Waking
The Dead
The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive
By John Eldredge
Thomas Nelson Publishers
ISBN: 0-7852-6553-8
Non-fiction, Inspirational
Review
by R. Cody Smith 
“Wake
up from your sleep, Climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the
light! So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance
you get. These are desperate times!” Eph 5:14-16 MSG
For many of us the practice of religious traditions has
somehow failed to deliver on the promise of an abundant Christian life,
instead of experiencing, freedom, peace and joy, we are often left with
feelings of unworthy-ness, guilt, and frustration. According to John
Eldredge, most of us are not fully alive, but walking around in a daze,
and in desperate need of some clarity regarding the reality of the world
we live in. The author identifies three essential and eternal truths
that mark the way to restoration.
Things are not what they seem
It’s not an accident that these
things have befallen us. As you will recall the Bible clearly states
that we have an enemy stalking us all the days of our lives; his plan is
to destroy us, his method is deception, he is Satan, the father of lies.
He is the prince of This World and by attracting us to it he keeps us
perpetually occupied with meaningless and trivial activity. He is
perfectly content to rip off our life minute-by-minute, day-by-day,
until it’s all been wasted in fruitlessness.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this
dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
realms.”
Eph 6:12 NIV
This is a world at
war
The author hits this one pretty heavy and insists that
engaging in spiritual warfare “may be the most critical” aspect of
being fully alive. Too our own peril, there seems to be little
understanding of this often controversial subject, and most Christians
seem to be unaware that there is an actual war going on around us. We
are like non-combatants staggering around in the midst of a pitched
battle, contributing nothing and lucky to just survive the day. There is
no escape through ignorance or unwillingness to fight, our choice is
clear, engage the enemy or perish.
There is yet another aspect to
warfare that I think has gone largely unnoticed. As Christians we are
meant to be a people on a mission, fighting for the hearts and souls of
others. When we do this together we forge deeper and more meaningful
battle tested relationships with our fellow combatants. These are the
kind of relationships that don’t even blink at the petty jealousy, and
gossip that seem to be tearing apart so many inwardly focused small
groups these days.
Each of us has a crucial role to play
We are but shadows of the men and
women that we were meant to be, and need deliverance from what holds us
back so we can live purposefully, accomplishing great and mighty deeds
of eternal value. We are powerful, and we have a purpose; our existence
is significant in the history of the world that God is writing at this
very moment.
This book is not about tips and techniques to better
Christian living, but a wake-up call and a signpost left by one who has
sojourned before us. It points to the disciple’s path and invites us
to walk and discover these same truths for ourselves.
Ok, I choke a little myself when I have to shell out to buy
a hard cover book, but this one is worth it. Selected Walk This Way, "Best
Read of 2004"
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