author to learn about living audaciously. My book is filled with marks and ticks beside key thoughts and phrases for me to go back and ponder in future days. One such phrase is this, “Confidently. Audaciously. Like we believe what He says. Like we receive what He’s done. Like we accept who we are. Like we know what it took. The exorbitant price He paid for our access is worthy of nothing less.” pg 39. Boy this challenges me! Easter is quickly approaching and I’m reminded that Good Friday came first! I long to believe, to the depth of my being, of God’s exorbitant love for me . . . of the price Jesus paid on the cross for me . . . and of how God wants to use me to share with others know of God’s love for them. The reality of my finiteness and living in a world filled with less-than-perfect-people reminds me that I am not capable of loving others audaciously on my own. But because of the depth of God’s love for me . . . I can . . . and I will. Every step forward, however big or small, is another step towards loving others like Jesus . . . of loving others audaciously.
I love how profound you are, even when quoting another author! 🙂 Glad that i’m not alone in wondering if I had the energy to be audacious! The audacity might just be in believing confidently, right? xo
Reading this book made me think of this quote by NT Wright “Love is the language Jesus spoke, and we are called to speak it so that we can converse with Him”. I found while reading the pages of this book, Beth reminds us its all about love and she is clearly speaking the language. Love is a concept that seems so simple, yet can be rather difficult in the hustle, grind and space of everyday life. Sparking a deep desire to love God and be loved by Him, is a wonderful goal that I think Beth achieves with this book. Thanks for another great Ellen’s Picks 🙂
What a great quote – and you’re right – that’s exactly what this book is all about! So, so glad for your thoughts, friend!
I’ll be honest – it took some work for me to really get into Audacious, and to stick with it until I hit page 29. Dear Beth asks, “What are you most compelled by the love of Christ to do?”. Man, that question haunted me… it still does. I feel a bit anxious admitting that I don’t know the answer to this question, especially as so many of you in this community are already doing (and rocking it).
I really hated that what I was struggling with was my purpose. But instead of feeling small or lazy or that I lacked vision, Beth brought me back to my real purpose – to know just how deep & wide God’s love is for me & for me to love him back. “If you love Jesus audaciously, you won’t have to worry about whether or not you live audaciously” Beth adds. “Audacious love leads to audacious obedience.”
I relaxed as Beth reminded me that God doesn’t need me to get stuff done or to bring Him glory. “We were created out of divine desire for divine desire. God did not fashion us from the dust because He needed us. He created us because He wanted us.” (page 96). Later Beth writes, “A work of God cannot be mastered by man, no matter how gifted we are…. The paradox is that it takes God to actually serve God.” Letting that sink in helped take the pressure off!
While it took me a while to get to page 29, the remaining pages turned themselves quickly. I started highlighting truths that I need to plant deep in my heart, remind myself daily of and live out. Some pages are almost completely coloured bright yellow. For such a short read, there’s so much good stuff here!
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After reading a few of the comments below, I am reminded that, I too, was struggling with following along with the challenge of reading Audacious and also had a hard time engaging with her writing…at first. Apologizing to Ellen privately for not keeping up with blogging, I then realized that the encouragements found here, in the comments prior, were also quite inspiring and helped me realize one of the purposes to Ellen’s Picks – is to connect us and be encouraged through one another by the reading of her picks.
It’s been a busy season, one that has required planning and preparation – you know, the 90% planning and 10% presentation concept that, I think, Beth Moore first introduce me to.
Much of my planning has also been supported in daily habits and disciplines that has kept me from doing the extras, but determined to utilize the the value of rhythms in my life, I made the time for Audacious.
And, I’m thankful and truly appreciative that I did.
Once again, I was reminded through the Word and words of Beth, that we are called to a very high calling. A calling – in response to the gospel – to make disciples, to glorify God and to bear fruit and that calling requires boldness and courage and that comes from conviction and passion that compels us to action – of which I now view through a new lens to be a calling that requires me to be audacious!
And to share a favourite line, from Ellen’s Pick, that provides insight and example to an audacious calling is when Beth expresses,
“Because the eternal purpose of God was fully accomplished in Jesus,
we are
authorized,
urged,
exhorted and
expected
to approach His throne with absolute boldness.
Confidently. Audaciously.
Like we believe what He says.
Like we receive what He’s done.
Like we accept who we are (I’ll add, who’s we are!)
Like we know what it took.
The exorbitant price He paid for our access is worthy of nothing less” (pg.39).
And, when we approach His throne and enter his presence….looking to be changed, in view of who God is, how can we not but live audaciously for Him!
And, yes, my book is highlighted and underlined – the only way to read a book of this significance – Thanks again Ellen!
Ellen, I can’t help but start by reacting to the crazy gong show of things you were dealing with when reading!! I’m so sorry about all of that!!! I loved, though, how you saw straight through to the truth of it all, even in the midst of chaos. That was beautiful to read.
For me, I loved how Beth Moore took her existing life statement/goal and tweaked it, because of what it means for us all…I’ve been sitting lately, with the truth that there is always more of Jesus for us. That we can never reach a place of satiety with Him…that He created us with an unquenchable need for more of Him, and because He has capacity to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, we can ALWAYS be taking our relationship with Jesus to the next level.
Beth’s reflections have been causing me to ask myself, how can I do that? What ways can I be loving God and living more audaciously for Him? What risks does He want me to be taking for Him to take things to the next level? And I don’t ask any of those questions because I feel I have to technically DO anything. I get it – Jesus loves me. Period. And He wants me to know that. Period. But I just can’t help but want to respond to Him, after sitting with that unbelievable fact. Because He deserves it!! And because I love Him too.
Like many others have mentioned, I had some preconceived ideas that prevented me from initially embracing this book. There were times while reading, the writing style and bunny-trails tempted me to set the book aside, and likely without the accountability of this group, I might have given up.
There were definitely some great nuggets along the way, and by the last chapter, I can say I’m glad I persevered.
This book has been a great reminder for me about how I am COMPLETELY loved by the God of the universe and how this audacious love empowers and directs me.
I found at times during the book thinking I could never be like Beth or respond like her, and so am glad that she addressed the personality piece. Personalities differ dramatically and audacious lovers of Jesus all don’t have to look, respond and write like Beth Moore.
I am encouraged by Beth’s honesty and vulnerability about her own personal failures and flaws. She is not afraid to share stories from her own life and how God keeps showing up.
Thank you Ellen for including this book in your Picks. It was a timely read for me in both my personal and work life. Thank you.